A Day in the Life of Marine Captain Cross before the Zoastra Affair Part Thirty Three
Cross heard the siren. General Aurelius wanted to meet the rescue mission in his office after Iso. The alien woman went straight to the medical wing for further examination. Cross reported immediately to the office.
General Aurelius and Rosemarie had a private conversation inside while the rest of the officers stood at attention waiting. Seconds later, General Aurelius indicated that they should join him. To Cross, the general had a commanding presence that few people possessed.
“Captain Cross filed his report. He recommended leaving the alien woman on his home planet,” General Aurelius stated. “Why was his advice not heeded?”
“She helped us with vital layouts of the palace,” Major Peter Newman said.
“Taking this woman on board puts us in danger. I set a course to get us out of airspace, and she’s below deck. But the technological advancement of this world means we can be followed. Our mission is to find the aliens who founded our world. This does not mean we should interfere with the politics of all worlds we encounter.”
Cross agreed with the general. He knew this alien would bring them trouble.
“Lieutenant Southeastern, starting a social revolution helped us get you out of there,” General Aurelius continued. “But next time you’re on an alien world, I expect more self control from you.”
Cross wondered silently what else happened, but no one could ask.
“Colonel Hunter is in the brig.” General Aurelius supplied the answer to their unasked question. “He contacted the aliens on a private frequency to ensure that Major Grace Newman disappeared. His trial is next week. We’re taking him in now.”
Cross kept his mouth shut, but he wasn’t surprised in the least. Hunter was bad news.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Colonel Hunter in the Zoastra Affair?
Colonel Hunter was placed in the brig after it was discovered he contacted aliens on a private frequency to ensure that Major Grace Newman disappeared. General Aurelius announced that Hunter’s trial would take place the following week. Captain Cross was not surprised by Hunter’s actions, having already considered him bad news before the revelation.
How did the crew justify bringing the alien woman on board against Captain Cross’s recommendation?
Major Peter Newman argued that the alien woman had provided vital layouts of the palace, making her assistance critical to the mission’s success. Despite Captain Cross filing a report recommending she be left on her home planet, her intelligence value outweighed his advice. General Aurelius still expressed concern that her presence endangered the ship.
Should the crew have left the alien woman on her planet or taken her aboard the ship?
Captain Cross and General Aurelius both believed the alien woman should have been left on her home planet. The general warned that interfering in alien worlds’ politics conflicted with their core mission of finding the aliens who founded their world. Her presence also created a technological tracking risk, since her advanced civilization could potentially follow the ship.
