Thick as Thieves 2: Under Your Command

Chapter 10

An hour later, the council had gathered in the Command Centre. Worried chatter filled the room as Jim sat Michael down at the head of the table where everyone had assembled. They all stopped talking and stared holes into him.

"Nice to see you all again." Michael forced a sarcastic smile, sensing everyone's discomfort. He looked around the table awkwardly, taking in the members of this apparently new council. He saw lots of familiar faces: Elisabeth Shannon, Malcolm Wallace, Reilly, Casey Durwin, and a few other colonists he recognised to be shopkeepers, teachers, parents, business owners, or just concerned citizens. None of them said a word. They all looked to Jim curiously.

"Thank you all for coming," Jim said. "It's about time I admitted to you all what's going on so we can discuss what our next move should be."

"Well thanks for finally involving us in your decisions, Shannon," muttered Casey from the other end of the table. "Thought the whole point in Taylor setting up this council was so us average citizens could get a say in what was going on around here."

"I know. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to call you all here. I didn't want to panic anyone, but now Corporal Taylor here has decided to open his big mouth in public, I thought it was time to address you all honestly."

"It's Captain Taylor now," Michael quipped. Jim ignored him.

"I'm sure you're all aware by now that Commander Taylor has..."

"Gone back to the future?" an Australian voice interrupted as a figure appeared at the doors. Tom Boylan. Michael felt a little more at ease to see him here.

Dunham came rushing in after him. "I'm sorry, sir. He insisted on coming in."

Jim sighed. "That's alright, Dunham. Go back to your post. We don't want any more interruptions."

Dunham shut the doors, leaving Boylan in the centre of the room.

"What are you doing here, Boylan?" demanded Jim. "You didn't want to be on the council."

"Well, I do now. A man can change his mind, can't he? Besides, I have a feeling like this is a topic I'll have a few opinions about." He took a seat by Michael, giving him a quick wink. Michael smiled appreciatively back at him.

Jim shook his head and took a deep breath. "Okay. Yes, the Commander is currently in 2150. The rumours about another portal in the Badlands have been confirmed, and this is the portal that Taylor used to get back to the future."

"And before anyone says anything," added Malcolm, "I've already told Jim had I been informed of this plan, I would have reminded them how insane it was given the fact that whatever portal is in the Badlands is highly unstable, not to mention the levels of radioactive contamination in the area. Among other obvious dangers of course..."

Michael noted a few whispers go around the table.

"Malcolm has a point, Jim," Elisabeth said quietly. "Perhaps the council should have been informed before you and Taylor decided to go out there.

"There wasn't time to argue," Jim stated. "And it was Taylor's call. He was determined to go. I tried to change his mind."

"Why would the Commander do that?" Reilly asked. "Just go back to the future with no backup?"

"The aim of the mission was to commence peace talks with EdenCorp, the people who hired The Phoenix Group," Jim explained.

As the noise level in the room started to rise with confused and panicked questions, Jim tried to keep order.