Discovery of the Saiph (The Saiph Series) by PP Corcoran

Author:PP Corcoran [Corcoran, PP]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PP Corcoran Limited
Published: 2014-02-23T07:00:00+00:00

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Office of the President of the Terran Republic - Geneva - Earth

Rebecca Coston walked through the entrance of her private conference room, and the quiet conversations that had been going on stopped as the gathered men and women turned to look at her expectantly. Rebecca recognized most of those in the room but was surprised to see Edward Munro, Director of the Federal Investigation Bureau, Carol Manning, Secretary of Finance and Edvard Dietel, the Attorney General, present. “Please take your seats,” said Rebecca.

Rebecca took her seat at the head of the table. “Ladies and gentlemen, I must assume that this is an urgent matter or I would not have agreed to this meeting on such short notice. Would someone like to tell me what is going on?”

Gen. Joyce, cleared his throat nervously. “Madam President, as you are, no doubt, aware, we have been building warships and expanding our military forces as rapidly as possible in the face of the perceived threat from ‘The Others’.”

“General, I am well aware of this,” said Rebecca with some exasperation. “Has something changed that I am unacquainted with for you to ask for this meeting so urgently?”

Joyce looked across the table at Vice Adm. Wilson, before continuing. “When the decision was made to begin the expansion, I put in place certain measures in the hope of containing any internal or external interference in that expansion.” Joyce nodded towards Wilson, “If I may introduce Vice Admiral Elizabeth Wilson, who works directly for me. Her job is to overcome any such obstacles.”

Rebecca regarded Wilson. “You mean she’s your hatchet man, General,” she stated.

Joyce allowed a small smile to appear on his face. “Hatchet man would be a fair description, Madam President, and it is due to Admiral Wilson that I asked for this meeting.”

Rebecca looked towards Wilson quizzically. “Surely you have not found some obstacle within the military that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs cannot deal with? Surely you do not require presidential intervention?”

“That’s the issue, Madam President,” replied Wilson. “The problem isn’t within the military per se.”

Rebecca was starting to get a little irritated with all this pussyfooting around. “Please get to the point, Admiral.”

“Very well, Madam President. Your Secretary of Defence, Senator Geoffrey Rawson, has been selling contracts for bribes and has been embezzling funds on a huge scale,” Wilson stated as a matter of fact.

Rebecca said nothing, but continued to stare at the Admiral for a few moments. That weasel! She thought. Curse that day I ever agreed to him getting the post! Rebecca took a deep breath and steadied herself before asking. “How much Admiral and for how long?”

It did not occur to Wilson that the President had not questioned the validity of her claim for a second. “I first had an inkling that something wasn’t quite right when I compared the costing and output of the yards at Deimos with the yards at Janus. The discrepancy was nearly ten per cent per unit, and even though they were using virtually identical equipment Deimos’ construction time was fifteen per cent longer than that at Janus.

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