The Hot Seat  -- Author: Charcharadon

   "How much longer are you going to keep him in there?" inquired Benson.
   "Until he decides to give us something more useful than name, rank, and
serial number," Charcharadon replied.  "And keep playing the same ten to
fifteen second segment of `Basketcase,' randomly varying the length.
He's bound to crack eventually."
   "Are you sure?"
   "Of course I'm sure.  My tolerance for such things has been heightened
by years spent living in a college dorm, but even I have limits.  He'll
break."

   It would eventually require another forty-five minutes of waiting
before the subject spilled his guts, during which time Charcharadon went
through the data gathered by his teams from the three array sites.  All
three array elements had been neutralized.  One had been destroyed in
the crossfire, but the other two were being examined by highly skilled
(and well protected) WEDJEE engineers.
   All told, they had taken half a dozen prisoners and hauled in a whole
bunch of paper and electronic records.  These were being sifted through,
but it would take some time to fully catalog and analyze it.  All but
one of the prisoners had been interrogated; none had any information
that was useful.  Well, that wasn't entirely true, but Charcharadon
wasn't going to start drawing conclusions until the final interrogation
was complete.

   The last prisoner had been brought in by Benson's squad, and was
apparently the highest ranking member to be captured.  As such, he was
their best bet to find out what was going on.  It also meant that he
resisted their methods of inquisition more successfully.  Still, the
breaking point was reached, and Charcharadon entered the holding cell to
talk to him.

   "So, Mr. Peck, I understand you now have something to say to me?"
   "Yeah, yeah, whatever, just turn it off!  Or at least let the song play
through!"
   "All in good time.  Now, tell me about the array."
   "I don't know that much about it, really."
   "Sorry to have broken the monotony, I'll leave you to your concert."
Charcharadon rose to leave.
   "Really!  I don't know much about it!  They just send me orders, place
these devices at these locations and make sure they are not disturbed.
All I know is what I'm told.  Nothing about how it works, nothing about
when it will be switched on.  Just locations of the ones I was
responsible for."
   "And those would be?" Charcharadon asked.
   Peck listed several locations which Charcharadon noted for future
action.  Talk then turned to where his orders were coming from.
   "Listen," Peck insisted, "I can't really say for sure, but I think it
was all Rhyn's idea.  He's the one who's been doing all the talking and
organizing and... and all the other Liaisons are agreeing with him.  And
then there's the abnormal secrecy about it all.  It's just so
strange..."
   "Liaisons?"
   "I mean, the Liaisons usually get into arguments over anything and
everything," continued Peck without paying any attention to the
question.  "But Faide was talking to Rhyn and he said, `Just DO it,
Faide!' and she said `Alright,' and hung up.  I didn't hang around to
ask why."
   Despite further questioning, Charcharadon was unable to get much more
out of him.  He left to file his report.

   ____________________________________
   To: Warrior Aphrodite Persephone, Doberman Empire
       Lt. Commander Will Keith, TRES Corps
   From: Trooper Charcharadon, Doberman Empire
   Subject: Array Element Seizure

   Local array elements have been secured and neutralized.  Those elements
which have been salvaged are currently under study.  Prisoners taken
have identified several new array sites.  Am currently dispatching teams
to neutralize these locations as well.

   Through the course of interrogating the prisoners, I have determined
the following.
   1) This project has an inordinate amount of secrecy surrounding it.
Those in charge of the different elements are only aware of their
immediate charge.  Only the most necessary information has been handed
down the chain of command.
   2) They do not appear to be relying on spongin as personnel.  Our
examinations show that the cognitive abilities of the prisoners fit the
human norm.
   3) The entire thing may be the work of someone known as 'Rhyn',
probably an alias.  The mention of "Liaisons" by one of our ranking
prisoners may indicate that something is going on outside of the normal
command structure.  However, the prisoner was unable to provide either a
location or a description to go with that name.

   Inspection of information recovered from the array sites is incomplete,
but I think I can safely say that it will prove useless.  The sources
of all orders have been blanked.  There is a timetable for the
installation of the array elements, but nothing about activation.
Whoever set this one up is doing a damn fine job of covering their
butts.

   -Trooper Charcharadon
   (Grimace, Fries, and a Large Coke)
   ____________________________________

To be continued...