|
0079.10.16 Jamitov Heimann gritted his teeth angrily. At first, the admiral had been pleased to see Lieutenant Francois again, but after she handed him the orders from Jaburo, his mood had soured massively. The formerly sealed manila envelope lay callously discarded on the edge of the desk; as soon as Jamitov had seen the header of the documentation within, he's crumpled the bottom and tossed it aside. FROM: EARTH FEDERATION SPACE FORCES HEADQUARTERS, LUNA-2 TO: EARTH FEDERATION SPACE FORCES TECHNICAL EVALUATION CENTER, GREEN NOAH ATTN: ADM. JAMITOV HEIMANN BEGIN MESSAGE PROJECT PHANTOM IS HEREBY CANCELLED, EFFECTIVE UPON RECEIPT OF THIS DISPATCH. WHILE IMPRESSIVE, THE ADVANTAGES OFFERED BY THE ZEPHYR PHANTOMS FAIL TO OFFSET JABURO'S BUDGETARY CONCERNS. DISCONTINUE ALL DEVELOPMENT IMMEDIATELY. REPURPOSE ALL APPLICABLE EQUIPMENT. ALL REMAINING PROTOTYPES ARE TO BE DESTROYED AT ONCE. END MESSAGE "Unthinkable," Jamitov muttered. "That machine is perfect... it will win the war, and those penny-pinchers in Jaburo can't be assed to see beyond their own funding allotments?!" He angrily flung the orders across the office; they came to rest on a plush carpet some feet away, gently floating to the ground as the ventilation system recirculated air towards the faux wainscoting. "I'll put out the orders, Admiral," Marie nodded, somewhat solemnly. She knew much of Jamitov's machinations, perhaps better than anyone, and the potency of the blow he'd just received. Jamitov rubbed the white cloth gloves against his eyelids as she turned to leave. "Wait," he said as she approached the door. "When you confirm the order, inform that ne'er-do-well Wakkein that both prototypes were lost during testing." "But, Admiral..." she began. "Furthermore, I want the Phantom staff transferred to Green Oasis. We'll "repurpose" the shelters for the data centers. That'll keep those nosy inspectors from probing where they don't belong," Jamitov scowled. "Admiral, we're violating a direct order... what if they find out?" Marie implored, looking somewhat pleading. "They won't. Send both units to Green Oasis as well. All field deployments must be cleared with me personally," Jamitov said. "We needed to start atmospheric testing anyway..." "Um, very well, sir," Marie nodded uncomfortably. "Have Jamaican start scrapping Units 4 and 5, that'll prove to Wakkein that we've destroyed the prototypes..." "He doesn't know that work went ahead on more than two units?" Marie asked quizzically. "No," Jamitov said flatly, eyes making contact with hers as he tented his fingers in front of his face, "He doesn't." "Ah, in that case, there's one other concern, sir," she noted. Jamitov rolled his eyes. "We'll only have enough time to send Unit 2 to Green Oasis before the inspection staff arrives... Unit 1 won't be able to be repaired and boxed up in time." Jamitov's face scrunched up angrily. "Is that right..." Jamitov began, mood getting fouler by the moment. He depressed the switch on his desk's intercom. "Jamaican, we have a complication, and I need you to handle it." "Me, sir?" Lieutenant Altecha Chan placed a hand against his chest in demonstration. "That is correct, Lieutenant," Lt. Commander Jamaican Daningham nodded, offering the clipboard with the transfer orders for his review. "As of today, you will be conducting all further field development of Project Phantom Unit 1. The prototype and all applicable components have already been loaded onto your vessel." "I'm flattered, really, but... why?" Altecha asked, scratching his head. "Are you questioning these orders?" Jamaican asked, quirking an eyebrow. "They come directly from Admiral Heimann." Altecha noted that the orders had, indeed, arrived from Jamitov's office. "...my mistake, sir," Altecha frowned. "Very well. I'll take good care of it." "As you should," Jamaican nodded. "Oh. And, one minor detail," Jamaican began, brusquely grabbing Altecha's uniform collar. "This project is STILL absolutely classified, and that is now part of your responsibility. No-one who is not currently onboard your vessel is to know the actual purpose and capability of this machine. Am I abundantly clear?" "Y-Yes, sir," Altecha saluted falteringly. This was one turn of events he certainly hadn't anticipated. "Admiral Jamitov is placing a considerable degree of trust in a junior officer such as yourself. I would recommend you do not misplace that," Jamaican said with a bit of a sneer. "If you allow any leaks of this information, the Admiral will see to it that your career - among other things - will be over. Dismissed." Altecha nodded quickly and the senior officer departed, leaving him to fix his collar. He couldn't help but feel that there was something he wasn't exactly privy to going on here... hoping he might find some kind of closure, he produced the operations manual Jamaican had stuffed in his face at the beginning of their "meeting." "...Lucy, is it?" |