He retrieved a dusty memory, turned to face Stoker, and repeated an oft rehearsed--but never used--formal statement, “Doctor Roland Stoker, under Article Six in the Statement of Procedures Regarding the Planet Forest and its Inhabitants, you have the authority to order all available resources on and around the stellar vicinity of the planet Archer to organize an immediate evacuation of Forest. Do you wish to invoke Article Six at this time?”
Doctors Victoria Treelam, Jonathon Ames, Gladys Twisst,--Stoker’s team--and CeCe turned in frozen silence to face the Governor and Doctor Stoker when Wills made that statement. The silence grew thicker as Stoker stared wide-eyed at Wills’ face.
Finally, Doctor Stoker turned to look at Victoria Treelam; she shrugged and said, “It won’t get better.”
Stoker stood up to match the governor’s 195 centimeter height and elevated heart rate, “Admiral Governor-General Wills Reynolds, as leader of the Forest Assessment and Survey Team under the authorization of the Terran Federation Colonization and Contact Commission, I, hereby, invoke full implementation of all directives contained in Article Six of the Statement of Procedures Regarding the Planet Forest and its Inhabitants.”
He stepped forward and took Wills hand, “Admiral, this is a moment in human history; may God place our steps carefully.”
It had been a long time since Wills Reynolds had been called “Admiral” even though he always wore the uniform and insisted that CeCe and other personnel still under the Navel command structure wear theirs when on duty. Old and rusty mental mechanisms stirred. He looked at the clock on the wall.
Admiral Reynolds swept a hand toward Doctor Stoker’s team, “Doctor Ames, Doctor Twisst, as the linguists of Doctor Stoker’s team you will have to be the first on the ground at Forest; get your gear together and be ready to go in two hours. The Santana should be on the ground by now and we can have it turned around by then. Report to the ship as soon as you are ready.”
“Doctor Treelam, Doctor Stoker, Commander Copeland, you’re with me.” He turned and headed for the door. A left turn and ten meters down the hall to a right turn down another hall and the heavy door that opened into the Archer Flight System Control and Communication room.
The supervisor’s station was at the top of the terraced room overlooking the three levels of operator stations and the massive wall of screens depicting flight operations all over the Archer system. Only three of the other twelve stations were occupied and traffic indicators were minimal.
The Admiral started toward the supervisor’s station from where he had entered at the side of the room, “PORT OPERATOR.” He called as he walked.
A startled young woman at a second level station jumped, “Huh, WHAT?”
He arrived at the supervisor’s station where Gerald Falmann sat with a look as startled as the one on the Port Operator’s face.
He faced toward the woman, “Is the Santana on the ground yet?”
“Ahh . . . yes, sir, about twenty minutes ago.”
“Is Lieutenant Hayes still at the ship?”
“Just a moment, sir, I’ll check.”
He pressed his thumb against the reader pad below a sealed switch panel and smiled as Falmann’s eyes widened and his hands gripped the arms of his chair, “Good morning, Jerry, how’s your day going?”
He looked out over the room and loudly ordered, “ALL OPERATORS - SAY CRITICAL TRAFFIC NOW.”
The three confused faces just looked from one to the other and shook their heads.
The panel opened and the Admiral flipped the seven switches labeled: BUILDING, PORT, CITY, PLANETARY, ORBITAL, NEAR SPACE, and OUTER SYSTEM.
When the screen at the upper-left of the display wall indicated that every communication system was now overridden and tied into the Archer Military Command System, he picked up the microphone lying below the switches, “Attention Archer, this is Admiral Wills Reynolds. At 0929 hours 3 June 2258, Article Six of the Statement of Procedures Regarding the Planet Forest and its Inhabitants was invoked by Doctor Roland Stoker.
“All ships, personnel, and resources within the Archer System are now under military control. All interstellar-capable ships are ordered to head for or remain in Archer orbit and prepare for evacuation operations. Those of you that will be required to participate in this operation will receive orders shortly. For now, anyone connected with port operations or heavy construction is to report to their normal posts. That is all for now.”
He returned the microphone, reset the switches, and smiled at the stunned supervisor again, “My day just took an interesting turn.”
The woman at the Port Operations station stood up, “Admiral, Lieutenant Hayes has left the port area.”
“Alright, call ground operations and get the Santana ready for liftoff ASAP.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Military Command System did not cover personal communicators so it was unlikely that Lieutenant Hayes had received the notice. Reynolds tapped in a number on the station com panel; Command Master Sergeant Stephanie Hayes answered the call.
“Admiral, we received your notice; all members of the Marine detachment are being notified. We should be ready within the hour.”
“Excellent, Master Sergeant, but my main concern right now is your son; he just hit dirt and left the port. I need him back in the Santana and boosting for Forest in a couple of hours. I hope he’s not at the bottom of a bottle already.”
The Sergeant acquired an embarrassed look, “Well . . . actually, sir, he has a girlfriend now; I think I know where he is.”
He hadn’t heard about that; his eyebrows went up, “A girl? Well . . . okay. Find him and get him in front of me five minutes ago; I don’t care what state of dress he’s in.”
“Yes, sir; will do.”
Her salute startled him but he managed a reasonable recovery and returned it. That was another thing that had fallen by the wayside.
He turned to face his entourage, “Doctor Stoker, Doctor Treelam,
