Chapter 9: Cultural Incineration

“The Khmer Rouge was responsible for the deaths of millions...” Mizu said to himself as he read the passages of his grandmother’s textbook. “It is believed that over 1.7 million Cambodians were led to their deaths by the brutal regime, although estimates are expected to be much higher. Children were displaced from their parents as they were locked into camps where they would be educated to hate their families and others. Children would then be in charge of work camps to help encourage the brutality and violence of what they were taught. As the Khmer Rouge was in the realm of being wiped out, they would then turn on the children and wives and have them executed. It is widely believed that Pol Pot was the leader of this movement and pushed all the ideas onto the Khmer Rouge to carry out their deeds...”

Again, the ideas just seemed to revolve around Mizu’s head like a complete contradiction. The great Khmer Rouge were heroes to the people of Batrice and their history. The ideas of revolutionaries that helped others and resisted powerful nations of Earth’s past were romantic to some. The information in the book was either wholly correct or completely and utterly incorrect. He was not known to distrust his grandmother. A dying wish caused him to look at the passages more and more.

“I don’t have the ability to record this on my augmented hand,” he told himself. “I want to take this with me to read, but I am afraid of it getting lost. Even then, I just need more information.”

“The Khmer Rouge would go by many names,” he continued to read to himself. “They were known as the Kampucheans to help avoid the usage of the ethnic name of the Khmer. They were responsible for taking religions and attempted to get rid of them. This would include taking monks and forcing them to eat lots of food when they choose to eat little for their beliefs. Meanwhile, the population would starve all around them. A school was allocated to become a prison known as S-21, where only three of the twenty thousand prisoners would survive. The prison purposely placed barbed wire on the higher floors to prevent prisoners ... from killing themselves as they were tortured. This would include everything from men, women, children, even pregnant women with tools specifically designed to inflict pain on the woman’s...”

He stopped reading it as he got up and placed the book underneath his bed. He didn’t want to read anymore. After the monastery incident yesterday, the paragraph he read seemed to be an indicator for him. He placed his hands to his hips as he thought about it more and more. He looked at his augmented hand as he looked at the time. It was the morning hours, and it was time to check-in for his command. He had little sleep, and a part of him just couldn’t sleep either.

“Kane ... please be awake,” he said to himself. “Please be awake.”

With that, Mizu got dressed and headed out.

Much as expected before, the day didn’t have much. Mizu had free time available with a closed hangar bay. On the one hand, he didn’t mind the time off, but he knew that his life was slowly being ripped from the bottom. The rumors were all over the place. The reforms were beginning to take effect, and it seemed that the population just didn’t care either. The rigors of Thursday were all but muted. He had the day off, but he was going to use it to the best of his abilities. He was beginning to run out of clean UHN jumpsuits due to the events of the week. He knew that this one that he wore was the last clean one available.

He walked into the familiar hospital. Much as before, it was even quieter than the day before. It was almost like no bomb exploded two days ago. Only the hints of either stabilized patients or the long moved dead to the morgue gave any signs that a disaster occurred not that long ago. The guards were still there. Mizu must have thought it was one of the most grueling and boring jobs that they ever had. The chances of another attack were horrifically low, and if his hunch was correct, the guard detail was practically pointless.

Just before Mizu reached the counter, there was a beeping sound that went off. It was another incoming announcement from most likely the top chain of command. He decided to sit down on one of the lobby couches to hear the latest updates from whatever.

“Hello everyone,” a familiar voice called over from the intercom. “This is Fleet Admiral Baxton. I have some recent updates to pass along to everyone on the station. I have been informed that Ambassador Ifra and Ambassador Kane are recovering from the recent terrorist attack on the station. We have been talking with the T’rintar clan delegates, and we have an agreement that we will be transferring them to the T’rintar clan ship Olara’kon today so that Ifra can be treated more for her injuries. We also have further announcements that the investigation is nearing completion. The rest of the debris from the incident is being picked up. The hangar bay doors will be reopened early tomorrow morning to resume normal station operations once again. I wanted to thank the patience that all the staff has had to go through during these times. Rest assured that the suspect will face a military tribunal this Saturday where they will face justice for their crimes.”

“Hmmm...” Mizu remarked.

“I also have a gift for the station,” Baxton continued. “Our tech teams need to conduct a UWAN Network Yearly Maintenance Examination. I am sure that the ones that have served on this station long enough can tell you that it might be some good news. In the next hour, we will have our station connected to the UWAN directly so that the maintenance teams can evaluate the data flow through the networks. For the next couple of hours, you will have a direct link to your families, friends, and etc. As the Prime Minister is encouraging me, I will go ahead and authorize this, especially after the recent events that have transpired and the impact on our families. Be aware that we do have the authority to randomly monitor feeds that are being sent to different systems as per safety and security reasons. Hold strong, Fort Batrice ... Fleet Admiral Baxton, out.”

A direct link to the UWAN. Mizu thought about it. It was something that was incredibly rare for the space station to do. Done once a year, a period of time would be chosen in the month in which the networks would be wide open. While the risks of the station being hacked were light, this was one case that maintenance overruled security precautions. It was something that made the staff on the station incredibly happy since they were able to contact and talk to people face to face. He imagined the ability to speak with his family, but his time was short. An hour’s opening was not that much and gave little room to choose who to talk to first.

The other problem Mizu faced was that his schedule was being altered rapidly. Tomorrow he knew that he would be back to piloting shuttles. He was already at the hospital, and Kane might have been awake. This might be his only opportunity to talk to him. He had to put the idea of talking to his mother on hold. His grandmother’s dying wishes helped encourage him to stay on the current path regardless of the news.

Mizu stood up from the sofa as he approached the counter. He could tell it was the same nurse as before, and she recognized him in turn.

“Petty Officer Mizu,” the nurse greeted him. “You wish to talk to Ambassador Ifra and Ambassador Kane. Is that correct?”

“Yes, I would. Hope your day is good.”

“It will be better once I get a chance to talk to my husband at New Phnom Penh. I just checked up on them about ten minutes ago. Ifra is currently asleep, and I am afraid that she cannot be disturbed ... however, Kane has pulled out of his coma early this morning. The authorities already questioned him, and he is well enough to talk to. I will go ahead and get a nurse to oversee you as you talk to him.”

“Thank you,” he replied to her as she stood up and walked away from her desk. As he looked down the passageway, he can see the familiar Corpsman Keina. She practically walked down to greet Mizu, knowing that an escort was needed.

“I can escort him...” Keina told the other nurse. “Mizu...” she gestured to him to follow her.

They walked down the passageway as he looked at her. “How is everything?” he asked her.

“Good ... I am doing alright. Once the Ambassadors are healed up, I will be able to breathe a sigh of relief.”

“That bad?”

“No ... the Ambassadors are great ... the work has been hectic, though. The investigators and authorities come to ask questions, ugh...”

“I can imagine that they asked them a lot of questions.”

“They questioned Kane but not Ifra since she was asleep and not well enough to talk. Yesterday was the best that you got out of her. She is doing better, though, but she still needs time to recover.”

“And Kane?”

“We have his body patched up, but the damage to his skin was severe. They will have to replace the damaged hair follicles, destroyed skin, ... ugh ... yeah. I can imagine that the older medical technology would have been freaking out upon having to heal a person with that much burns. At least he will be fully healed up in a week.”

“Plus, there are always augments.”

“That too,” she replied with a smile.

They both reached the sets of guards. As Keina was talking to the guard briefly, Mizu turned his head to look upon Ifra on the other side of the room. She was asleep as her vitals on the vitals machine showed her to be more stable than before. Her body was pulling through, although the fact that her stomach was flat now must have been rough for her. The infant most likely had to have been extracted from her since her body would probably miscarriage.

Mizu was snapped out of attention as Keina waved him to come into the room where Kane was at. Much as the room where Ifra slept, Kane was a person that was seemingly better than the last couple of days. There were large blue bandages that covered large portions of his body and face. He was flat but slightly elevated on his bed. There were special cooling blankets that were wrapped around most of his body. This kept the skin cooler where it would inject a salve onto the skin itself. While Mizu knew only so much about medical technology, he could at least see some of it in action.

Regardless, Kane could have been much better than he originally was. The burns incinerated his hair entirely. The portions of his body that weren’t covered up would show deep red and orange discoloration on his pale complexion. Tubes and other equipment were designed to keep him fed intravenously. He didn’t require a breathing tube, though, and Mizu could tell that he was definitely coherent enough to talk. Even his eyes turned to look at him.

“Ambassador Kane,” Mizu greeted him. “My name is Petty Officer Mizu. I would ask how your day was, but ... yeah. I am sorry about everything that has happened, sir.”

“Mizu, ... what is it that I can help you out with?” Kane greeted him in a bit of a raspy tone. Mizu could immediately recognize the Cebravin accent. The only difference was that compared to Chuck from the previous night, his voice was more professional.

“Sir, I know that the investigators came to ask you questions in regards to the bombing that happened not that long ago. My importance to this case is one that involves you as well. I was a witness to the set of events.”

“I know ... enough about the set of events from the investigators...” He took a deep breath. “It ... it happened so fast. I barely even remembered it. I just remembered a brief flash and ... shockwave, and then I was here.”

“Sir, I came here for many reasons. They have your assistants in prison. Li’lo and Jenta ... they believe that they were responsible for the bombing.”

“I told you as I told the investigators. Li’lo and Jenta wouldn’t do it. I ... would speak on their behalf. They are innocent.”

“According to the cameras, they showed Li’lo pressing the button on her tilon that detonated the shuttlecraft.”

“I don’t believe it even if they show me. Li’lo is kind, and Jenta is quiet. Both ... both of them would never harm anything.”

“I am starting to get that impression from watching them. I saw her trip, and that is where she supposedly pressed the button.”

“Li’lo ... would more likely walk down a hallway and never trip than compared to doing a bombing like that ... and ... if you see her, you tell her that I said that.”

He tried to smile, but it was hard for Mizu to see it. Mizu had to admit that the ambassador was trying to keep a sense of humor even if the situation was primarily grim.

“I will. Li’lo and Jenta both wanted to send their regards to the events between you and Ifra.”

“And all of them...” Kane continued. “So much loss of life, and they try to place the blame on my aids. It was my fault for setting a schedule that would have killed so many in return. As ... a diplomat ... they made me fail at my own mission.”

“You believe that someone set a bomb outside of the shuttle?”

“It had to be. I don’t believe the Zaza were involved. They don’t have that much firepower and resources. Their strength is focused on the clan itself ... they wouldn’t come to here. There is no point. Even ... even the fleet here could wipe them out.”

“Did anybody hold a grudge against you and Ifra?” Mizu asked.

“There are always politics in the realm of the T’rintar clan, but ... it is no different than us. We always did our best to avoid making enemies ... and nobody hates us enough that they would try to ... try to do this. It’s possible that the Aksren and Shal’rein clan may have done it ... maybe a spy, but that is my thoughts. I do admit that the questions from the investigators were ... they were very little.”

“They didn’t ask much?”

“They asked questions that made sense, but they didn’t even ask what I felt about Li’lo and Jenta. They almost didn’t even mention them until I directly asked them. If I weren’t in this ... this bed, I would go to the jail or brig or whatever it is and tell them to release them.”

“Did you ask them?”

“I told them that they were innocent, but ... I don’t think they will.”

“What do you mean?”

“Batrice ... we have ... always had problems with your people and ... I apologize if you take offense to this. I mean this in a general sense. As a diplomat, it is my job to encourage peace, but the people of Batrice tend to be ... rebellious ... stubborn ... aggressive towards the UWA. There is some fear with the Martians that Batrice and Gillan may try to break away from the UWA and become its own entity.”

“I ... feel partially inclined with that, sir. I have to defend my own people when it comes to the shipments that have been sent to the T’rintar clan.”

“It was never that much,” Kane countered. “It was there to show that the UWA could help support the T’rintar clan.”

“But you never asked us ... with all due respect.”

“No offense is taken. Heh...” Kane chuckled a little bit. “Even in this state, I am still arguing politics. I guess I am a politician despite what my critics may say. It is true that we didn’t ask your people ... for that we are sorry.”

“The quotas required to mine the materials would be hard on all of us, sir. I had family members that almost had to work every day in the mines to fulfill it.”

“It ... it doesn’t make sense. The quota shipments to the T’rintar clan ... they were never that much. It wouldn’t have caused such hardship over your people ... your family.”

“Yet it did. I lost a grandmother because of it.”

“No ... no ... Ifra and I were aware enough of Batrice and Gillan and the mining expenditures for the treaty. We were even trying to get rid of the mining shipments entirely. Something ... something was just wrong. The rare materials would have been enough to fill a freighter once per month. It was...”

“Wait, what? I apologize for interrupting, sir, but I don’t understand. The rare metals being shipped from the mines are way higher than that.”

“I don’t have the ... exact figures, but it wouldn’t be that high,” Kane explained. “It seemed like every time we reviewed the reports, it just kept saying that Batrice was revolting against the shipments. They ... I don’t know. Short of outright ending the shipments, I just feel like somebody isn’t telling the truth or something. In the end, the people of Batrice are suffering because of it.”

The quotas ... the idea stuck in Mizu’s mind more than ever. Everything that Ambassador Kane was saying combined with the textbook that he read gave him possible ideas that he hadn’t considered. What if Kane was correct? The rare metals mined to fill a freighter would be a joke compared to what was typically mined at all. Perhaps the Ambassador was lying and trying to make it seem less than it should. Regardless, a singular thought had been with him. Why would somebody try to kill the ambassadors? The idea of eliminating the shipments altogether would eliminate the hardships pressed upon the workers and miners on the surface. This alone would wipe out a critical argument that he had against the UWA. Many people may reconsider the alliance between the UWA and the T’rintar clan to be more mundane than a parasitic one. Such high quotas ... established by those that were in power ... it was a sentence from the textbook that he remembered so fondly.

“Mizu, I need to ask of you,” Kane asked. “Aside from the cameras ... what did you see? What killed my future son from being born? Did you personally see Li’lo press the button?”

“No ... it doesn’t make sense for me either. I saw her trip ... I saw the belongings go flying, but there was nothing else. My peripheral vision and some of the words spoken by Li’lo make me convinced that a plot was made against all of you.”

“If that is the case ... then you might have to be quiet for a while. The conspirators would still be on this station. I should be ... thankful we have the guards to protect us. I can always keep an eye on my wife from here.”

“There is one thing, though, that I need to talk to you besides all of this,” Mizu said. “I don’t know who to talk to in regards to what I am discovering these last couple of days. I believe that Li’lo and Jenta are innocent now more than ever. The fact is that I managed to get hold of a textbook that ... it contains a history in it that...” He didn’t want to say anything more on the matter. “I needed to talk to an outsider ... somebody that doesn’t live here. I don’t know who to trust.”

“In that case, I can give you a recommendation of who to talk to. My history isn’t a good subject of mine. I have a friend that you can talk with. He holds a master’s degree in history before he joined the UHN and became an officer. His name is Cristobal Javier. He is a Lieutenant that is stationed on Aphadus. Talk to him ... let him know what you found, and I am sure he can try to help you.”

Mizu thought about it. He knew what to do next now as he nodded his head. “I will do that, sir.”

“Hopefully ... things will improve soon. If everything is what I think it is, I will ... have to recommend it to the T’rintar clan. I can’t let Batrice walk away with Li’lo and Jenta uncontested. Their ships will only remain in this space even longer ... till they are released and given a fair trial ... especially if the evidence is getting altered. The real people responsible won’t get away ... for the death of my son.”

The words were impactful on Mizu. He could only understand the situation that occurred for these two people. It even seemed to him that the Ambassador cared for the others. Regardless, he decided it was best to head home. He had to contact someone...

Mizu felt an unsettling feeling hit him as he sat down on his bed in his barracks room. There was no point in taking his uniform off. He had only enough time to talk to one person. He could feel the urge to speak with his mother and father while he had the opportunity, but this seemed paramount to complete. Despite this, a part of him felt that something was wrong in doing this. Each action he was committing felt like an act of treason somehow.

He breathed harder and harder. He needed to be told this, and if it was true, then the next set of actions had to be made. He kept his composure solid. There was enough now to suggest that a conspiracy was in the works. He had to hear it from one other person. He took the textbook and held it beside him.

“I am doing this for you, grandma,” he said to himself. “If this is false, then I can at least take you into account for it.”

He opened up his augmented hand as the projection screen came up. The menu screen showed up as he decided to make the call. He pressed the buttons as he saw that his hand’s computer system had synced up with the station’s computer network. The privilege that he had was something so regular for everyone else. It was beyond luxury that he felt was needed. He just had to shake the ill feelings he had as he typed in the search for this officer Javier that served on Aphadus.

The UHN network from his projected display showed a screen that popped up. The database was quick as it isolated one person named Cristobal Javier with the rank of Lieutenant. He was only hoping that these were the times that he regularly worked. It showed on file that he was a logistics officer. That would mean that he would generally be working in his office. He had to keep a level head with him. This was another officer he was talking to. He pressed the call button as the system initiated the call to him.

He waited for a few seconds. Each phone ring through the system seemed to take longer and longer for Mizu. If he couldn’t get a hold of him now, he would have to leave a message. For a while, the screen was black for a time, but he could notice a strange circle on the bottom right. He had not seen this before. A part of him wondered if this was an indicator if he was being monitored by someone else. Perhaps this was the gut-wrenching feeling that he was having. The sense of paranoia was apparent. If the case was there, then Kane might be correct. He was the only witness to a crime. Would he be targeted next to save the actual perpetrators? He had to tell himself to calm down and let things take their course.

It happened. The screen lit up as a person’s face showed up. Mizu looked upon a man that was interesting in his appearance. Mizu’s eyes looked and knew that this was Javier. The rank insignia was there on his red and blue dress uniform. His face had a pale complexion and had features of a person that was either from Aphadus or Palora. The people of former South and Central America had called the ice planet of Palora their home, but this officer was located on the colony of Aphadus. The most notable thing about this Javier was his neatly trimmed beard covering most parts of his face and lips. He short cut brown hair, and his demeanor was neutral at first. As expected, behind him was the corner wall of a room that had to be an office.

“This is Lieutenant Javier of the logistics department at the Aphadus Military Base,” Javier said in a professional manner. His accent was clearly Aphadus in nature. “To whom am I speaking with and state your purpose for your call.”

“Officer Javier, my name Mizu ... petty officer and pilot, stationed onboard Fort Batrice.”

“I can tell from the call. Normally I never get a message from Fort Batrice unless it is recorded messages. The moment that I saw it, I had to answer it. What can I do for you, Mizu?”

“Sir, you are well aware of the events that happened on the station, correct? The events from the last couple of days?”

Javier nodded his head. “Of course ... I admit it was nothing like we had to see here on Aphadus not that long ago, but I have been keeping an eye on it in the news.”

“I had to call you because I am a witness to the explosion that occurred. I had a chance to talk to Ambassador Kane.”

“Kane...” Javier remarked as he looked down briefly. “Yes, I heard a little bit that happened to him and Ifra.”

“I have something that needed to be discussed with history ... umm history of my own planet and society. When I spoke to Kane about this, he recommended that I contact you.”

Javier smiled a little bit. “He is at least well enough to recognize me then? Yes, I do have a good assortment of knowledge on that subject. I even wrote the Gabatrix history video that he took with him when he met Ambassador Ifra on his first diplomatic tour.”

Mizu had no idea what he was talking about. As with most officers, he sounded like he was giving praise to himself for something Mizu never heard of. Regardless, he found the man that he needed to talk to. He had to admit, though, that this Javier was somewhat dashing and charismatic in his actions and how he spoke. It did help in Mizu seeing a form of trust at the beginning of the conversation.

“There are two aliens named Li’lo and Jenta that are being held in Fort Batrice’s prison. They are suspects of a bombing that might have been faked or forged.”

“Li’lo?” Javier asked as he seemed to think about it. Almost by accident, Mizu realized that he stated the two Itrean women’s names without even thinking about it. Regardless, he could see that Javier seemed to have recognized their names or at least one of them.

“You actually know this Itrean?” he asked the officer.

“She sounds familiar. Is she a Yutilian?”

“Yes.”

“Does she have the tendency to bump into people and trip on things?”

For Mizu, that was the first time he actually chuckled a little bit. “Actually ... yes sir.”

“Ah yes ... that Li’lo.” He paused as he shook his head. “Li’lo wouldn’t be responsible for that sort of thing. I don’t picture her being the culprit. There has to be some sort of mistake. I can’t speak for Jenta because I never met her, but Li’lo was the defense attorney for my wife.”

“What?” Mizu asked as his eyes went wide. “I heard of her exploits with legal matters. There was only one trial that she participated in on Mars that I know of.”

“The same trial...”

Mizu could not believe what he had just heard. The chances of finding a relatable person to the same person that Li’lo was defending were a surprising turn of events. This Li’lo and Jenta certainly got around, and they found the best allies that they could find. It caused Mizu to warm up a little bit more to the officer. He felt that he had a supporter now.

“Sir, I need to bring this up to you,” he explained to Javier. “My grandmother gave me an ancient textbook that came from former Earth.” He showed the textbook to him. “It was printed in 1996. This book contains history that was written about Earth’s past.”

“It is an interesting find indeed. I wouldn’t mind getting a chance to check it out. Books such as those contain a wealth of information that helps keep our current history in check. Did you verify its age?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I would be willing to buy it off of you if you wish. I wouldn’t mind reading old pages instead of the console-based crap that I get all the time. Looks like it is in pretty good shape too.”

“That is something that I need to bring up. Sir, I believe that something is happening in the society of Batrice ... my people. I need a historian to verify what I was taught.”

“Of course, that is why I am here.”

A red flashing dot began to appear on the bottom right of the screen. Mizu’s eyes went to it as he began to feel a shudder of fear inside him. The red dot was continuous and nonstop. The words started to appear that made him dread a little bit. Fort Batrice was monitoring his communication. It only made sense as his calls were being made to another solar system. The watchful eyes of Fort Batrice were upon him. He had no choice but to continue this conversation as he only had this one chance. Otherwise, it would have to become recorded conversations that would take considerable time to achieve.

“Mizu?” Javier asked.

“Sorry, sir,” he continued. “I need to bring up the history of the Khmer Rouge ... how much do you know of them?”

“The Khmer Rouge...” He paused as the officer scratched his beard. “I recall doing an exam on tyrannical governments and regimes. The Khmer Rouge is a short-lived group of people on former Earth that managed to commit mass genocide. I don’t remember the numbers right off the bat, but I know that there was much suffering inflicted on the people because of their actions. Why do you ask?”

Mizu’s horror was seemingly justified the moment that he heard those words. “Sir ... our history ... Batrice’s history is ... it is wrong, sir.”

“What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

“I have been taught the history of the Khmer Rouge and the Khmer Alliance back when I was raised in school. They are still doing it. They are talking about the fact that they existed beyond the 1980s and all the way till the end of the 22^nd century. I believed this to be fact until this book came along. My grandmother believes that the administration may be behind this. Why they are doing this, I don’t know.”

Javier seemed to give a questioning look to him. He reached over as he began to tap his console. He began to look at a screen of his own. He appeared to be looking at something. While he was doing this, there seemed to be another presence that was by Javier. Mizu could not tell who this person was, but only by a light shadow caused by his office’s overhead lights. He almost thought it was a shark fin of some sort, but it was too vague to see who it was. The only indication of the presence was smoke that was coming from Javier’s location. Perhaps it was someone that was smoking a cigarette or a cigar, maybe. In the end, Mizu had no idea of whom this other person was, but Javier was more attuned to his console now.