Sunday September 11, 2005
Book 7: Emperor Pius Dei — Part I: Big Schlock, Little Schlock, What Begins With Schlock?

Transcript

Narrator: Aboard the former U.N.S. Destroyer, Athens, near the galactic core. . .
Athens:Admiral Andreyasn, I have General Ibrahim from the U.N.S. High Command on the line.
Admiral Breya:I'm Admiral Andreyasn. How can I help you, General?
General Ibrahim:Good day, Admiral. I have all kinds of news from home for you. . . some good, some bad.
Admiral Breya:I know the drill, General. Bad news first, please.
General Ibrahim:Well, as I'm sure you're aware, we "gave" thirty-two Battleplates and over a hundred capital ships to this "Fleetmind," and the Athens is one of them.
General Ibrahim:This has been a political disaster of the highest order. Senior officers throughout the U.N.S. are being asked to resign.

Your sponsors during your covert mission among the Gatekeepers suffered a significant loss of power but those would jail you lost even more.

Admiral Breya: Where exactly do I stand in this mess, General? Colonel Jaksmouth was killed by U.N.S. scheming, and what's left of his company of Marines would love to come home and not be shot.
General Ibrahim: Well, it's complicated.
Admiral Breya: It's always complicated. Get to the point.
General Ibrahim: Well, for starters, you're fired. We've already processed your resignation and will be stripping you of your rank forthwith.
Admiral Breya: Help me out here. . . Is that the bad news or the good news?
General Ibrahim: HA-HA! There's that cynical sense of dark humor.
General Ibrahim: It's the good news, of course.
General Ibrahim: The bad news is that we require your service as the first U.N.S. Ambassador to the Fleetmind.
Athens: Do you want me to cover my ears when he asks you to spy on us?