Page 36 of Neverwylde 6
Pfeiffer appeared to chew over Kyber’s response. “Very well. Point taken. My third reason for bringing you two here is because of the answers you and the others provided while sedated. I’m sure this will come as no surprise to either of you, but every comment given was verified as truthful. Everything each of you said was exactly the same, right down to the odd details and descriptions. I must admit, in all the years I’ve overseen this interrogation technique on more than one person, there’ve always been a few replies that simply didn’t jive. Know what I mean?”
Kelen gave a shake of her head. “No, sir.”
“What I’m saying is, when two or more people get together and concoct a story, repeating it over and over to the point where they can recite it in their sleep, at some point there’s going to be a slip-up, an error. A tiny detail missed or misspoken. But none of you slipped up. None of you contradicted each other. When we asked for elaboration on a particular detail, we got the same information no matter who we were asking. Do you know what that tells us?”
“That we were speaking the truth,” Kyber offered.
“You damn right,” Pfeiffer concluded. “What makes this more intriguing is this. The more people you try to get to recite the same story, the greater the chance someone will forget a detail. This didn’t happen with you and your fellow crewmembers. The doctors, scientists, and computers all agree that there wasn’t one iota of insincerity or misdirection in anything you told us. And the only way that can happen, the only way all eleven of you could have accomplished that, is because everything you’ve told us is the truth. The flat, unvarnished truth.”
Hearing the man’s admission lifted some of the burden weighing down her shoulders, but there remained so much the colonel had yet to address. Clasping her hands tightly in her lap, Kelen forced herself to remain silent and to listen.
“Which brings me to reason number four,” Pfeiffer announced. “Lieutenant Colonel Williamsburg, Major Baffrey, and I have decided that we were guilty in rushing to judgment on all of you. Unfortunately, according to our laws, we cannot take back our initial sentences. However, wecancommute those sentences to time served. So, as of fourteen hundred hours today, all of you, including you and your men, Por D’har, are free men. Furthermore, we are extending to you this offer. Outpost Delta Six will be your sanctuary as long as you remain at this station, but I cannot guarantee that protection once you leave. I want you to understand that.”
Kelen couldn't hold back her worry any longer. “What about the Seneecian ship that’s on its way here?”
“That is a matter for me to attend to,” Pfeiffer assured her.
“My men and I will not be handed over to them?” Kyber asked in partial disbelief.
“No. You have my word you may stay here for as long as you feel necessary, or until you decide your next plan of action.”
Kyber glanced over at her, and for the first time in a very long time she saw a glimmer of hope on his face. She quickly tore her gaze from his to look at the colonel.
“Thank you.” She barely managed to say the words before her throat closed up. Her face felt hot as she fought back the tears.
The colonel threw up his hands. “All right. I’ll send out word about my decision so that you and the others can roam this station without interference.” He paused to give Kyber a hard stare. “But if by some chance there is any sort of altercation…”
Kyber nodded. “My men know what to do, Colonel. You do not have anything to worry about.”
“I have your word on that?”
“Yes. You have my word.”
Pfeiffer flashed a quick smile that faded just as quickly. “All right. With that taken care of, I want to talk about a mission I’d like to plan.”
“Colonel?”
The man jerked his attention over to Kelen. She fingered the stained neckline of her jumpsuit.
“Sir, begging your pardon, but can we postpone this discussion for a little later? Give us a chance to take a decent bath and put on a clean uniform, and have a bite to eat first. It’s been weeks since—”
“I know. Forgive me,” Pfeiffer hurriedly replied. Hitting the communications button on his desk, he called for a couple more guards. After which he addressed the ones standing at the rear of the room. “Show these people to available accommodations on Level F.” He turned to Kyber. “The others in your party will be shown to rooms in the same area. Rest a little. Get cleaned up and have something to eat, and be back here by…” He checked the readout on his monitor. “Eighteen hundred hours. Will that give you enough time?”
“More than enough, Colonel,” Kyber answered. “Thank you.”
“Thank you,” Kelen added, getting to her feet.
As she turned to follow the guard out of the office, she mused over the miracle that had taken place within the past few minutes. And as they turned to continue down the hallway toward the elevators, she felt her husband place his hand on the small of her back as he liked to do whenever they walked together.
Feeling its warmth spreading through her, she smiled. And the tears that rose in her eyes were happy ones.
