Tonight we continue with Part Four, Heroes and Scapegoats. Young-Min Jo has finally had enough of working - better put, baby-sitting - over at the hydroponic garden center. His new colleagues among the Return Team, whom he now outranks, have proven to be unreliable to say the least. Stoned most of the time, they've become far more than that: drug dealers. It's time to make a change, for the sake of his career if not the safety of the the ship.
Tonight we continue with Part Four, Heroes and Scapegoats. Young-Min Jo has finally had enough of working - better put, baby-sitting - over at the hydroponic garden center. His new colleagues among the Return Team, whom he now outranks, have proven to be unreliable to say the least. Stoned most of the time, they've become far more than that: drug dealers. It's time to make a change, for the sake of his career if not the safety of the the ship.
Hello, and welcome back to Twin Paradox. I'm King Everett Medlin and what you're hearing is a SciFi trilogy I wrote four years ago under the pseudonym Purple Hazel. Twin Paradox follows my first podcast series entitled Deathwalker Colony, which is now a full length novel available for purchase on Amazon. Go online and check it out! It's on sale today in E-book format, as well as the first two books in the Rijel 12 Series, The Rise of New Australia and Return of Anarchy.
Tonight we continue with Part Four, Heroes and Scapegoats. Young-Min Jo has finally had enough of working - better put, baby-sitting over at the hydroponic garden center. His new colleagues among the Return Team, whom he now outranks, have proven to be unreliable to say the least. Stoned most of the time, they've become far more than that: drug dealers. It's time to make a change.
Twin Paradox is a SciFi series encompassing three full length novels; all of which will be read in their entirety during the coming weeks. You can go online and download the E-books ... or if you prefer, tune in and listen to me read them to you.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Twin Paradox, Part Four: Heroes and Scapegoats. Chapter Twenty, Garden Geeks....
It was actually Young-Min Jo who brought the matter to Steinhart's attention – though not directly. When he did so, only then did the captain come to understand the full gravity of the situation. Reality was that marijuana abuse was far more widespread than he or even B.J. realized. It surprised Captain Stehter just how bad things had gotten. Young-Min had grown disillusioned.
The new staff who came to work with him in the Garden Center during the return voyage stayed high practically all the time. Got up. Came to work. Got wasted. Sat around and did little if anything while Young-Min did most of the work. They’d disappear for long periods of time, always claiming they were off gathering fresh biosoil (human waste treated and processed into plant fertilizer). It became like a regular joke to them – sauntering off to use the lavatories on board, then gathering up daily output of the crew’s feces to bring back for making fresh compost. This served as an excuse for being gone so long from their posts; and as Young-Min grew into his late teens it aggravated him whenever they’d do so. Sure, that was one of their section's regular chores to perform and he was usually happy to delegate it to his staff. But the truth was they weren’t just going out to gather up canisters of poop for the compost processor. They were making deliveries; and Young-Min quickly discovered how stores of cannabis-laced produce would vanish from time to time. Fresh tomatoes, ready to be freeze-dried and added to the food distribution system, other fruits and vegetables as well, would disappear from storage bins awaiting processing. Not long after that, he’d see one of his subordinates bringing in yet another “shit can” as they called them and when he’d challenge them, they’d merely chuckle.
“Hey, I’m just doing my job, dude,” they’d scoff, and the other stoners working with him would have a big laugh. That was only a half-truth, and everyone including the young Lieutenant knew it.
What Lt. Jo gradually figured out – by secretly following them or simply retracing their steps – was that his subordinates had turned into pot dealers. No one had any way of igniting the marijuana they were growing. All they had to consume was garden variety produce whose roots had been spliced with cannabis. But his colleagues learned to smuggle more potent strains of them out of the Garden Center and deliver them to folks onboard who traded services – or on occasion - intimate favors.
Crew members started referring to the hydroponic team as the “Garden Geeks” and to be fair they weren’t the most desirable-looking among the crew. Far from it. Yet they became quite popular, meeting up with their more attractive colleagues at the VRC, or even while they were on duty, to bring them “weed”.
A blowjob here. A hand-job there. Sometimes more. Services rendered in exchange for their daily deliveries were plenty to keep the supply coming and the Garden Geeks showing up with more. For the “Geeks” working for Young-Min it was an easy way to get laid. Their function on board as vegetable and fruit farmers was nothing but a lark – certainly by the end of the second year in the return mission. They got invited to sessions in the Virch; with some of the most attractive females on the ship. Yet the potential consequences were dire, and Young-Min knew he had to do something. There was a secret community of avid marijuana users whom the captain and even B.J. knew little about. One or two were even working in the Matter Pod Monitoring section. What’s more there were quite a few working at other vital functions within the ship such as the Cryogenics Lab and even the command bridge. This was dangerous to the ship and to the rest of the crew in general – and could doom the mission if something wasn’t done.
That’s what frustrated Young-Min. Years before he’d adapted the food distribution system, overriding the computers to allow THC to be included in what folks were eating. This could be regulated and controlled to give crew members interested in the benefits of the drug something to ease their stress and strain, temper their boredom, or relieve aches and pains from heavy-gravity workouts in the Athletic Center. Crew members worked out to get their bodies ready for Kapteyn B and Captain Berwick was happy to let them enjoy the effects of a marijuana-induced euphoria to take the edge off. Crew members could include cannabis edibles in their diet; but the way of controlling this was in ordering their rations to be supervised. No alcohol was ever permitted on board – Space Programme would never permit such a potential breach of protocol on an active vessel – but Tommy, being the old-fashioned type who remembered reading of sailors receiving a daily rum ration in the glory days of the Royal Navy, felt this was a reasonable compromise. As long as it was regulated and overseen by responsible administrators in the Garden Center, he was all for it.
Naturally some abused it even during the Away Team’s mission, and Tommy Berwick was vaguely aware. But he left it to his officers to manage the problem and “punish” their own subordinates if they were caught on duty under the influence. This worked out well, because officers like Lt. Kelvin had a nose for it and could detect violators with ease. He’d dress them down and threaten demotion the moment he suspected they were high. One time he did just that, and replaced one of his men with Ozzie Guerrero, who turned into one of his most trusted team members.
It was different now. Some among the crew were high nearly all the time. Young-Min could only guess if the number might be even greater than he’d assumed. Probably a third were consuming it responsibly and complying with proper doses but they were the exception not the rule. It became easy to slip off the straight and narrow, and many bored crewmembers sometimes did. Unfortunately, many went off the deep-end and remained stoned every waking hour – even when on duty. Especially when on duty in some cases!
Young-Min ultimately sought out Shamiso's advice and subsequently she brought in B.J. just to have a little pow-pow in the mostly empty cargo bay to discuss what might be done. She was the Communications Officer and had the ear of the captain. What’s more she was completely trustworthy; had been his friend since he was ten. Lt. Jo feared being pegged as a whistle blower - knew the consequences of doing so. If he exposed his teammates in the Garden Center he fully realized what it would do to his reputation. With another two years on board (if not several), facing former colleagues he’d ratted out it could be a disaster. He could imagine what it would cause; and he certainly hated the idea of being viewed as a snitch. B.J., as always, was quite helpful in that regard.
"No, you're not gonna be a snitch - not as far as Steinhart’s concerned. He'll think you're being a good crewman expressing a concern, that's all. Doing your duty. I sure as hell know what you're worried about with your friends over there in the ‘Get High Garden'. Been hearing about it here and there for years and I gotta say I didn’t know it was so messed up. What we need to do is get your butt out of there … 'fore it ruins your career."
The plan she would eventually propose was fraught with difficulty, but much safer than making an official protest to the captain and inviting an inquiry. No one would want that, least of all Steinhart. What's more, if Young Min did take that approach - going to him on an official basis to notify the captain that the situation was deteriorating - then Steinhart would be compelled by military procedure to investigate the matter. It would go into his ship’s log, and be a part of Lt. Jo’s permanent record. That’s precisely what they didn’t need.
Better idea would be to simply get him a different job onboard. B.J. now realized crewmembers were regularly using Garden Center staff to obtain stronger strains of cannabis. Knowing she wasn’t a user, the folks secretly supplementing their cannabis ration had apparently kept it “underground”, she could only assume. Now at least she knew what to look for. She’d been suspecting it from time to time; sure. She just didn’t realize how corrupt things had become. But she did count on one thing. Ozzie was likely aware of who among his special team of engineers working in the Pod Monitoring section was a regular abuser. That might make for a very easy transition. What’s more she figured she could recognize who else might be a frequent “customer” in other important functions onboard; now that she knew what to watch out for. That’s what gave her the idea. Steinhart could switch Young-Min Jo with one of those “burnouts” working in Ozzie’s section. They'd in turn make for a great fit over in the Garden Center - and if Steinhart played his cards right, he'd be able to isolate the problem for the remainder of the voyage. That’s how she’d explain it to him; and that's how she explained it to Young-Min and Shamiso:
"We'll make a trade, so to speak - get rid of one bad egg and stick him where he can't screw things up. Might take a look at the whole crew as well; know what I mean?"
“I do see what you mean, yes. And I like that much better. Thanks,” said Young-Min with a relieved sigh, “I think you’ve got the right idea.” Shamiso agreed as well. This would be so much simpler. “No one’ll want a full inquiry and I don’t either.” If it all played out correctly, those among the crew who were heavy users of marijuana edibles could simply be reassigned to less vital functions and, if Steinhart was careful, maybe some of them would be pleased to have a new job on the ship that might stimulate their minds once again. Whether or not they actually did, was not her concern.
“Yeah,” added B.J. “Let’s try it like that … ‘n hey, even if they piece it together later that they’ve been busted … fuck ‘em. They can all go get high together ‘til we get back home.”
The question remaining was just who else should be reassigned and where they should go – just to make it all look aboveboard. That is, who they could be switched with in other sections; and in what way so as not to cause any lingering resentments. A few "field promotions" and increases in pay grades might be just what they needed to ease it through, she speculated.
“Take some time,” as she put it, “Think it over. Plan it out. Raise a few pay-grades. Shit like that. Sell it to the crew in just the right way so they don't suspect what our true motives are."
"So ... who's gonna do the selling then? You, I'd wager," remarked Shamiso. There was little doubt of that. B.J. would have to have a little chat with 'ole Steinhart. Meanwhile Young Min Jo would have to be kept out of it completely - until his transfer. After that, people could run their mouths all they wanted to. That was to be expected.
"They'll be flappin' their gums; I'm sure of that," B.J. stated prophetically. "But in the long run, just who's gonna bitch and moan when all the burnouts are sittin' around with their thumbs up their asses ... while the rest of us are tryin' to get this crate home in one piece? Am I right?"
Young Min and Shamiso nodded their heads. “Thank God for B.J.,” laughed Shamiso, looking toward Young-Min. He smiled uncomfortably – still worried but figuring his fate was in good hands.
********
And it was. B.J. realized it was time someone did something; knew Steinhart had been tormented about what to do for months. He needed to get all the marijuana abusers away from any vital functions within the ship. This was just the opportunity he'd been looking for and B.J. now had a viable solution.
It took about a month to pull it off. Steinhart and B.J. mapped it out from start to finish. First, they scheduled a big meeting to announce ship reassignments, and some key promotions for several crewmembers. B.J. then worked behind the scenes talking it up to all her pals onboard. She also did a little groundwork beforehand … just to get the crew excited about the upcoming changes. She spent time with her occasional playmates over in the Virch. Told them:
"Hey I got some interesting news - if you can keep a little secret that is," knowing full well they'd blab about it within days (if not hours) to the other people they fooled around with. "I hear the good captain's gettin' ready to give out some promotions and some raises in pay grades. Any day now, is what he's sayin'. So stay tuned; I'll let you know when it's going down, I promise." Then she told them nothing else for the week leading up to the meeting. The rumor mill took over from there, and soon everyone was all atwitter about the upcoming announcements, filling in with speculation of their own.
Meanwhile, she let Captain Stehter handle the difficult part. Namely, she left it up to "the boss" to have a little Schwatz - or chinwag as Shamiso called it - with all the different section commanders. Not surprisingly he started with his most loyal, dedicated crewman, LTJG Oswaldo Guerrero. Ozzie, he knew, could keep his mouth shut. He, if anyone, was someone the captain could rely upon. They met one day when Ozzie was off duty.
"Guten Tag Lieutenant Guerrero," began the captain, as he walked in on the young man working out in the gym. “May I have a word with you please?” The athletic center was as usual completely empty except for Ozzie pumping weights to keep himself in shape. He'd been working the elliptical machine before that, and was bathed in sweat like some boxer training for an upcoming title bout.
"Terribly sorry to disturb your fitness regimen, but I must approach this on an unofficial basis. Are we alone?" continued the captain. Clearly they were, but Steinhart was about to confide something in the young fellow that would have to remain private for the duration of the mission - no one could know of what was discussed. Ozzie was quick to pick up on it, grabbing a towel to wipe off his face. As always he answered bluntly and honestly, just the way a superior officer preferred it. Mincing words or giving vague answers would only make things difficult. Ozzie had learned this from Lt. Kelvin years ago. He knew how to address a ship’s captain; had learned from the best.
"Yes Captain Stehter," he replied without hesitation. "We are. Couple was in here earlier but they did their business 'n left. What can I do for you?"
Steinhart chuckled, noticing the lingering stench. The room smelled a little like sweat and yet still had that familiar odor of sex wafting about. Apparently the young officer had ignored the copulation going on across the room and just proceeded with his workout. This also occurred to Steinhart and made him shake his head with amused disgust. Here was Ozzie simply “banging out reps” amidst all that distraction. What a go-getter.
Ever since hearing about his brother back on Earth leading the Dallas Wranglers to a world championship (assuming "Ranger Guerrero" was indeed his twin sibling Práxido that is), he'd been pumping iron and developing his cardio strength. For what reason, he couldn’t really explain. Maybe the old rivalry between him and his brother had been revived. Maybe it was just because in a couple years he'd be greeting his twin in person for the first time in decades. He probably just wanted to look "buff" going into the big day. To be sure, if he sat around in space for many years in low gravity, his muscles would atrophy and he'd look like "a pussy" as his brother used to say. That said, Steinhart wasn’t there to discuss such trivial things.
"I need to make some changes around here, and I'm in need of your input before I proceed," said Steinhart.
Ozzie towelled off to remove the sweat dripping from his jet-black hair, now running down his temples and neck. He then sponged it out of his eye sockets, so he could focus on the captain's facial expressions. This sounded serious. He knew he'd better pull himself together. Captain Stehter grabbed a nearby weight bench used for "preacher curls" and dragged it over to where Ozzie was sitting.
"Who ... I mean ... what if I were to ask your advice on transferring one of your people - one of your staff that is - over to the Garden Center? Replacing them with someone else of course so that you won't be undermanned." Steinhart then absent-mindedly scratched his chin where the skin was dried out and irritated from the effects of cleaning dust used in the hygiene chambers. "I have just the person in mind,” he continued, “so don’t concern yourself … but I'm uncertain who I should move out of Pod Monitoring. Is there anyone you won't uh ... miss too terribly, shall we say? Again I must remind you this conversation is to remain confidential, verstehst du?"
Ozzie got the picture. Read his captain like a book. The rumors had already made it back to Pod Monitoring by now - that the captain was about to shake up the ship's post assignments - but he never would have figured the captain would be seeking his input! He didn't hesitate with a response.
"Yes sir, Captain, I understand completely. And I know just who I'd like to see move on to uh, greener pastures … if you don't mind the expression."
Steinhart thought about it a moment, then connected the dots. Greener pastures. Like marijuana leaves growing in a garden. He got the joke, and for the first time ever in the presence of a junior officer, he laughed uproariously - throwing his head back, then reaching out to playfully slap the muscled Texan on the upper arm like two old cronies drinking together in a German Bierkeller.
"Jah, das ist ja wirklich ganz toll! Good joke, Lieutenant!"
Ozzie grinned humbly. He'd gone a bit too far, but gotten away with cracking a joke around his captain when the man was clearly trying to be discrete.
"And who is this fine fellow that we are speaking of?" asked Steinhart, still chuckling and trying to compose himself.
"Orem, sir. Ensign Orem. I'd miss him like a bad smell," clarified Lt. Guerrero. "Just tell me where to sign off on it ... I'd love to get that dope-head outta my section." His directness amazed Captain Stehter. Such a mature young man. Respectful and professional, yet brief and blunt. That’s what he needed at a moment like this.
While Steinhart got his composure back - realizing that Ozzie was already two steps ahead of him and presumed that the captain was targeting marijuana users - Ozzie used the opportunity to see who Captain Stehter would be replacing the guy with. He basically knew the answer … just couldn't wait to find out officially.
“Can you tell me who we’re gonna be gettin’ Sir?” asked Lt. Guerrero politely, draping the towel around his sweaty neck. Steinhart was too much of a professional for that sort of a slip-up. Not needing Guerrero's further thoughts on the matter, he shook his head patiently.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll be pleased with my choice. Rest easy my good man. And by the way … keep up the fine work. You're continuing to serve this ship well and it is not going unnoticed … nor is it being ignored in my reports. Look forward to a nice long career with Space Programme when we return to Earth, Lieutenant ... if you so desire it."
Ozzie's eyes brightened. He most certainly did! After that Captain Stehter stood up to leave and Ozzie snapped to attention. He saluted his captain and replied, "Very good sir! Danke schön."
Steinhart saluted him back and answered, "Bitte. Carry on Lieutenant."
And that was that. The next day Captain Stehter addressed the crew and announced his new post assignments. Young-Min Jo was reassigned to Matter Pod Monitoring and Gary “Kinkorama” Orem joined the “Garden Geeks”. Problem solved.
This concludes tonight's podcast of Twin Paradox, Chapter Twenty: Garden Geeks. I hope you enjoyed it. Watch for episode twenty-one; which I'll be posting very soon.
Also, and don't forget, my latest full-length novel ... Deathwalker Colony ... is available right now in E-book format and can be downloaded today on Amazon.com ... along with the first two books in the Rijel 12 Series, The Rise of New Australia and Return of Anarchy. A link to these can be found in the transcript for this episode.
Go online and check 'em out!
I'm King Everett Medlin. Thanks for tuning in.
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