The Jovian Conflict

Chapter 11

The Jovian Conflict

Frankie and the Life Philosophy

Intrigued by the intensity of Antanas and odd behavior of Leroy, Frankie decided it was time to look deeper into the profiles of Ashley Braun and Kit Riedel. Having already met with Doctor Riedel on several occasions, he wasn't too concerned about him. All he was curious about was what kind of connection he might have with Antanas. There was none. His attention then went to the lengthy, in-depth bio for Ashley. Even after having his eyes glued to it for several minutes, he failed to read a single sentence.

His assistant just gazed curiously at him, waiting to see Frankie's eyes move at all. What was he so transfixed on? When he finally looked somewhere else, it was up at his assistant. Instantly his eyes were back at the report. They did this back and forth bounce a few times before Frankie said anything.

"Is this the correct photograph?" he asked. The assistant peered at the notepad and nodded. Frankie went back to the report. Again, his eyes stayed locked on the photo. A pretty brunette with fiery green eyes and full lips stared back at him. The prominence and height of her cheek bones, the roundness of her nose, the shape of her ears… it was everything he wanted in a woman.

His hand went to his chin as he continued to observe. Without thought he said out loud, "She is a fine piece of work. Gorgeous! Why haven't we been introduced?"

"She's Earth-based, sir," his assistant answered.

"Ah, of course. Fedorov probably laid her already. That dog. But aside from his current wife he's never shown this much interest in a woman before. There's something else here. The last thing I need is that zealous aristocrat butting in over here before we're finished," Frankie thought out loud. Even though he scrolled through the profile, he never processed a single word. His mind kept returning to those piercing green eyes. A photograph had never disturbed him so much.

The notepad was tossed aside. It connected with the corner of his desk with a "clunk" before sliding to the ground. His hands rested at his hips as he tried to sort everything out. Antagonizing Antanas wasn't a wise thing to do earlier, but he really couldn't help himself. Many called Frankie a bully. It was a title he wore with pride. Out in space there was no other choice. Being tough helped people survive. Business and politics in space meant you had to deal dirty. Besides, it was Antanas's fault for trying to step in JOPA territory. Matters of Earth stayed on Earth, so the same should be said for space.

The sound of the door swooshing open was heard but he ignored it. He already knew who intruding. She made her presence known when she asked, "Have you found anything out?"

He shook his head. "Nothing," he sighed. The soft touch of her hands provided warmth on his shoulder. When her eyes were locked on his, he added, "Except that Doctor Braun and I need to get acquainted."

One of her hands remained on him as she snaked it up his neck and eventually tangled it into his dark hair. Apparently, she didn't care too much for his last sentence. Her free hand snagged the tie that he wore. She was well aware the only reason he wore them was because she had begged him to. Typical man.Easy, she thought as she yanked him closer.

Mere inches from her face, he took a hand and pressed it against her collarbone. Rejection. Harshly he demanded, "Have you heard from Callisto?" It was a tone reserved for business deals. He never used it on women and he only allowed it to surface in private. Few had heard it.

She continued on regardless. Her hand covered his and she tried to drag it down toward her breasts. That ended immediately when he yanked both of her hands away from him. His tough grip prevented her from moving her arms at all as he pinned them to her side.

"Nobody messes with me and gets away with it. Find out what's going on at JOC and don't ever touch me again," he hissed. A hardy push was all that was needed to finally get her away from him. Embarrassed and outraged, she stomped out of the oversized office and disappeared.

Frankie smoothed out his shirt and adjusted his tie. After fiddling with it for a few agonizing seconds he just ripped it off entirely. The tie soon founds itself on the floor next to the broken notebook. He was over it. Idiots had controlled him for too long. Even Maes and Antanas, whom were intelligent enough to snatch control of the entirety of civilization's economy, were idiots compared to him. It was time to show off his muscles.

A loud sigh escaped his lips. First, he needed to relax. Only a cool head would do him any good. He twisted to face his assistant and asked, "Any news?"

A raised brow and tilted head was his assistant's first move. Then, the answer: "That's what brought me here in the first place, sir. They were shot down."

Frankie stopped all movements. Even his heart and lungs ceased for a brief moment. Confused, he repeated, "Shot down."

"Afraid so, sir."

"By whom?"

"The damage on the wreckage seems to indicate that JOC Patrol shot them down. We did it, sir."

It is important to note that Frankie was an idealist as much as he was a scientist. Self-taught in rocketry, astrobiology, astrophysics, and mathematics, he mastered the science of space while most were still learning basic algebra. Many on the frontier believed him to be a master of quantum mechanics, and his business IQ was behind only that of Antanas and Maes. There was nothing beyond the mastery of his hand.

Yet within his brilliant mind a rebellious streak fought against all the practical and rational knowledge he had acquired. Some things could not be quantified; some things could not be replaced. It was practical to throw out a multi-billion dollar project if it wasn't just right. But life? It wasn't reasonable to throw out a life, no matter the reason. He had grasped at the very strings that controlled space and civilization; he had a deep understanding of what wonders could be found throughout the galaxy. Nothing was as wondrous as life.

It was that streak of idealism, the belief that life – above all else – was the most valuable thing in the entirety of the universe, that made his next move possible. With fists clenched, teeth snarled, brows furrowed, he showed his passion when he shouted, "We're going down to Callisto right now and we're dismantling every single post until we find out who shot them down! Get me Simon on the phone and tell him to halt all Patrol movement! If anyone so much as moves their little toe I'm personally sending them back to Earth to be tried for murder and terrorism!"

Before the assistant could mutter a response, Frankie was out the door. He made it only a few meters down before he suddenly stopped. His attention went to the computer on the hallway wall. A few buttons were pressed on the pad and he commanded, "Get me in touch with Simon of JOC Patrol."

It was a near instantaneous connection. Bruised and still a bit bloody, Simon's beaten face was taken up the majority of the screen when he answered. His greeting was muddled by his swollen cheeks. "This is Simon, JOC Patro – Mister Hedrick!"

Simon nearly popped into a salute, but Frankie wasn't interested in playing around. The tone of his voice was full of venom when he commanded, "Simon, you are to halt all operations on Callisto immediately."

The shocked expression on Simon's face was easy to read despite the damage. He questioned, "All operations? Just JOC Patrol or –"

"All of them. Even the mining. I don't want movement out of anyone," Frankie explained. His eyes narrowed when he added, "And if I find out you were responsible for shooting down any JOPA or ZLI ships –"

The connection was dropped. Angered, Frankie smashed his fist against the wall. It didn't appear as though Simon had ended the call. Regardless, it was probably more ominous to have it left hanging. He peeled himself away from the wall, adjusted his shirt and short bangs, and proceeded to march straight toward the docking bay. The sooner he got to Callisto, the sooner he could end this entire fiasco. If they got any worse PR, it could result in a media investigation. There were still a few secrets he needed kept sealed.

In the meantime, some body was about to get the full wrath of Frankie Hedrick for violating his most sacred rule.