Explorer Third Class Janine A. Monroe

Explorer Third Class Janine A. Monroe

The mechanical echo of Janine's steady breathing kept rhythm with her clumsy strides on the surface of the small moon. The chronometer on her left wrist flashed red signifying her air supply was nearing concern. She heaved a sigh, planted an orange marker into the rocky surface and dropped an empty core case next to it. She was out of time. She turned and bounced back the way she came making sure to follow her waffled boot treads toward the small vehicle; her only lifeline to civilization. Janine shook her head and blew air from her mouth aiming upward toward her nose in a vain attempt to dislodge a forming drop of sweat. She blinked rapidly as perspiration dislodged from her eyebrows and into her eyes. She raised her insulated hands and rubbed the outside of her visor then sighed. She needed to write this suit up for a faulty biotemp regulator. But first she needed to get back to base and upon removal of the malfunctioning cocoon scratch every itch she hadn't been able to get to for the last four hours.

As she broke over the rim of the ridge, panting to catch her breath, her ear phones crackled with a droning male voice. "...do you read? Repeat, base to explorer three-four-two-one, our charts indicate you are dangerously low on air. Return to base a-s-a-p. Do you read explorer three-four-two-one?"

Janine turned her head within the helmet until her chin slid over a button opening her radio signal. In a raspy voice, which only unused vocal chords and a parched throat could produce, she said, "Base this is explorer three-four-two-one, I have the rover in sight and will be knocking on the airlock in under fifteen, repeat, under fifteen minutes. Call off the troops, I'm near base. Over."

She pressed the button again with her chin breaking her signal. The earphones crackled to life as Junior Scout Merris pressed the call button at base. "Jolly good explorer three-four-two-one."

Janine sighed. She had thirty minutes of air left, plenty for the return trip. Her smile faded as a grim reminder of protocol not followed nagged at her. This last disregard for the regs would be marked in the comm's log. She'd have to answer for her decision to stay out so long.

It took Janine another five minutes of steady bouncing to reach the moon rover. The little buggy was nothing more than a chassis with a seat in the center of six big balloon tires and a stick centered between her knees for steering with two buttons on the grip; one for forward and one for reverse. A large solar panel sat behind the seat. One speed considered safe for low gravity and uneven terrain was geared into the little solar powered vehicle. She secured the rock and soil samples from her crater explorations adding them to her earlier digs in the forward bin and settled into the seat of the rover. With a flip of the toggle the engine whined and she pressed the top button to move the vehicle toward the base. The ride was all down hill. She laughed as the vehicle bounced from side to side jarring her against the shoulder and lap harness as she picked up speed. Toward the bottom of the ridge she shrieked as the rover bounced extra hard. The contact lights showed that while the front four tires were airborne the back two had ground contact and while the back four were airborne the front two tires had ground contact.

She was still smiling as the airlock hissed. Boredom was the rule on this orbiting rock. The company was too stiff and even this small thrill threatened board interaction. How she got stuck with this team and the stiff necked "By the Book" Jasserif Teagan she couldn't guess.

The intercom speaker blared as she sat on the bench next to her locker. "Explorer Third Class Monroe, report to Administrator Teagan's office immediately."

Janine scowled as Jeffrey twisted the seal ring at the base of her helmet and lifted. The canned stale air of the base smelled like sour gym socks and she gagged on that first whiff. She sure as hell wouldn't miss that smell once she got back to atmosphere. She stood for the next step of removing the pressure suit. "What does 'ol' stiff neck' want now?" She spoke to Jeffrey's back as she pulled Velcro seals, zippers, and buckles.

Jeffrey reached over and assisted Janine out of the cumbersome suit. The air packs' mass was more than she could comfortably handle even at one-quarter gravity. He looked Janine in the eyes and she noticed his worry lines were more pronounced than normal. "He was in the control room monitoring for the last two hours. Of which, you were out of LOC for the last hour and forty minutes. Merris has been relieved of duty pending a protocol hearing. It seems he didn't muster a team to search for a tardy explorer who was running low on oh-two and failed to make her scheduled comm. What do you think he wants to discuss?"

"I was assigned to explore over the ridge, of course I was out of line of communication." Janine grabbed a long handled back scratcher made out of hydroponics bamboo. She proceeded to attack every itch she'd accumulated over the last few hours into immediate submission.

"You couldn't have parked the rover on the top of the ridge for communication relay?" Jeffrey shook his head with disdain. He was older than most of the explorers and this was his fourth tour in the outer belt. "You are soaked through. Something wrong with the suit thermostat or did you just decide to turn it off, too."

"The thermostat is whacked. It went out about halfway through my assignment." Janine stopped scratching for a moment. "And I probably could have parked the rover on the ridge, but then I would've been called back in before I reached the bottom for samples. As it is there's a whole section I didn't get to and one core case waiting for the next explorer." Janine sneered as she explained her reasoning.

Jeffrey's eyes widened with shock before he regained his composure. "Look, kid..."

"Don't call me kid. I'm sixteen and well able to take care of myself." she hung the scratcher up where she'd found it.

"Yea and your antics are going to ground you and if you are lucky there won't be any disciplinary action busting you back down to grade four." Jeffry's tone smoldered with pure heat.


Janine inhaled to respond to the absurdity spouting from his mouth, but Jeff raised his finger and wagged it with a warning. "Don't go there. Regulations are made for your protection. You learn to follow the regs or you don't go off base." As he looked away, disappointment twisted his frown into an angry mask. "Now get into your coveralls and report for your spanking."

Janine, immediately subdued, hurried into her coveralls. Jeff never spoke to her that way. She left the rover bay without any argument. In the narrow corridors she passed several explorers and two junior scouts who all avoided eye contact. Just how much doggy do was she in? Surely the fifteen minute reserve and her safe return would count for something. Well, until Jeff finished the rover diagnostic and reported her reckless downhill from Cooper's ridge. A sudden burning in her gut told her she was in for some real trouble this time. Her mind raced over just how many regs she had broken in the last three hours. At least three, maybe upwards to five.

She stood before the metal door to Administrator Teagan's office. Her hand shook as she raised the clanker and rapped twice. The door lock released with a clink and Janine pushed and stepped inside. She felt faint when she stepped before a full board sitting behind one side of the long conference table, but to her credit, she didn't collapse on the spot.

She stood for several seconds concentrating her control over weak and shaking knees. Nausea pushed upwards and she swallowed several times thinking this would be a bad time to get space sick. The seven man board waited patiently for her to take her position before the single chair facing them. She noted with some reassurance that a counselor wasn't assigned so this wasn't a full decommissioning hearing.

Administrator Teagan started the proceedings. "Explorer Third Class Janine Allison Monroe you have been called before the board to answer inquiries into several protocol violations..."

As Janine listened to the deep crisp voice of the administrator she looked over the other six who sat on the board. They were all Scout First Class and in their dress greens. They had all come up through the ranks as explorers. She stood before what the commission called her peers. The youngest of them was at least ten years older than her. She recognized Terra Forrestor and started to sweat. Of the other five Scouts she recognized three. Two--S1C Argos and S1C Salabin--she had never met before. Everyone of the scouts sitting on the board wore the ribbon of valor, some with oak leaf clusters.

"...Do you understand everything I have explained about the preliminary proceedings?"

Janine brought her full attention back to the administrator. She hadn't heard much of what he had said and her mind was quickly numbing into dumbness with the magnitude of the elite body before her. Her mind raced as she cleared her tightened throat. If she admitted to not hearing most of what the administrator said, it could go against her. But as it happened she had stood before one of these boards before. "Yes Administrator, I understand the proceedings." Her voice squeaked out the first three words of her declaration before she regained her normal timbre.

"You may sit at ease for questioning, Explorer Third Class Monroe."

"Thank-you sir." Janine's mind went over everything she knew about preliminary proceedings. Everything asked would be from her record. Like everyone in this room, except maybe the administrator who was strictly a company man, she joined the Explorers at age eight after testing with the required IQ.

"Explorer Third Class Janine Monroe, do you recall mission assignment dated 2246-11-22." The question came from S1C Argos. She looked like a book scout and just off the launch pad from atmosphere.

"Yes, Ma'am. I was assigned to relieve Explorer Fourth Class Sennightly and finish marking the grid in sector alpha four quadrant sixty-two dee."

"Please explain what occurred when you arrived at your appointed rendezvous point."

Janine squirmed in the chair. "E4C Sennightly was not at the rendezvous point at the prescribed time. I tried to raise him on direct call beam but he did not respond."

"Did you then report this incongruity back to base?" S1C Parron directed his question from the other side of the board.

Janine looked Parron directly in the eyes. "Yes, Sir."

Parron smiled a sneering grin. Janine knew she was cooked. This guy always baited the explorers with leading questions. "Explain the procedures you undertook between the time you discovered the absent E4 and when you reported his absence."

Janine closed her eyes for a moment to remember her report. "I arrived at sector alpha four quadrant sixty-two dee and found that E4C Sennightly had not yet arrived. I waited for three minutes until my chronometer chimed the hour he was to have been present. I then called on the radio to ascertain his location but received no reply. Since sector alpha four was out of line of sight of the base I could not immediately call base for instructions. Also, the sector was in shadow so I could not operate the rover and had to leave the rover out of LOC, so I had no comm relay to the base. I mentally went over procedure for this situation and chose to perform a preliminary search before reporting back to base."

"Why did you make the decision to search?" Janine looked at S1C Terra Forrestor. She had retrained under Forrestor for eight months the last time she got stuck before one of these boards. She was five times worse than a team instructor during initiation phase, but she was fair.

"If I had made the decision to report to base first, thirty-six minutes would have been lost in travel back to LOC with the rover for relay and another thirty-six minutes on the return. E4C Sennightly didn't have more than two hours of air left so the call to base would greatly endanger his chances of returning to base still breathing. As you know sector alpha four is quite remote."

"Yes, it is. Continue."

Janine took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I noticed the only ground swell in sector alpha four lay at mid sector. I considered that direct LOC was disrupted in only that direction so I proceeded to the rim to perform another direct beam transmission. Upon cresting the rim I picked up a distress beacon. I immediately zoned on the beam and called for Sennightly to respond. There still wasn't any response. I bounced down the rim following the beacon signal and found Sennightly unconscious but alive. He held a diagnoster in his hand so I used the diagnoster to ascertain his condition. I discovered that he had two fractured ribs and his left femur was fractured. He appeared to have been caught in a moon slide and I needed to remove several large boulders pinning him to the surface. I then performed first aid in the field to stabilized him and proceeded to carry Sennightly from the dead zone. When I was within LOC of the rover I reported back to base that I had an injured Explorer in tow."

"Very commendable. Was this your first d-t-o-f experience?" Janine faced Administrator Teagan.

"Yes, Sir. The assignment dated 2246-11-22 was the first time I was forced to decide on the fly. As it turned out my decision saved Sennightly’s life. He had lost a lot of blood internally."

"Yes. So it seems."

Janine clenched her teeth together to stifle the angry retort to Teagan's verbal slight and insinuation that she proceeded incorrectly. The administrator had been on her back picking at every little thing she did since his assignment to Deneb V, four months prior.

"But not all of your d-t-o-f experiences have worked out so well, have they Explorer Monroe?" Janine faced S1C Salabin. Salabin had an eastern Asian accent, what her grandfather called Indian/Pakistani before that sector of Earth was consolidated under the Asian Pacts.

"Please explain what happened during the assignment dated 2247-01-15."

"Yes, Sir. I was assigned with team Explorer seven to retrieve core samples from sector gamma six. There were five of us in the team, E2C Austin coordinating. We all operated our own rovers and once we reached the gamma six grid, Austin assigned the sectors where we were to collect the waiting cores. I picked up my load of cores and returned to the rendezvous. Everyone arrived on schedule except Randall, err I mean, E4C Randall Jerand. We waited an additional fifteen minutes all the while calling via direct beam to locate our missing team member. As per regulation, Austin set up a relay with the rovers and each explorer to make contact with base. I was the one who had direct LOC with the base once the chain was complete, except I didn't achieve LOC. Our chain fell a quarter mile short of achieving that goal. I reported back down the line to Austin and he told me to stay put and that he'd perform a search for Randall. Those of us in line chattered for nearly an hour without any more word from Austin or Randall. We as a..."

"Excuse me for a moment." Janine clipped off her recitation and waited for S1C Stevens to continue. "Why did the team wait an hour before taking further action? That is an awful long time to be out of LOC during an emergency situation."

"Yes, Sir. It is. I have on record that every ten minutes for thirty minutes I recommended that another action be taken according to the regs after Austin broke contact. But E3C Gerard overruled my suggestion every time. So after an hour of no contact with Austin I again recommended that I travel the remaining quarter mile and relay our distress back to base. Gerard forbade me to act stating my last order from Austin was to stay put. I acknowledged the direct order but considered the implications that we might have two Explorers in distress and unable to help themselves and standing just out of range of LOC was not getting the help we obviously needed, so I chose to ignore Gerard's direct order to stand my post."

"You are telling this board you deserted your post after receiving direct orders from a superior to stay put?"

Yes, Sir. I was also demoted before a board of inquiry to E5C for my actions." Janine's eyes strayed toward Terra Forrestor who was looking down at the papers before her.

Scout Argos nodded agreement to Janine's declaration of the facts and added. "You were also awarded the Tin Rover for independent action under duress in an emergency situation."

"Yes, Ma'am. But my action proved to be too late. Both Explorers Austin and Jerand died from injuries sustained falling through a thin rock skin over the caverns since discovered in the gamma six sector."

"Regardless, you relayed the emergency to base and potentially saved Gerard from a similar fate."

Yes Ma'am. After losing contact with me, Gerard decided to do a search for Austin and Jerand. He fell through the thin crust concealing a fissure about a half mile from where Austin was found and three quarters of a mile from where Jerand was found."

"Gerard survived his ordeal?"

"Yes, Administrator."

Administrator Teagan ran his hand through his short wavy hair and leaned back into his seat. "Do you know why the board of inquiry has assembled today?"

Janine straightened in her chair and looked directly at Teagan. "No Sir."

Do you have a guess as to why?" Teagan leaned forward.

Janine swallowed trying to moisten her dry throat. Sure she could guess but she had learned as a cub explorer that it wasn't wise to volunteer information to the board. "No Sir, I can't guess why I am present here today."

"Of course you can't." Teagan's disbelief was evident in his condescending tone. Janine simply looked at him holding her face as passive as possible.

"It has been brought to our attention that you have become reckless in regard to following the outlines of the regulations. Your sense of duty was commendable during your previous tours of duty to Deneb V. However, in the course of your last ten assignments you have been needlessly out of LOC seven times, you have pushed your air reserves beyond the safety code nine times, you have missed scheduled comm check points ten times. There are reports that equipment has been abused recklessly, which in two cases required repair...You went rim jumping and blew out a tire on your rover? How do you achieve enough speed to gain an altitude in a rover high enough to pop a tire?" Teagan's voice rose expressing his before now controlled exasperation.

Janine sat frozen in her seat and chose not to answer what appeared to be a rhetorical question thrown at her more for dramatic effect rather than as genuine fact finding. As ill luck would have it, E1C Jeffrey Carlson chose that moment to enter the office and hand his finished preliminary report regarding Janine's last rover joy ride to the panel. When Jeffrey turned to leave he looked straight at Janine with disappointed eyes and lipped the words--sorry kid--before leaving.

Janine sat and watched as the report was handed to each of the panel members. The silence stretched out for ten minutes, punctuated by various grunts, sighs and one 'oh my' before the report was handed back to the administrator. Janine felt herself sink into despair. She forced her shoulders back and straightened her spine as she prepared for the final decision of the board. Except the decision was delayed.

S1C Terra Forrestor looked directly at Janine and said, "I recommend a thirty minute recess in order for the board to discuss this newly introduced information in detail? Also, E3C Janine Monroe has not had opportunity to rehydrate since returning from assignment. As per regulation 6 section 2 paragraph 8 of Non-atmospheric protocol...All personnel exposed to more than three hours of pressure suit detail shall be given sustenance and fluids within the hour of their return. According to the time on this report, E3 Monroe has been back at base for forty minutes and came directly to this board upon the direct order of Administrator Teagan."

S1C Argos seconded the recommendation. "Further discussion is warranted and E3 Monroe's stamina is an important factor for what appears to be a forthcoming lengthy inquiry."

Administrator Teagan banged a gavel. "Please rise Explorer Third Class Monroe. You are dismissed until twenty-one thirty hours Zulu where upon you will take the time to meet your required sustenance and rehydration requirements. You will also take the extra time allotted to attend to hygiene needs and appear in appropriate uniform for these proceedings."

Janine stood to attention. "Yes Sir. Thank-you Sir." She then bounced to the door and exited the room as quickly as she possibly could without running.


Word had traveled quickly through the base. When Janine closed the door to the office she turned into a waiting silent crowd of explorers and scouts standing along the corridor. Even Jeffrey stood by. She dropped her eyes to the floor and tried to bull her way through without saying anything. But, by her third step a small knot of cub explorers, all students of her Rock Formations class, blocked her passage. "Well, what'd they pronounce?"

Janine stopped and looked at the sassy red-headed nine-year-old, Cub-E Cherai. She felt the corridor behind her close off as older explorers and scouts pressed around to hear what she had to say. Sennightly handed her an electrolyte pouch over the top of the cub-Es. Janine accepted the pouch and drank deeply of the contents. She couldn't remember ever being this thirsty. She also used this time to compose herself and squelch the tears that threatened to flood over. She couldn't stop her hand from shaking as she lowered the empty pouch.

"Jeesh, they didn't even give her time to rehydrate before slamming the board on her."

Janine put her hand up as protests broke through the ranks. The wave of sound fell silent before it had a chance to build. Janine handed the empty pouch back to Sennightly. "Thank-you George, I really needed that."

"Least I could do, Janni."

"Well, what the 'stiff neck' rule, Janni. Tell us."

"Yea, break up the clod, Janni."

Janine turned to look at the immense press of bodies around her. "No decision has been given. There is a recess so that I may rehydrate and eat. The board reconvenes at twenty-one thirty hours Zulu after I'm showered and polished. So if you all don't mind, I need to get on the bounce if I'm to get a proper meal before the board meets again."

"Don't let'em railrover you, Janni."

A path opened up for Janine to make her way to the nearest mess hall. "Don't worry Ferghus, there won't be any railrovers involved." She walked briskly to the nearest mess. She spent three weeks worth of credit and made this meal the best she could get. Janine refused to answer any questions of what might be pending. Instead, she steered conversation toward studies and recent core findings along the rims surrounding the base.

When she sat back from the remnants of the real beef hamburger, steamed asparagus, steamed brown rice and strawberry sherbet with real strawberry slices she had just a little over two hours to get back to the administrator's office. It was the best meal she could remember, even before the explorers. But it wasn't the food that made the meal. All her friends, shared her meal time and helped keep her mind off the possibility of doom. As she stood to leave, Cherai blocked her again. "Is this the last time we gonna see you on this contract?"

Janine let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She looked around at the room full of eyes peering in her direction and stepped onto her chair so that she could address the crowd in the mess hall. Silence fell over the room. Her voice sounded strained to her own ears and a heavy lump in her throat didn't help. "I just want to reassure everyone that this board isn't trumped up. Every charge pending is on record and valid. So whatever the ruling in this inquiry I will abide. If by chance the worst should happen, I just want to thank all of you for the best experience in my life. This has been the best company of explorers and scouts anyone could hope to work with." Janine sighed. Started to step down but looked around the room at all the younger faces turned her way. Many were on their first off world tour and just babies. They looked up to her as much as she had looked up to her E3 instructors. "A word of note, okay...please don't do as I've done." Her voice chose to crack and she took a long deep breath before continuing. "The regs are in place for your protection. I've been lucky. I've not sustained any injuries, but explorers and scouts who have done less abuse regarding the regs have paid with their lives. So take me as an example and think twice and three times, if necessary, before breaking protocol. One way or another you will end up paying. I'm here to tell you right now, the price isn't worth it."

"Janni, you sound like you're getting booted and sent back to atmosphere before the end of your contract."

Janine waited until the uproar quieted enough for her voice to carry. "Stop it. Everyone just stop it, now." She waited until only a few grumbles buzzed around the room. "Believe me the charges accumulated in my records are grim. So much so that it is a possibility that I may be sent packing back to Mama Gee. But this is my first really serious board and I am hopeful that they only want a bit of skin off my arse and not my soul. So everyone keep positive thoughts for me during the next couple hours."

Janine stepped off the chair. Bodies parted and formed a path toward the corridor leading to her quarters. It took nearly all of the time allotted to make her dress grays immaculate. Even stored in a vacuum container didn't save them from some wrinkling. She treated everything as if the King of the Euro-American Pact were going to inspect her personally. So when Janine stood before the Administrator's office, she was as sharp as a tack. Every crease, every ribbon, every button, everything in its place and sparkling. She rapped the clanker twice, the door opened and she entered to face the distinguished board. Each member sat at attention with official folders before them and looked as sharp as the accused. Then her sight focused on Administrator Jasserif Teagan. Stunned silence knotted in Janine's throat. Teagan wore the white uniform of the Imperial Three Star Scout. No one on base knew he had any explorer affiliation since this was the first time a disciplinary board had ever convened during his tour of rotation.

Imperial Scout Teagan pounded his gavial three times to call the hearing to order. “You may sit in the presence of the Board."

Janine swallowed and practically fell into her chair.

"This preliminary hearing has been called to order with the hope of discovering whether an undisciplined member of the elite corps can be salvaged." Jasserif paused while he pulled a sheet of plastneen from his folder.

Janine's suspicions had been right, this was a first step to decide if she was to be expelled from the explorers. Fear turned the contents of her stomach to stone.

"E3C Janine Allison Monroe you are the recipient of the Medal of Valor for decisions made in the field which saved a fellow Explorer's life. You happen to be the youngest member of the Explorer Scouts to receive such an award." Jasserif looked up from the sheet and looked at Janine.

"E3C Monroe, why is there a regulation defining the amount of time an explorer may be out of line of communication with either a scout of command authority or the base of operations?"

Janine straightened her back and took in a deep breath. "There are safety protocols requiring timely contact with members of a team, the leader of said team, or the base of operations if the explorer or scout is performing duties alone, based on the standard capacity of the air supply. Scheduled LOC or line of communication is important as an indicator of an unforeseen problem that may endanger the member's life."

"Straight from the text. Every cub explorer memorizes the safety protocols before achieving the rank Explorer Sixth Class. I'm glad your memory is still accurate." Jasserif paused and Janine found herself leaning forward in her seat in anticipation to what he'd say next. She felt a deep sense of dread with the direction he chose to start.

"Please tell the board of inquiry how many times you have failed to make your appointed comm contacts during your last ten assignments."

"Ten times, Imperial Scout."

"How many times were search teams called to assemble due to your delayed scheduled LOC contact?"

Janine cleared her throat again. "Uh, nine...No eight times, Imperial Scout."

"You failed to make your scheduled LOC contact ten times yet on only eight of those times teams were called out to search?" Jasserif looked shocked. Janine felt the expression was a bit over acted.

"Yes, Sir."

"Why, from your perspective, didn't they form a search the other two times?" Jasserif let his question hang with convincing incredulity.

"There were no search teams called during my last two missed scheduled LOC because, I suppose the on duty scout figured I'd answer the calls eventually. I've always showed up before and the last eight searches on my behalf proved to be an inconvenient waste of manpower."

Jasserif placed his face in his open palms and sighed deeply. Janine felt the impact of what she had said and didn't think the Imperial Scout was faking his present reaction.

Jasserif ran his hands through his hair and looked at Janine. "You see the problem, don't you?"

Janine nodded her head unable to speak passed the lump in her throat. She clenched her jaw and looked at her clasped hands in her lap. A tear slid down her cheek.

"Take your time Explorer Third Class, but when you can, explain the problem as you understand it."

Janine ended up having to clear her throat four times before she gained control of her voice. "Through habitual noncompliance of the LOC protocols I've endangered not only myself but everyone called to search. But the problem is that, because I have broken discipline so often, the general discipline of the corps has been affected. Only problem is, today I only had around five minutes of canned air left when I arrived at the airlock. If I had met with any delaying accident, there wouldn't have been enough time to form a search and rescue to save my hide."

"The sad thing to that scenario is not only would we have lost a promising young explorer, but the Scout on duty, who failed to form the search and rescue when your air was at the sixty minute mark, would be facing a disciplinary board that would at the very least remain on his or her permanent record and at the worst find him or herself expelled from the corps and returned in disgrace back to Earth. Not to mention retaining the memory for the rest of his or her life that a death occurred on his or her watch."

Silence smothered the room. Jasserif removed several more plastneen sheets from his folder. "I have before me recorded incidents where safety protocols as well as blatant disregard for authority have occurred. Yet, given your stellar record in previous tours, I can't help but wonder what lies beneath these behaviors and if there may be something this board can do to salvage a promising career about to implode in atmosphere." Janine searched the grim faces of the S1Cs sitting on the board. She found no hint of reassurance that would support Teagan's statement that they intended to try and salvage her career.

"What are you willing to do to help us? Or put another way, if you were in our positions and not given the option of washing out a troublesome corps member, what would you do in our stead?"

Janine swallowed several times. She closed her eyes and fell back on the regs she had chaffed against so often during this tour of duty. "If the recommendation were mine to make...you said that disenfranchisement is not an option?"

Jasserif nodded his head to confirm her question.

Janine took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I suppose, I'd call for a private board of inquiry to determine why these behaviors have occurred and apparently escalated. Upon the findings of the inquiry I would then determine if suspension of off base activity were in order for a prescribed probationary period. During this probationary period I would recommend a psych probe to determine the validity of the corps member's efforts to turn him or herself around to follow the discipline necessary to the Space Corps."

Janine was sweating in her uniform. She couldn't believe she had settled on that particular set of protocols. She bit her lip and stared over the heads of the board members.

"I am surprised Explorer Monroe. This protocol is rather severe." Jasserif paused as he replaced the plastneen sheets neatly into the folder open before him.

"According to this protocol there are choices about how these disciplinary actions would effect the corps member's permanent record. There is a mandatory temporary reduction in grade and restriction to base and an option that all disciplinary actions be expunged from the record after a probationary period."

Janine looked at the Imperial Three Star Scout through blurring eyes. She cleared her throat again before speaking. "It is my recommendation that the final result of the disciplinary protocols be the determining factor on whether this action be permanent or temporary given the minor age of the corps member."

"Very well. Explorer Third Class Janine Allison Monroe please explain why you think your discipline has fallen?"

Janine trembled as anger, fear, and a great sense of loss gripped her. She gritted her teeth and pushed words passed nearly useless vocal cords. "Six...months ago...my request...for family leave...was denied."

"Your what?"

S1C Forrestor hurriedly riffled through and removed a plastneen sheet from her folder. She handed it to Imperial Scout/Administrator Jasserif Teagan. Whispers were exchanged as Teagan was directed to the part of the report denying Janine's leave request.

Janine couldn't stop the flow of tears now wetting her face. She looked away from the board and bit her lower lip in a hopeless attempt to regain control of herself. She couldn't stop the flood of all the dammed up anger and sense of unfairness that had fermented inside her since two months before Teagan had ever arrived on base. The then Administrator Wilcox had explained the impossibility of her leave request and recommended she try again when the transport window reopened.

Administrator Teagan expelled a heavy sigh as he read the report. "Have you talked to anyone about your Father?"

Janine jerked her gaze toward the administrator. "To what purpose?...Sir." All the anger she felt came out in that single title.

"It is apparent from where I sit, that the corps has performed an injustice upon you. With the change of command, your needs slipped through the emptiness between orbits. Your leave request was never followed up by the new Administration." Jasserif spoke in calm, quiet tones. Janine was taken by surprise with this gentler approach but the storm brewing within her wouldn't let her respond to his sudden understanding.

"I have learned the universe is full of injustice, Sir." She looked away from the administrator once again.

"And you think, now, that injustice exists and can't be corrected. However, it is my job to correct mistakes once they are discovered; that is, if it isn't too late. Is it too late to rectify the mistake I've made regarding your case?"

Janine bit her lip but a great sob heaved from her chest and exploded through the only orifice available; her nose. Her hands covered her face as she attempted to muffle the following wave of sobs. From somewhere a cool damp cloth pushed between her hands and she grabbed it thankfully. Janine's struggle to regain control over herself were the only sounds within the room for some time. She had a sense of being alone, yet was absolutely aware that seven officers sat in the same room.

When she had regained enough personal control to speak, she looked at the board.

"Under the circumstances of this new information, I'm going to alter the recommendations you voiced earlier." Imperial Three Star Scout Teagan pulled the front of his uniform jacket removing the creases as he spoke. "I recommend that you volunteer for grief counseling. I understand S3C Freidenbach is the best choice... Will you consider my recommendation?"

"Yes, Sir." Janine’s voice still shook from emotion.

Still speaking quietly, Teagan then said, "I am not going to demote a rank, however you will be confined to on base duty pending the next transport cycle; at which time, under the recommendation of your voluntary psych eval you shall be granted early release from your current contract to go home and take care of family affairs."

Teagan and Janine looked at each other. He had changed. He wasn't the stiff neck anymore. But then she was different too. She couldn't explain exactly, but she didn't feel as diminished as she imagined herself.

"I will place this record under my seal. The official reference to this board of inquiry will be as follows: E3C Janine Allison Monroe brought to the board's attention a long standing grievance, which the delayed resolution of said grievance placed undo strain upon her, interfering with the daily execution of her duties. With full cooperation between Explorer and Administrator for the resolution of the administrative oversight all pending breaches of protocol dated from 2248-05-23 through 2248-11-06 are hereby suspended."

Janine stared at Teagan.

"You look like you have a question, Explorer." Teagan placed several plastneen sheets into the folder open before him.


"Yes, Sir." Well, not to sound ungrateful, sir...but...uh..."

"You were expecting less leniency regarding your blatant rebellious actions?" Janine was surprised to see the administrator smile.

"Yes...sir?"

"The leniency is warranted. You, better than most, now understand what the costs could be when protocols are ignored. Everyone makes mistakes but only those who refuse to learn from their mistakes pay with their lives and sometimes with the lives of their comrades. I'm confident you, as does everyone in this room, go out of your way to learn and never repeat the same mistake twice. Am I wrong in this judgment?" He closed the folder before him.

Janine straightened her back and held her head a bit higher. "No, sir. Err...well I hope not, sir."

Jasserif raised the gavel and pounded it on the table. "Very well. Explorer Third Class Janine Allison Monroe please stand. This inquiry is closed. Dismissed."


Janine shook herself out of her dazed posture and stood. It was after twenty-one thirty hours and everyone were in their racks. When she arrived she noticed that her bunk mate, E3C Silvia Garson, was already asleep. She sighed and removed her soiled Dress Grays. She placed them in the clothing refresher then showered and before she retired for the night wrote out her last mission report including her non-protocol activities.

Exhaustion numbed her, but her mind wouldn't shut down. Before this day she hadn't allowed herself to think about the letter from home she had received nearly six months ago. She had applied for family leave but was denied. The corps and the company were out of transport range until the next cycle. By the time the next cycle had come, Janine had adjusted to her tour. As she lay on her cot she saw how she had really been angry and resentful for not being allowed to attend her father's funeral. If they didn't care enough for her to open a transport window, out of cycle or not, then she didn't care for their stiff necked rules. She understood about the transport window being closed, but her anger wasn't rational.

When she fell asleep she dreamed about her father. He watched over her.

Janine woke the next morning calm and reserved as if a great weight had lifted from her. When it came time to report for grief counseling, she smiled and walked the corridors with an air of confidence. No matter what happened she knew her father was proud of her.