Voyages Extraordinaire: Fate of the Munar-5 / Part 4 - Exposed

[Alpha 360]

Chapter 10: Fate of the Munar-5 / Part 4 - Exposed

"How much longer until we can fix the computers?" Jeb asked worriedly. Three days passed from the confrontation with Ivan. Ivan hadn't tried to break-out yet, but that could have been because Jeb equipped his guards with metal struts which acted like clubs. 

"I don't know. The malware is top-grade. It is on-par with military, or government malware, and they make their stuff is impossible to crack." Orbee replied, tapping away at the keyboard.

"Only 15 more days until we return to Gaia." Jeb breathed quietly. Orbee didn't hear him. 

He pushed himself down into the secondary command module, and then into a hydroponics bay. Stable waited for him there, as he previously arranged. 

"I can't believe Ivan would do such a thing. He would know how space requires all the teamwork possible to survive."

"He's a Kusian, he has to obey his government or lose his position."

Stable stared at Jeb in disbelief, "Kursia is our ally, and always has been. Sure they're government is a little rough, but all the trade deals with the Gaian States means that if they sabotaged the mission, they would lose those trade deals. What would they even gain by disrupting this mission?"

"They would be able to get rid of this mission for the short-term. Then they could easily sneak something pass us." Jeb explained. 

"Jeb. You are talking rot."  Stable accused. 

"Maybe. Gene told me, so I believe him." Jeb replied glibly.

"Why do you take whatever Gene says as fact. Sure, he's informed on future plans and such, but only a military personnel would have access to that knowledge....." She trailed off. 

Jeb wished he didn't wear his ornamental army badge at this instance. 

"You were military, Gene was military. Both of you served in the Army. You obey Gene like he's your, captain." Stable stared at Jeb in a new light.

Jeb hung his head, not having the heart to deny this fact. There was silence, and then Jeb spoke, "Yes, Gene was my captain. He always beat me at kards when we played together. I accumulated a large amount of debt to him. He said he would cancel that debt if I joined the kerbonaut corps, so me and Val joined up." He bit the inside of his lip, slightly embarrassed. "I have been in his debt for cancelling that debt ever since."

Stable's face tried to express a variety of emotions at once, not withstanding discomfort, disappointment, disbelief, as well as amusement. The only emotion which appeared coherently was the amusement. 

"Jeb." she said, "You can put me in extreme doubt that you have a brain up there." 

"It makes perfect sense though..." then Jeb saw the lack of reason behind his previous statement. "Oops."

"Come on, Silly." Stable teased. Jeb was in the act of embracing Stable, a chuckle in his throat, when a voice coughed from below him. Two startled cats could have not separated sooner. 

It was the Kid. "Um, Jeb?"

"Yes?" Jeb asked, fighting down the blush which threatened to emerge. 

"Ivan wants to talk to you in private. That was what Hardid Kerman said to tell you." 

"Alright, I'll come." With one last look at Stable, who was pretending to study the plants, he pushed himself through the zero-gravity down to the other greenhouse. 

The two makeshift guards waited until Jeb was out of the hatch, then they scrambled unceremoniously up. Ivan floated in the middle of the room, unbound. 

"Alright, Jebediah. Let us end the charades." Ivan announced. 

"What charades?" Jeb asked. He tried to conceal that he was biting his lip. He did a poor job of it. 

"You know what charades. You know perfectly well I did not put that malware on your computer." Ivan accused. 

"I know perfectly well that you were spying on the designs for the nuclear aerospike, and everything connected to it." Jeb countered.

"Yes. I admit that. One has to obey one's mentor." 

"Yes, indeed." Jeb replied crisply. 

"You know perfectly well, Jeb, who put the malware in the computer." Ivan leered an all-knowing leer.

"Do you think I will tell you that?" Jeb attempted to wound Ivan, "Because you won't get a word from me." 

"Oh, I never expected that. After all, who would accuse oneself of putting the malware into the computer?"

Jeb flinched. 

Ivan laughed, "You did do it, didn't you. Working for you mentor, did you have a debt to settle, just like myself? Or did you do it for the pure joy of deceit."

"I hated every moment of it." Jeb flashed back. He grimaced, "Seeing as you understand my predicament, do you mind keeping quiet?"

Ivan thought, and when his mouth opened to say something, he rethought. Jeb waited agonizingly for a minute, and for another minute, and for the next minute after that. 

Finally after five minutes, Ivan said, "I'll keep quiet for now. When it suits my purpose to call you out, I will. So can I be released?" 

"Sure, follow me." 

Again Jeb gathered the crew into the main command module. Ivan floated on his left hand now, Stable on his right. 

"I gather you here, kerbals because of a new development." Jeb announced. Mixed mutterings sounded from the crowd. Jeb ignored them and continued, "Ivan here has given me some important evidence. Instead of putting the malware onto my computer, he gave me proof that he was attempting to remove it. He didn't want to be blamed for something he didn't do, which unfortunately backfired on him." 

"The culprit is still not to be found yet. I would hesitate accusing one another for doing it though. We must work together in order to survive the harshness of space. Dismissed!" 

The crowd dispersed. Stable went back to coaching a group of kerbals on orbital mechanics, the Kid being one of those attending. 

Ivan leaned over and whispered in Jeb ear, "Hypocrite." Jeb flinched. Ivan chuckled as he floated away, leaving Jeb to stew in his troubles.  

 

Spoiler

I will not be able to write for the next two weeks, unfortunately because of going to a summer camp where electronics are banned. I will make sure though to continue this story until I run out of screenshots from that save. Enjoy!

Happy Explosions!