Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Six: Africa #14

It was a couple days later, and Fox was starting to think he was going to finish his vacation in peace when received a courtesy message from, of all people, Klempke's penal officer. "He knows he doesn't have the right to ask," the officer said. "And I won't say whether you should or not. But he'd really like to meet again, without Green present. I agree about the latter. I'll find a dome off-site for the meeting, if you agree."

He and Nara were sailing on Lake Tanganyika when he got the message. The lake was the second largest in Africa and one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. It was only a couple hours from the refugee camp, so it seemed an obvious tourist destination. They had taken a fishing boat out with a tour guide, but neither of them were really interested in fishing. Instead they sailed the lake, drank, and talked with their guide.

"You don't have to," Nara reminded him.

"I don't," Fox agreed. "But I should probably at least talk to the penal officer. See what's going on." Not wanting to have that conversation in front of the guide, he waited till they were back on shore. Nara headed up to check the tram schedule back to the camp and see if they had time for supper. Fox found a quiet place on the beach and placed a courtesy message of his own.

The penal officer answered promptly. He was in his office, part of his desk included in the holo-projection. "Fox," he opened with. "Good of you to respond."

"I haven't decided about visiting," Fox cautioned. "I was security. Not really his friend."

The officer nodded. "I get the feeling he doesn't have many friends. Other than Green that is. And I'm not sure I'd call him a friend."

"Has there been problems? Between him and Green?"

"If you're security, you saw the trial. I won't tell you our man was innocent, or a victim of circumstance. But that Green, he's a bad influence. An angry man. And yet, he's had a couple of his old companions message him at least. His mother, bless her heart, has offered to visit."

"And Klempke?" Fox asked. "No one's messaged him? Not even his family?"

The penal officer sighed. "He says they weren't close before. They'd rather not acknowledge him now. But it's more than that. I know he's lonely, but I think he's also looking for someone to push him toward a better path. Someone to give him a tiny bit of encouragement. Instead, all he has his Green."

"Crap," Fox said. He knew suddenly that he would have to see Klempke again. "I knew the girl."

The officer blanched. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't have messaged you, put you in this position, if I'd known. Are you close?"

Fox shook his head. "Not that close. But close enough. We got pretty tight with your people in that short time. I'm just saying, I can do it because it's the right thing. But whether I can forgive him, I just don't know."

"It's the toughest part of penal cases, reconciliation," the officer said. "We don't ask others to forgive, but merely to make their peace with what happened. We know our guys have made terrible mistakes, have done terrible things. But sooner or later, they will go back into the world . . ."

"And the world will have to trust them, trust that they served their time and know better," Fox finished. "I get that. And I get that he needs someone to encourage him. He needs to break whatever cycle led him down this path. I just don't know that I'm the one to be doing it. I couldn't take your job for all the world."

They set up a time for the very next day. Fox hoped to have his meeting and get it over with while he still had a couple days of vacation left. The penal officer said he would take Klempke off of work duty for the afternoon, specifically for the meeting.