Chapter 12 Markus Bauer Confronts Bjorn Muller
1006 Words
Bjorn Muller was unwinding and enjoying a sensual massage from a limited AI massage robotic drone. The machine looked and felt like a human female, but due to its limited programming, it was only useful at giving massages. Bjorn Muller was happy this way. Although he could easily afford to bring a female employee from Earth to please his demands, he felt that it was awkward to have one sticking around on a military space vessel. Likewise, a part of him was yearning for a relationship and marriage, and yet again, he felt that his military career was a barrier to such pursuits. Midway through the massage, Bjorn received the message that Markus Bauer requested to see him. Although a nuisance, he decided to grant the request, the massage could always wait until after the meeting.
Bjorn got dressed, sat down at his desk, and commanded the AI to let Markus in. Markus walked up to him, but before he had time to say anything, Bjorn spoke.
Bjorn Muller:
- Welcome, Markus. Are you here to explain yourself regarding your delay?
Markus Bauer:
- I beg your pardon.
Bjorn Muller:
- I have already identified Keila and broadcasted her death. I woke you up 7 hours ago to officially verify her death. Yet you still have not updated our networks with your verification.
Markus Bauer:
- Unlike some people, I take my professional integrity very seriously. I am here to discuss my findings with you.
Bjorn Muller’s gaze blackened; he had not expected this formality to become an issue. “Go on,” he said.
Markus Bauer:
- First: “The angels” explanation for what happened does not match reality. I concluded that Keila must have been shot with multiple bullets from the same pistol and the same position while she was lying face down. Furthermore, as there are no traces of fibre in her wounds, I concluded that she was naked when she was shot.
Bjorn Muller:
- Yes, I thought the same thing, but there was no opportunity to confront the Edenites religious fanatics about it when they were threatening us with their heavily armed battle station.
Markus Bauer:
- You let them get away with threatening you?
Bjorn Muller:
- Yes. It would be unsuitable for this single ship to battle an entire battle station, and those religious fanatics lacked self-preservation so they would not stand back from a fight.
- Regardless, Keila is dead, and I have already confirmed her identity. Now I am just waiting for you to do your part so we can finalise our report.
Markus Bauer:
- About that… I can’t identify Ms Eisenstein with enough accuracy. I need to make a thorough examination to conclude the matter.
Bjorn Muller:
- What is there to examine? We have both visual identification and DNA identification.
Markus Bauer:
- The visual identification is non-conclusive, due to unexplainable wounds of the corpse. Due to the extent of damage to the body, we cannot exclude that they have handed us a non-functional clone of Keila. Finally, I find it unsettling that the DNA profile of Keila did not come with any report on how the sample was gathered.
Bjorn Muller:
- The DNA profile of Keila does come with more files, they are, however, above your clearance level.
Markus Bauer:
- Okay. If you give me access to the extra files, that would speed up my work.
Bjorn Muller:
- I do not have time or patience for this bullshit! As Rear Admiral for the Terran Council and captain of this ship, I command you to verify my report and go back to sleep.
Markus Bauer:
- As a Chief scientist for the Terran Council, my primary allegiance lies with the Terran Council Science Commission. I am expecting your full cooperation in enabling me to make an independent review of this case, do not do so, and I will report your uncooperativeness to the Science Commission.
Bjorn Muller:
- I will see what I can do to help you, Chief Scientist Bauer.
- Dismissed.
When Markus Bauer had left, Bjorn Muller punched his female massage robot to release his anger. Bjorn heard a fizz as it broke and the massage robot fell lifeless to the floor. That insolent son of a b***h Markus Bauer! This was Bjorn’s ship, and an insignificant scientist should not dare to oppose him. More than anger, however, Bjorn felt fear. He realised that he had made a crucial mistake and that his fear could be true, that Keila was still alive and had escaped. Worse yet he had deleted her files to cover up his past actions.
Shortly after escaping from captivity, Keila rose to fame after successfully assassinating Hans Muller, who was the chairman of the Terran Council at the time and who had also been the Chairman for House Muller for a century. The fact that a Martian rebel assassinated the leader of the Terran Council had inspired the downtrodden masses of the solar system to rebel against the Terran Council. This had increased the popular support for The Martian Humanist Alliance, who were the enemies of the Terran Council, and it was this rebellion that they had been fighting for the last four years.
To summarise, because Bjorn hadn’t contained his s****l desires, the solar system was drawn into a four-year war. He had indirectly caused this war by keeping Keila as a s*x slave, as she after escaping had killed his grandfather Hans Muller. The rebellion had caused heavy fatalities and even worse a halt for commerce, the latter had brought Earth to a financial standstill and threatened Terran Council’s dominance and authority. Bjorn knew if his peers found out what he had done, his life would be lost. He had to deal with the situation as fast as he could, and he decided to stick with his idea that Keila was dead, and that she needed to stay that way!
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