The Time Free Zone. Gregory J. McKenzie
He gave his views on what had happened then was warned that all he had seen was now an official secret. Having been in this situation before, the Investigator knew to say nothing to anyone. He asked for and was granted home leave.
While away resting on his home planet with his life partner Quzax, the Investigator caught up with all his family and lifelong friends. It was good to reconnect with his own species. In truth he quickly forgot about his last mission. When asked about it by those he loved he said in a humorous tone of voice,
"You don't want to know."
Having seen him come back from some missions totally shattered, most of his loved ones gave him some privacy about this last mission. Only Quzax knew him well enough to get him to open up about the stress he had been under during that awful mission.
When he arrived back from home leave, the Investigator was shocked to find himself thrown into a bitter dispute between the military establishment and the scientific community. As the only impartial observer from the now infamous mission he was courted by both sides. There was to be a big Galaxy Central judicial commission of inquiry. All parties including the Investigator had been issued with subpoenas. This GC Commission was going to be held behind closed digital screens. No one except those called to give evidence would be admitted. A full public cyber blackout of proceedings had been imposed by Galaxy High Command.
After what seemed a protracted official inquiry, the Galaxy Central government decided to do nothing. The research material was returned to the Head Scientist. No official censure was issued against the Captain for his highhanded actions on the return trip. The Investigator was merely reassigned to a new investigation after been told to close the file on his last mission. All his mission report material was sealed away in the official secrets vault.
Convinced that he would never have to concern himself with anything to do with this scientific breakthrough, the Investigator tried to put the whole experience behind him. Events would unravel quickly that would make such a vain attempt entirely pointless.
Many routine investigations followed for this busy official. They were not particularly riveting. The Investigator began to wonder if he would remain at Galaxy Central much longer. Sheer habit kept him turning up for work. But he knew that if he were to go to his home planet for another break the chances were that he would not return.
Then the news broke across the galaxy. The cleverest astrophysicist in the galaxy had been awarded a science discovery award. This award came with full funding for future research into the recipient's discovery but it was the prestige attached to it that was the true prize. The Head Scientist was simply named the Professor in deference to his superior intelligence. A whole new branch of astrophysics was been set up to accommodate his discoveries.
The Investigator listened as his digital assistant began reading the discovery's approved scientific details that were approved for release by the Professor's support team. Just like on the galaxy ship he did not understand this 'simple' explanation of the scientific importance of this discovery.
A sudden thought occurred to the Investigator. Supposing that the Professor was not a cyber security dunce. It was hard to imagine that he was not on top of all the latest cyber breach ploys. It would then follow that the Professor just might be deliberately making his discoveries hard to understand. What a cyber criminal did not understand he could not effectively steal.
The Investigator had seen governments leave out crucial data from public releases. This made hacking of useful secrets harder. So it was likely that the Professor was copying this tactic.
Still the science award function at Galaxy Central Dome of Science was packed out. Every astrophysicist in the galaxy attended. Some less than honest species also attended. Cyber security was so strict that all digital devices were blocked and effectively useless within that Dome.
The Galaxy Central Leader made the presentation of the scientific ward to the Professor.
"This award is rarely given. That the Professor comes from my very own solar system makes me very proud. I knew this remarkable scientist when he was a very young. That mind of his has always pushed the boundaries of what is possible in the here and now. Today we acknowledge his latest research findings that will redraw boundaries of astrophysics all over our galaxy. Please welcome the award winner to the presentation booth. I give you the Professor of Applied Astrophysics at Galaxy Central Paniverse."
As he accepted the award some noticed how quickly the Professor's mood changed. He was smiling broadly right up until the moment when the Galaxy Central Leader had whispered something into his ear. Whatever it was came as a big shock to the Professor. He began his acceptance speech without regard to the position of the galaxy's top leader. He said
"I thank the Astrophysicist Academy for nominating my work. If everyone had appreciated the truly staggering leap taken thanks to this research, then they would be less inclined to see as anything but a a major breakthrough. Because fellow scientists that is what it has now become possible despite my wishes to the contrary. I will accept this award for the sake of my outstanding team of research geniuses. But I will not work on any project that takes pure science research out of natural astrophysics."
With that the Professor left the Dome ignoring the Galaxy Central leader and his sycophantic entourage.
The Investigator could not see what all the fuss was about. If the research was conducted on an official mission then of course it was the property of Galaxy Central. This was the law for all galaxy funded scientific missions. The Professor could complain that something was being misused if he was its originator. But he could not pretend that Galaxy Central did not had every legal right to use their own property any way that served the whole galaxy. Meeting up with the Captain of the galaxy ship that had protected the Professor's science ships, the Investigator shared his point of view in a clear concise tone of voice,
"The Professor just made a spectacle of himself. That research is not his private property. "
Nodding the Captain said in an even more censorious tone of voice,
"Yeah that's right. He has to accept that galaxy funding means galaxy ownership."
As the Investigator began to nod in his turn, he saw the Professor enter their recreation area. So he said under his breath,
"Oh no, don't look now but trouble has just walked back into our lives."
This proved prophetic when the Professor stormed up to where the two of them were standing. Before they could even give a greeting the Professor said in an angry tone of voice.
"Well I hope you two are happy with yourselves. You obviously did a good job of betrayal. The Captain here I expected nothing from anyway. But you Investigator? I thought you had some semblance of intelligence. Obviously I was wrong. Those military secret types at Galaxy Central have now locked me out of all the most valuable mission files. My own discovery is being kept hidden away from me. Do any of you realize what you are doing? The future existence of the whole galaxy could be at risk. Without access to those files I cannot make this discovery safe enough even to study."
Of course the Captain was not interested. Military to the core the Captain was one hundred percent solid with the government. But the Investigator saw real concern in the eyes of the Professor. He made a habit of reading expressions. When you are dealing with multiple species every mission this was a vital skill.
The Investigator was certain that this