Address criticisms to [xazqrten@cox.net]
  
******************************

In the Stockton Officer’s Club:

   Susan and Charles had enjoyed dinner. The corporal had been correct. The 
club had an outstanding steak dinner. After the dinner, they decided to enjoy 
the band and dance. Soon enough, they would have to go back to work. Charles 
envied Susan because she would get almost two weeks to familiarize herself with 
her new duties. He wasn’t really looking forward to working on the Drakh 
project again. He had to admit though that it paid extremely well. The fees for 
the last few week’s work would allow him to kick back and relax for the next 
couple of years. If he invested it properly, it would last a hell of a lot 
longer than that.

   Their table was located about five meters from the bandstand. It was a bit 
close, but it had been a long time since she had been able to sit and listen to 
a band, Babylon 5 notwithstanding. 

   Charley was dressed in slacks and shirt and tie. Susan had opted for a smart 
outfit that featured a white almost see-through blouse and a white skirt that 
fit loosely around her hips and fell half-way between her crotch and knees. It 
showed off her legs very nicely. She almost looked like a college girl dressed 
for a sock-hop.

   Susan and Charley had danced three dances. The band was excellent and played 
a mix of music, and was just starting its fourth song when Susan felt someone 
gently tap her on the shoulder. “I wonder if I might dance with you, ma’am,” 
asked a very young ensign in uniform.

   Susan looked at Charley. He nodded yes, and Susan got up and danced with the 
young man. After the song ended, the youngster returned Susan to her table and 
thanked her for the dance.

   Charley looked at Susan and said, “You can dance with anyone you want. We 
came here to enjoy ourselves. Besides, I’m the one taking you home.”

   Another young man asked Susan to dance. Charley smiled as he wondered what 
these young men would think when they finally learned who they had been dancing 
with, especially any of them who found themselves working in her office. He was 
oblivious to everything but the music. It surprised him when he felt someone 
tapping him on the shoulder. He looked up and found himself looking into the 
face of a young woman who looked easily young enough to be his daughter.

   “Your wife is occupied with my date, could I trouble you for this dance?”

   Charley smiled and accepted. The dancing went on for more than an hour. It 
was about time for the band to take their first break of the evening. As they 
finished the song they were playing, the bandleader started to talk to his 
audience.

   “We haven’t been here in a while, and tonight we just want to do something a 
little different. We thought it might be fun to have some of our female guests 
sing along with the band. We have some very pretty young women here tonight. 
We’d appreciate if the young women illuminated by our spotlight would stand by 
their seat, so we can get a better look at them. As he talked a spotlight 
illuminated the face of one woman after another, lingering on each one for a 
few seconds and playing over her entire body as she stood up by her seat. Susan 
soon found herself looking into a very bright spotlight. Susan stood up and 
smiled. As the spotlight played over her, she heard wolf-whistles from several 
patrons who were hidden from her sight by the bright spotlight. She sat down as 
the spotlight moved on.

   “Someone thinks you look good,” said Charles.

   “I’d’ve missed that if you hadn’t told me,” she said with mock 
irritation. “I just hope they don’t want me to sing. After all, I have an image 
to maintain.”

   “I’ve heard you sing in the shower. You have a very nice voice.”

   The spotlight returned to illuminate Susan. The bandleader said, “It looks 
like we have our first volunteer singer. Miss, if you will come up to the stage 
please.” 

   Susan looked at Charley. He was trying to hide a smirk. She had no doubt he 
had influenced the bandleader’s choice.

   {You’ll pay for this!} She sent to him. 

   She was treated to a visual of the inside of his quarters on the Zeus and 
also to a visual of the inside of the brig. {Payback is a mother,} he sent 
back. The smile she gave him left him wondering who was getting the best of 
whom.

   Susan didn’t hesitate to step upon the stage beside the bandleader. “Do I 
sing your songs, or can I sing mine?” She asked.

   “Let me introduce you first.” He turned the microphone back on. “Ladies and 
gentlemen, I’d like to introduce our first guest singer. “What’s your name, 
Miss? Or is it Mrs.?”

   “It’s Mrs. Susan Wayne.”

   “What songs did you have in mind, Susan?”

   “I have a friend who introduced me to music that was popular in the latter 
half of the twentieth century.”

   “Give me their titles, and I’ll check with the band.”

   “There are four that I particularly like, ‘Cast Your Fate to the 
Wind’, ‘Climb Every Mountain’, ‘Tonight’ and ‘Teach Me Tiger’.”

   “She has chosen four good ones folks, if we have the music in our database.” 
He turned and looked at the control board operator. “Do we have them, Johnny?”

   “We have all four of them, Dave.”

   Dave turned and looked at the music displayed on a monitor screen that was 
setting in front of his feet on the stage. “Which one would you like to start 
with, Susan?”
   
   “Whichever one you feel most comfortable with.”

   “Okay fellows, let’s do ‘Cast Your Fate to the Wind’.”

   The band hit a few notes then started the opening music. Susan started 
singing, and Charley’s jaw dropped. He had heard her hum and halfway sing in 
the shower. What he had never heard was her actually singing seriously. She had 
a natural well-modulated low almost husky normal speaking voice. However, when 
she was angry, her voice could be sharp enough to cut mild steel. This voice 
was a total surprise. He realized his wife had a first class singing voice. It 
was apparent that she had been subjected to voice training at some time in her 
past. He wondered what other talents she had hidden. Before she left the stage, 
he would have one more answer.

   Dave listened to the woman singing at his microphone and knew that she had 
training as a singer. If he had to bet, he would lay money on her having been 
part of a high school or college singing club. She had a beautiful voice, and 
she knew how to use it. The last song she sang was “Teach Me Tiger”, a staple 
song for any decent {torch} singer. When she sang the section… Teach me first, 
tiger, or I’ll teach you… He would swear that every straight man in the 
audience was feeling arousal at the delivery. He knew he was.

   As Susan finished the {torch} song, the audience was absolutely silent. She 
looked out at the audience and felt disappointment. She had given that song 
everything she had, and nothing.

   Dave asked the audience, “Well, how about it people, is she hot or what?”

   The audience issued intense applause, and there were catcalls and voices 
pleading for more. Dave informed them that there were others waiting for their 
turn, but as the spotlight moved from one candidate to another, they all 
refused to come up.

   Dave looked at Susan. “Would you mind singing a few more? It seems that no 
one wants to follow you.”

   Susan looked toward her husband and smiled. “You pick ‘em and I’ll sing ‘em.”

   Dave looked at Johnny. “Pull up some more of the {torch} songs from that 
period. Let’s let her set ‘em on fire.”

   It was almost forty-five minutes before Susan returned to her table. She 
looked smugly at Charley, but didn’t say a word.

   {Where did you learn to sing like that?}

   {Girl’s glee club in high school and college. You should see what 
instruments I can play.}

   {I’ve been had, by a pro.}

   Susan smiled very sweetly at this thought.

   The band started their break, and Dave came over to Susan’s table. “May I 
sit down for a few minutes?”

   “Of course,” said Charley.

   Dave didn’t waste any time. “Mr. Wayne, your wife has a beautiful singing 
voice.” Looking at Susan, he said, “You were a most pleasant surprise, Susan. 
Have you ever considered a singing career?”

   “I never had the chance. While I was in college, the Earth-Minbar War broke 
out. I signed up for Earthforce and became a fighter pilot. I’ve been doing 
that for almost twenty years now. Up until now I have relegated my singing to 
humming in the shower. I had forgotten how much fun it could be.”

   “Are you stationed here? I mean, what’s a fighter pilot doing on a supply 
center base?”

   Susan took her identicard (ID) out of her purse and pushed it across the 
table to Dave. He looked at it for a few seconds, then with wide eyes he 
asked, “This is for real?”

   “It is,” replied Susan. I report in Monday, and I relieve General Zaleski 
two weeks from today. As much as I like singing, I already have a day job.”

   “Well, you are the best singing general I’ve ever met, hands down.”

   “I bet I’m the only singing general you’ve ever met,” she chuckled.

   “You know singing on that stage tonight won’t hurt your image at all. The 
audience appreciated your efforts. If you ever want to sing for fun or profit, 
I’ll be glad to let you front for me and the boys anytime.”

   “I’ll keep the offer in mind. I’m sorry the others didn’t want to follow me.”

   “I’m not, Susan. After you, anyone who hasn’t had voice training would not 
sound up to snuff. If the other girls had gone first, it would have been 
different. Me and the boys enjoyed the hell out of playing for you.”

   Dave had barely finished the sentence when he saw the bartender motion for 
him. “I hate to run, but I’m being summoned.”

   Susan and Charley danced to a few of the songs that were being played during 
the band’s intermission. It seemed like a very short while and then the band 
was starting to play again. The next hour-and-a-half saw both Susan and Charley 
dance with one another and strangers.

   They were almost out of the club when Susan heard a loud exchange of curses 
emanating from the club manager’s office. She knocked on the door. In a few 
seconds, the door opened and a man looked at Susan. 

   “What’s the problem?” Asked Susan.

   “With all due respect, ma’am, it’s none of your concern.”

   Susan shoved her identicard (ID) in front of his face. “This says that it 
is.”

   Then man took one look at the rank and stepped outside the office and closed 
the door.

   “We’re having a problem with a first lt. who’s had too much to drink, 
general.”

   “I want to see him. Maybe having a flag officer staring him in the face 
might cause him to change his belligerent attitude.”

   “I’m the duty manager. If you think you can make a difference, ma’am, have 
at it.” He opened the door and allowed Susan to proceed him into the office.

   Susan stepped into the office and immediately identified herself to the 
other men in the room, one of whom was the drunk first lt.

   Without any hesitation, the first lt. said in a heavily slurred voice, “I 
ain’t taking no crap from no well dressed slut!”

   Susan was taken aback by the man’s response to her identifying herself. It 
didn’t make any sense. He might be drunk, but even then he would be aware of 
the trouble such a statement to a flag officer would generate. She squatted 
down in front of him and looked at his eyes. She asked for a light or a match 
and the duty manager handed her a pencil flashlight. She showed the light into 
his eyes and saw that his pupils were almost non-responsive. When she moved the 
light, his eyes never moved.

   “This man has had more than just too many drinks. He appears to be drugged,” 
said Susan. She took the young man’s chin in her hand and lowered her mental 
barriers. The mind she looked into was total chaos. “Get the duty doctor, the 
military police (MP) and the CDO over here on the double. This man is in great 
danger.”

   The manager started to ask how she knew. Susan snapped, “Do it now! This is 
a medical emergency!”

   Less than two minutes later the duty manager said, “The CDO is on his way 
and he is bringing the  MP duty officer. The duty medical officer (MO) is on 
his way with an ambulance. I surely hope you know what you’re doing, General 
Wayne.”

   “Don’t worry. I do.”

   “How do you know he has taken drugs?”

   “Alcohol might cause him to behave in a boorish manner, but his response to 
me made no sense at all. Even a drunk knows better than to wise off to someone 
who can end his career on the spot.”

   “You mean that’s your only reason?”

   “A drunk’s eyes would be responsive to having a flashlight shined into them 
a such a close range. His eyes are totally unresponsive.”

   The duty manager thought about it for a few moments. He had to admit that 
this young looking woman did seem to know what she was doing. He still had 
trouble believing she was a flag officer. He had enjoyed listening to her sing 
earlier in the evening.

   Ten minutes later the CDO came into the club. The first person he saw was 
Susan. He shook his head. “I don’t believe it, general. Twice in one day.”

   “Look at the bright side, Major Gale. It hasn’t been a boring duty day.”

   “General Wayne, I just love boring duty days. Would you care to fill me in 
on what’s going on?”

   “After the duty manager tells you his story. I came in late.”

   The major walked over to the duty manager. “What’s going on, Vernon?”

   Vernon proceeded to give him a very detailed statement of what had 
transpired, including Susan’s involvement. Susan listened to the statement. 
When Vernon finished, Susan said, “He got it all, major, except one item.”
   
   “General, what did I miss?” Asked Vernon.

   “When I held his chin, major, I could feel his thoughts. His mind is total 
chaos. Alcohol doesn’t operate like that. It only causes loss of coordination 
and lowering of inhibitions, but it doesn’t completely trash your thought 
processes.”

   “How would you know that, general?” Asked Vernon.

   Susan looked thoughtful for a moment. “It’s public record now, anyhow. I’m a 
telepath.”

   About then, the medical personnel arrived. Susan told the young doctor what 
she had done and what she believed. The young man did essentially the same 
tests that Susan had done. “You are good, ma’am. I don’t know what he’s on but 
it damn sure isn’t just alcohol. We will have to run toxicology tests and do 
some other tests. Okay men, get this man loaded up. He needs treatment, and we 
don’t know what kind until we know what he’s ingested.”

   “I’ll be checking with you in the morning, doctor,” noted Susan.

   The doctor looked at her with a questioning look on his face as the medics 
loaded the first lt. onto a gurney and hustled him outside to the waiting 
ambulance. 

   {Charley, can you ‘hear’ me?}

   {I’m waiting out front in a taxi.}

   {Do a surface scan on the man on the gurney they’re bringing out.}

   {You know that’s illegal.}

   {His mind is totally screwed up. I want your unbiased opinion. Besides, you 
have a hell of a lot more experience with these kinds of things than I do.}

   The major, seeing the doctor’s expression, said, “Don’t worry, doc. She’s 
going to be our new boss.” 

   The MPs chose that time to arrive. Their duty officer, a young female marine 
captain, looked at the CDO. “What’s the story, Major Cale?”

   “What we thought was another drunk case is beginning to look like it might 
be a drug overdose of some kind. I think it’s going to make for a long night 
for you, Captain Ross.”

   Susan looked at the captain, “I want to know where he got the drugs, when he 
took them and anything else you can dig up, captain. I’ll stop by your duty 
office before you’re relieved in the morning. I don’t like the idea of losing 
people to crap like drug overdoses.”

   The captain looked at the major again. She was wondering just who the 
sharply dressed woman was. She looked like someone’s dependent.

   “Captain, let me introduce you to Brigadier General Susan Ivanova-Wayne. She 
is General Zaleski’s relief. She’s going to be our new big boss.”

   “Sir, I get relieved at 0800. I’ll have a report ready for you before then. 
I don’t know what it will contain, but I’ll do my best.”

   “That’s all any of us can do, captain. Keep a close eye on what the medical 
team finds major. I don’t know where, if anywhere this will lead, but I want us 
to be on top of it. I have a poisoned officer on his way to the dispensary, and 
I’m not one bit pleased about it. If it’s self-inflicted, his career is over. 
If it isn’t, we have a real problem on our hands.”

   “Yes sir,” answered the major and captain in unison.

   Susan looked at the duty club manager. “You may have been very lucky that I 
was here tonight. We won’t know if we’ll lose him for some time. In the future, 
if someone behaves that irrationally, call the duty medic. In fact, I want you 
and anyone else who manages this place to see the base MO about getting 
training in how to recognize these kinds of things.”

   “With all due respect, who’s going to pay for it, general?”

   “Have your daytime manager set it up with medical, and I’ll have medical 
give me a bill. I’m sure I can find the funds somewhere. After all this will 
come under the heading of safety training. As for paying you for your time, 
we’ll find a way to pay for that too. Hell, if I can’t arrange that, what’s the 
use of taking General Zaleski’s job.” With that she turned and left the club.

   The three of them and the two enlisted MPs watched her leave. “I think I 
like her style,” said Vernon.

   “She doesn’t screw around,” commented the CDO.

   “She’s too damned good looking to be a general,” commented the MP duty 
officer.

   The others just looked at her.

   Susan got into the waiting taxi, closed the door and looked at her husband.

   {In all my years as a psi cop, I’ve never encountered anything quite like 
that. It appears to be worse than what was wrong with you. It may be merciful 
if he dies tonight.}

   {It’s that bad?}

   The look on Charley’s face left no doubt of his sincerity.

******************************

Saturday morning in the Stockton Supply Center MP headquarters:

   It was 0730 when First Lt. Gary Hill strolled through the duty office 
door. “What’s cookin’, Bonnie?”

   “What do you want first, the good news or the bad news?”

   “Give me the good news.”

   “The world didn’t end last night, and the sun came up this morning.”

   “Okay, what’s the bad news?”

   “That comes in several parts. First, Sergeant John Miller got put on report 
yesterday afternoon just after supper.”

   “When doesn’t he get put on report. It won’t amount to anything. Lt. Col. 
Higgins will just tear it up, like he always does.”

   “Not this time, he won’t.”

   “What makes you think so?”

   “He was put on report for disrespect to an officer and for improper 
performance of his duties. The CDO, Major Cale wrote him up.”

   “Higgins outranks Cale. It’ll just get killed as usual.”

   “Major Cale wrote him up, but the officer who is bringing the charges and 
actually signed the report chits is the new area commander, Brigadier General 
Susan Ivanova-Wayne. Higgins will play hell killing this, unless he wants to 
kill his career.”

   “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

   “I’d strongly suggest that you start believing it, first lt.,” said a voice 
from the doorway.

   Hill turned in his chair and looked at who was talking. “Who might you be, 
ma’am?”

   “First Lt. Gary Hill meet Brigadier General Susan Ivanova-Wayne. She’s 
General Zaleski’s relief.”

   Hill was caught completely off-guard. Both he and Ross stood up and snapped 
to attention.

  “At ease, Captain Ross, Lt. Hill. Continue, captain, I’m curious to hear more 
about Lt. Col. Higgins. I don’t suppose you have a record of the good 
sergeant’s transgressions and how they were handled. Do you?”

   “Yes sir, general. We do. Lt. Hill can dig that information out of the 
records and supply you with an orderly report. Can’t you Lt. Hill?”

   “Yes sir, captain.”

   “What have you learned about the situation at the officers club, captain?”

   “I called in our best investigator, Master Sergeant John Jenkins. He 
questioned all of the people who were at the club with Lt. Ellers. He even 
found some people who had seen the lt. earlier in the afternoon. As far as he 
can tell there was nothing out of the ordinary with the lt. until about ten 
minutes before they removed him to the club manager’s office. We are still 
awaiting the toxicology tests from medical. They med-evaced him to Stockton 
Memorial Hospital right after they got him to the dispensary.”

   “Why?”

   “They have the best emergency room personnel and facilities in the state, 
general. Occasionally we get someone who really screws themselves up, and we 
send those patients straight to Stockton Memorial. The bean counters did a 
feasibility study and determined that it would cost more than a hundred times 
as much to staff our base facilities with equipment and trained personnel than 
it would to use the local civilian hospital facilities.”

   “That’s the first thing that anyone has said to me since I got here that 
actually makes sense. What else has the master sergeant managed to get done 
since last night?”

   “He’s still at the local police station, general. Since the drugs probably 
didn’t originate on the base, he wants to get the local drug unit involved. If 
there is a batch of stuff out there like whatever Lt. Ellers got hold of, he 
wants to give them a chance to get it off the streets.”

   “Is there any more news about Lt. Ellers?”

   “I called at 0700, and all they could tell me was that they have him on 
total life support. His autonomic systems are shutting down.”

   Susan thought about what Charley had said the night before. “I’m not 
surprised, Captain Ross. His mind was total chaos last night. I’m surprised he 
has lasted this long. Contact his next of kin. They’re going to have to make a 
decision about keeping him on life support very soon.”

   “I’ll take care of that, general,” said First Lt. Hill. “After all it’s my 
duty day.”

   “Thank you for the update, Captain Ross. Lt. Hill, I’ll be checking in with 
you sometime before you go off duty tomorrow morning. I’d say have a nice day, 
but all things considered, I don’t think that’s likely to happen.”

   After Susan had departed, Hill looked at Ross. “Direct, straight to the 
point, do not pass {GO}, do not collect two hundred dollars. I think I like her 
already.”

   “There’s no reason for her to give a damn about this whole mess. Hell, she 
hasn’t even checked in yet.”

   “That’s my whole point, Bonnie. She cares enough to get involved. Most 
people would be glad they didn’t have to shoulder any of the responsibility.”

   “I think a lot of people around here are about to get a wakeup call, and 
they aren’t going to like the reveille bugler or the music she plays.” 

   Hill laughed at the statement. It was funny, but it was not a joke.

****************************** 

0745 hours in the CDO duty office:

   Major Cale was just sitting down with a cup of coffee when his relief, Major 
Luke Weston, strolled into the office.

   “Grab a cup of coffee, Luke. This morning I have some real turnover items.”

   Weston got a cup of coffee and took the chair across the desk from 
Cale. “What’s up?”

   “Sergeant John Miller is on report again. He had a run-in with the wrong 
officer at the BOQ yesterday evening. I wrote up the charges, but the offended 
officer signed the complaints. Also, we have a real problem. It seems that 
First Lt. Ellers managed to get himself poisoned with some kind of nasty drug 
or drugs. He was med-evaced to Stockton Memorial last night. I’m waiting for an 
update from Captain Ross. She was duty MP duty officer last night. Whatever he 
got hold of is very nasty. They put him on life support as soon as he arrived 
in their emergency room. As of yet, the drug or drugs have not been identified. 
The MP duty officer is the lead on this, so give him or her a call for updates.”

   “This is the last time I take duty for someone as a favor. What other good 
news do you have?”

   “That was the good news. There is a Brigadier General Susan Ivanova-Wayne 
involved in both of these events. She signed the report chits on Miller. His 
boss won’t be able to bury these. She was also at the ‘O’ Club when Ellers went 
berserk. She is interested in the investigation of that situation and its 
results.”

   “I don’t know her. Who does she work for?”

   “Nobody yet. She doesn’t officially check in until Monday morning. The 
possible drugs aspect of this has caught her interest.”

   “If she hasn’t checked in, then she doesn’t have any official standing. If 
she calls, I’ll just tell her to check with whomever she checks in with Monday 
morning. I’m not going to put up with someone interfering with me doing my 
job.” 

   “She hasn’t interfered. If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have known we 
even had a drug problem. Vernon was going to send Lt. Ellers back to his 
quarters to sleep it off. She’s the one who got the ball rolling.”

   “Be that as it may, I don’t want her interfering in my business.”

   “Have it your way, Luke. However, I’m going to give you some good advice. 
Don’t be a smart-ass with this woman. You’ll find yourself relieved of duty so 
fast it’ll make your head swim.”

   “What makes you say that?”

   “She’s Zaleski’s relief. You screw with her and, I can almost promise you, 
your career will be over before the week is out.”

   “If she’s Zaleski’s relief that’s a whole different story. She’s not being 
nosy. She’s just starting the job a few weeks early. Thanks for the 
information. I’d have probably walked on my crank with golf spikes otherwise.”

   “One other thing. She looks to be about twenty-five or so, and she is a 
knockout.”

   “That was two other things. I relieve you as CDO.”

   “I stand relieved. May the rest of your duty day be as dead as last week’s 
mackerel.” 

******************************

   Charley met Susan in front of the MP headquarters with a taxi. They went to 
the base air transportation office and rented a car. Their first stop of the 
day was to be a local shopping center that had a well-stocked musical equipment 
store, right after she checked with the CDO. 

   It took Susan less than ten minutes to check with the new CDO. He seemed to 
have been well briefed on last night’s situation. He struck her as a no-
nonsense career officer. He, on the other hand, had almost choked on his coffee 
when she, outfitted in tight white denim jeans and a snug fitting white blouse, 
walked into his office. After she left, he pondered how he would have reacted 
if she had just breezed into his office without him having been warned about 
her. He would have probably blown her off, and considering Cale’s warning and 
advice, he would’ve been dead meat. The persona she exuded was that of someone 
used to being in charge and totally confident about her ability to deal with 
any situation. It looked like life around the base was about to get really 
interesting.

******************************

   Susan and Charley walked into Eckland’s Music Emporium. It was situated at 
one end of the Overstreet Shopping Center. It was a single story structure 
about forty meters square. It was divided up into sections and several rooms 
were set up to facilitate the connection of various instruments through a 
number of control consoles to a number of high-powered amplifiers and high-
output speaker systems. Two rooms were set up in typical bandstand layouts with 
all the interconnecting and control consoles and amplifiers located outside the 
bandstand rooms.  One room was subdivided into a mini recording studio. There 
seemed to be examples of just about every musical instrument both acoustic and 
amplified ever invented by man on display in the store. Closer inspection 
revealed that there were a number of popular ‘alien’ instruments to be had for 
the right price. Even though Stockton wasn’t the largest or most important city 
on the west coast of the North American continent, the music store they were in 
was the largest in North America. A later check would reveal that the store 
supplied all the major recording artists on the west coast of the continent. 
The owners had over the years bought up much of their competition.

   Susan wandered around the store just eyeballing the various guitars, looking 
for a six-string jazz bass. When she was a young girl, she had learned how to 
play the piano, the string bass, and several types of electric guitars 
including jazz types. She had even played with several flutes and more than one 
electronic synthesizer. In her opinion, she would never be a professional 
quality player with any of them, but before she had been forced to grow up and 
face the grim realities of the Earth-Minbar War, she had enjoyed her excursions 
into the realm of music, both classical and popular. Her eidetic memory had 
allowed her to learn how to read and interpret music very quickly. Excellent 
hand and eye coordination had allowed her to become reasonably proficient at 
playing a number of musical instruments. 

   Susan walked into one of the ‘setup’ rooms, and was looking at a six-string 
jazz bass guitar. She looked at the price tag. Twelve hundred North American 
dollars was the asking price. She began to remember the last time she had 
played an instrument like this one. It had been more than twenty years, closer 
to twenty-five if memory served her right, and in her case it did. As she 
looked over the other instruments in the room, she paid particular attention to 
a keyboard with myriad knobs and switches and a three level keyboard setup. She 
all but drooled at the possibilities.

   “Do you play synthesizers?” Asked a voice from behind.

   Without turning, Susan answered, “I did a very long time ago. I played some 
string instruments like that jazz bass, too.”

   “How long ago was a very long time ago?”

   “Almost twenty years.”

   The voice of the person behind her sounded male. The low whistle he emitted 
all but confirmed it. Susan turned to see who she was talking to.

   “You are correct, Miss. That’s a very long time ago. You don’t look to be 
much more than in your mid twenties,” said an older gentleman, with a head full 
of white hair.

   “Actually, I’m thirty-six.”

   “You wear it exceptionally well, Miss.”

   “It’s Mrs. The gentleman I came in with is my husband.”

   “Would you care to try any of these instruments? It’s what they’re set up in 
here for.”

   “After almost two decades, I don’t think my skills, whatever they used to be 
are still up to par.”

   The gentleman picked up the jazz bass and handed it to her. He then turned 
on an amplifier and set a couple of selector switches. “Go ahead and try it.”

   Susan perched her tush on a chair and held the guitar. She fingered the 
strings on the fretless neck of the instrument. She closed her eyes and tried 
to remember the last time she had held something like this in her hands. Her 
fingers slid up and down the strings and she ‘practiced’ movements that she 
fondly remembered. After a few minutes of feeling out the guitar, she fingered 
the strings with her other hand. The amplifier was turned very low. Susan was 
surprised that what came out speaker system didn’t sound half-bad.

   “It doesn’t sound like it’s been almost two decades since you last played 
one of these,” commented the man.

   “I assume you carry finger and thumb picks for banjo players. Do you have 
any of them handy?”

   “Yes, but they’re packaged for sale. If I open them, you would have to buy 
them.”

   “Deal. Get me four finger picks and one thumb pick, please.”

   Two minutes later Susan was again ready to play the bass. She was wearing a 
pick on each of the fingers and thumb of her playing hand.

   “I’ve never heard of anyone playing a jazz bass or any other bass using 
banjo picks before.”

   “Then, today you get to learn something new, and you get to have a new 
musical experience.”

   Susan played for about two minutes with the amp turned very low. The man was 
amazed at the sound coming out of the speaker system. He had never heard the 
music before, and he had never heard a bass sound like the one Susan was 
playing, either.

   “I’ve never heard that piece before, Mrs. What is it?”

   “It’s something I wrote for one of my music classes when I was in college. 
It’s a Susan Ivanova original.”

   “I want to feed this to our store speakers, if you don’t mind. I want to 
turn this amp up. Put in these earplugs, please.” He handed Susan a set of 
malleable universal earplugs for hearing protection.

   “Suit yourself. Just tell your customers to hold down their laughter,” she 
responded, fitting the plugs into her ear canals.

   He didn’t tell her that he would be recording her efforts. He was intrigued 
by her playing style. In almost fifty years in the field of music, he figured 
he had seen and heard just about everything there was to see and hear about 
human musical instruments and their use. Susan’s unorthodox method of playing 
the six-string jazz bass was a new one on him. It sounded so different that if 
you weren’t watching her play, you’d never guess what the instrument being 
played was. In addition to her style of playing the strings, she also combined 
it with the same method you would use to play any lead or rhythm guitar. The 
give-away that something wasn’t what it seemed was that while it was played 
like a rhythm or lead guitar, it had too much of a low end to be either one of 
them. It was a very distinct and original style and sound.

   Out in the store the customers one after another, including Charles Wayne, 
perked up and started paying attention to the music they were hearing. Inside 
the demonstration room the walls were vibrating with the music Susan was 
playing. The old gentleman had turned the amplifier up to a very loud setting. 
The very large speaker system almost danced on its support. Susan was really 
enjoying herself. She was remembering much more about how to play the 
instrument than she would have believed possible, her eidetic memory not 
withstanding.

   Susan played the composition with several variations on the main theme for 
five minutes. She looked at the old man and smiled. 

   She stopped playing and said, “It seems that I remember more of it than I 
first thought.”

   “That was very good. I like it. Would you consider licensing it? I’d like to 
get it played. Do you have any words to go with the music?”

   “Actually, I have. I can sing them for you, if you wish.”

   He fitted a mobile microphone onto Susan’s head. “Just play and sing, Mrs., 
the receivers in the amplifier’s control section will handle the input. Just 
give me a short count, so I can adjust the relative volumes of the channels.”

   Susan gave him a short count. He signaled her, and she started playing all 
over again. This time she sang the words to her song. Charley recognized 
Susan’s singing voice. He had never before heard the song she was singing, but 
it sounded very good. 

   After Susan finished the song, he asked, “I don’t suppose you’d care to give 
me a demonstration of your keyboard talents, would you?”

   Smiling, Susan replied, “My ears can take it if yours can.”

   “Let me turn on the synthesizer.”

   A minute later, Susan was sitting down in front of the instrument’s 
keyboards. The old man explained the major controls and most of the minor ones. 
Susan played around with the controls noting how they affected the unit’s 
output. She ran her fingers over the keyboards for almost five minutes. With 
thoughts of all the family, friends and associates she had lost in her life, 
she began to let her fingers play the keys. It seemed as if they had minds of 
their own. She didn’t play any song, just whatever her fingers seemed to want. 
It was very melancholy, and yet, it sounded very inspiring. The old man had to 
fight back tears as memories he thought he had forgotten came rushing back to 
the forefront of his mind. Out in the store, the music had a mesmerizing effect 
on most of the customers. Charley was almost frozen where he stood by the 
effects of the music. He was busy sticking his nose into everything in the 
store. As he listened, he wondered who was playing the piece. Along with 
several other patrons, Charley walked over to the demonstration room to see who 
was playing the haunting music. He looked through the glass panel into the 
room, and was stunned to see Susan sitting in front of an expensive synthesizer 
playing it. He remembered her statement from the previous evening. He wondered 
what other talents she had, but hadn’t told him about.

   Susan finished what she was playing and turned to the old man. “That is 
another original. I just played it for the first time.”

   “It’s very beautiful, when did you write it?”

   “Just now. I imagined it, and played it just now. However, I claim 
copyrights to it, even if I did use your keyboards.”

   The old man was glad he had decided to record the woman’s efforts. She 
definitely had talent. All she needed was someone to help her market it. “I 
don’t suppose I could interest you in making money from your musical talents, 
could I?”

   “I already have a day job, and I can’t just walk away from it.”

   “I think you could be rich and famous, if you had the right person in your 
corner.”

   Susan laughed. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I already have a certain 
amount of notoriety and one hell of a bank account.”

   “You do?”

   “Yes. It’s nice to meet someone who has no idea who I am. It means I can be 
treated like a real person.”

   “I don’t quite understand.”

   “Do you ever watch the news programs?”

   “Not if I can help it. All they broadcast is their slant on what’s going on 
in the world. You can trust those bastards about as far as you can throw their 
broadcast stations.”

   “I see you do understand the modern newscast. That’s refreshing for a 
change… a real true-to-life skeptic.”

   “Would you care to play something more upbeat?”

   “Get us a couple of pairs of ‘mouse ears’. We will need to wear them in 
addition to the earplugs you already supplied.”

   While the man went out into the store to get the ‘mouse ears’, Susan ran her 
fingers over the keyboards and thought of the battle at Mars. She began to 
picture those events and let her fingers hit the keys they seemed to want to 
hit. A few minutes later, he returned with the industrial noise suppressors. He 
and Susan donned them, and she turned the volume control up very high and began 
to play.

   The sound level in the demonstration room was so high that the old man could 
feel the low frequencies impact his body like continuous punches from a 
prizefighter. It was so intense that he began to feel a bit nauseous. A few 
minutes later, Susan finished playing, and the silence was shocking after the 
battering he had taken from the high sound level.

   Susan removed her ‘mouse ears’. “How was that?”

   The old man looked at her. “Was that another original?”

   “Yes, it was. Did you like it?”

   “It was a bit more than I was expecting?”

   “So it wasn’t good. I can’t say that I’m surprised. I thought about the 
battle at Mars that occurred a few months ago, and played something that I 
thought was suitable for that scenario.”

   “You misunderstand. The music was great. I just wasn’t prepared for it.”

   “I find it hard to believe it’s that easy to come up with original music. It 
has to be more difficult than that or everyone would be doing it.”

   “I said you have real talent. I wasn’t just blowing smoke, Mrs.”

   “My name is Susan Wayne. Please, call me Susan.”

   “I have a strange request, Susan. Could you knock out a few more songs for 
me? They can be originals or whatever you want to play and/or sing. About nine 
or ten would work nicely.”

   “Do you have panpipes? I’d like to see if I can still play those and a 
decent flute. You already have a banjo in here. Just tell me what you want.”

   “I admit that I’m recording everything you’re playing in here. I’m also 
recording a video record of what you’re doing too.” 

   “If you’re trying to do what I think you are, you’re nuts. I’m not a 
musician. I’m an Earthforce officer.”

   “It’s evident that it doesn’t hamper your musical efforts.”

   Susan looked the old man in the eyes and saw a fire there. She wrinkled her 
nose at him and laughed. He could waste his efforts if he wished. After all, it 
wasn’t costing her anything. She had to admit that her life was taking some 
real twists since she had returned to Earth. So far, her only regret was the 
loss of her unborn child. That thought brought tears to her eyes. Without 
consciously thinking about it, she was composing music that she would play on 
the flute and panpipes. While she was waiting for the man to return with the 
flute and panpipes, she picked up the banjo and began playing a few notes. She 
watched her fingers play over the strings not really thinking about anything in 
particular. Less than five minutes later the man returned with the flute and 
pipes. Susan put the banjo back on its stand. Taking the flute she blew across 
the hole and let her mind wander. She played a few notes and began to remember 
what she had learned so long ago. She stopped and looked at the man. Here goes 
nothing, and thinking of her lost child she let the notes flow.

   Out in the store, Charley and one of the store employees were discussing 
different styles of music.

   “The woman you came in with, is she your wife?” asked the clerk.

   “Yes. We were married earlier this year. She never ceases to amaze me.”

   “She is one hell of a musician. Has she been into music very long?”

   “I have no idea. I didn’t even know she could play one instrument, much less 
half dozen or so. I didn’t know she could really sing, until she got up and 
sang with the band at the base Officers Club last night.”

   “She’s very good.”

   “Does your dad own this place?”

   “Yeah, it’s a family enterprise. He’s been at it for almost fifty years. He 
started the store just over forty years ago. It seems that while he was in the 
military, he was in the music part of it, he made some very good friends, who 
later became rather influential in the music business. You know, radio 
stations, personal managers and what-not. He’s always got his eye out for new 
talent, and your wife appears to have got his attention. What do you do for a 
living?”

   “I’m a security consultant. I do contract work for the military.”

   “Your wife, does she work?”

   “She’s in the military.”

   “What does she do? Personnel, finance?”

   “She’s a fighter pilot. However, her last assignment didn’t give her much 
time for it. She was busy commanding the EAS Ares.”

   “Which one is that?”

   “Did you watch the news when they were talking about the attack on Mars 
colony a couple of months ago?”

   “Yeah, I did. She was in that?”

   “She commanded the ship that pulled the Mars colony’s chestnuts out of the 
fire.”

   The man screwed his face up in an attempt to remember what had been 
broadcast about the event. Finally he looked at Charley, again. “Now I 
remember. The ship, the Ares, is a really big mother.”

   “It’s the largest, most powerful starship Earth has ever built. She was its 
commanding officer.”

   The man whistled. “I want to see the look on dad’s face when he finds out 
who she is.”

   Almost an hour and a half after she had entered the demonstration room, 
Susan and the storeowner exited it.

   “I’ll make you copies of these recordings Mrs. Wayne. I’d like to sign an 
interim contract if you don’t mind.”

   “I can’t do that. There is someone else you’ll have to discuss that with.”

   “May I ask whom?”

   “His name’s Brad Gordon. He’s my agent, such as it is.”

   “I know Brad. I have him on my speed dial. It’s been a while since I last 
spoke with him, but I’m sure we can work something out that is mutually 
beneficial to all of us.”

   Susan and the storeowner walked over to where Charley and the man’s son were 
conversing with one another. 

   “Mrs. Wayne I’d like to introduce my son, Dale Eckland. Son, this is Susan 
Wayne. I assume he is Mr. Wayne,” said Mr. Eckland.

   “Charley Wayne to be exact, Mr. Eckland.”

   “Let’s go into my office, Mrs. Wayne. I want to give Brad a call.”

   Five minutes later in his office, the elder Eckland had Brad Gordon on his 
videophone.

   “Hello Willard. What can I do you for?” Asked Gordon.

   “Brad, I have a young woman here that says I have to talk to you about her 
singing.”

   “What’s her name?”

   “Susan Wayne.”

   Susan moved within range of the video camera. “Hello, Mr. Gordon. While I’m 
talking to you, I have several data crystals full of information for the 
autobiography you mentioned. What should I do with them?”

   “Send them to me. I’ll send you my address by fax as soon as this call is 
finished. I didn’t know you are a singer.”

   “She not only sings, Brad, but she also plays a variety of musical 
instruments. We need to talk, really soon. She has recorded some raw material 
for me, and I’d like to get it processed ASAP.”

   “Tell you what, Will. I’ll fly up early this afternoon and you, Susan and I 
can talk business. Susan, I’ll pick up the data crystals when I get there. Is 
that okay, old buddy?”

   “What time do you intend to arrive?”

   “Hold on a minute.”

   It was almost two minutes later Gordon returned to the phone. “I should 
arrive in Stockton about 1300. I’ll be over at your place no later than 1400. 
Is that sat?”

   “I’ll be looking for you.”

   Eckland hung up the phone and looked at Susan. “I have an idea. Do you think 
that band will let you play and sing with them tonight?”

   “They’ll probably let me sing. I don’t know about playing. It might be a 
violation of their union rules.”

   “Who is playing there tonight, anyway?”

   “Actually, I don’t know. The bandleader was named Dave.”

   Willard made a very quick call to the Officers Club and inquired about the 
band’s identity. After the call he looked at Susan. “The band’s name is ‘The 
Play Around Boys’. Dave Eiser is their bandleader. Let me give him a call. The 
club manager gave me his number.” He made another call. “Dave Eiser, Willard 
Eckland here. Yep, the one who has the music store. I need a favor of sorts. 
The young woman who sang with you last night is sitting here with me. She 
played and sang for me just a few minutes ago. Yes, I said played and sang. 
She’s pretty good. I’d like for you to let her sit in with you, and do a few 
numbers on the synthesizer and a six-string jazz bass that I’m going to supply. 
She even plays woodwinds. Yes, the flute and panpipes. She’s not bad on them 
either. Just one small item, I want to set up a couple of video recorders and 
plug an audio recorder into your control board. I intend to make it worth your 
while. What time are you going to rehearse today? Okay we’ll be there. Thanks, 
Dave. You won’t ever regret this.”

   “I didn’t even hear him scream once.”

   “He knows me and my reputation. I play fair and square. It’s the main reason 
I own one of the largest music stores on the North American continent or in the 
western hemisphere for that matter. Dave knows I’ll give him a square deal. He 
wants to rehearse with you about 1700 this afternoon. Do you have any problem 
with that?”

   “No, but it means I have to buy supper at the club. I prefer the galley 
usually. It’s a hell of a lot cheaper.”

   “You said you were an Earthforce officer. What is it that you do?”

   “Right now, I’m not stationed anywhere. Monday, I check in at the base. Two 
weeks from yesterday, I relieve General Zaleski.”

   Eckland looked puzzled. “You’re joking, right?”

   Susan showed him her ID card. He studied it carefully. “I’ll be damned. I 
served a hitch in Earthforce when I was a very young man, but I don’t ever 
remember seeing any generals that looked like you.”

   “Looks can be deceiving, Mr. Eckland. I’ll stop back by here about 1400. I 
need to talk to Mr. Gordon about some other things anyway.”

*********************************

END PART 23

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