The Storybook Dimension

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The Weakest Color

Chapter 22: A Matter of Time

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“No way!”

“You can’t…”

“… not Boom!”

The command center was in an uproar. Cruger tried to speak several times, but kept getting interrupted. “Attention! Now, one at a time.”

Sky, who had been silent until then, spoke first. “Sir, why do you think Boom is involved?”

That was an easy question. Cruger was silently grateful that Sky was so level-headed. “There have been two incidents involving information being stolen from our computers. We’ve managed to trace it back to Boom.”

There was a moment of stunned silence.

“Sir, there’s no way that Boom could have done that,” Jack said. “He must have been framed.”

“Yeah!” Syd exclaimed. “Boom was probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I know he didn’t do this,” Bridge added. Sky was watching him closely, weighing every word. “Boom is our friend – he would never betray SPD.”

Cruger sighed. “I don’t like this any more than you, but we don’t have a choice. If Boom is involved in any way, we need to know about it. Securing SPD needs to be our first priority.”

“So that’s it?” Z asked, a little horrified. SPD was supposed to be about justice, not about imprisoning innocent people. This definitely wasn’t what she signed up for! “We’re just going to keep him locked up like some criminal?”

“It’s likely that Boom is being manipulated, probably by someone close to him.” Kat finally said. “Now that he’s detained, maybe the real traitor will become careless.”

“And what happens if they don’t?” Bridge said, speaking the fear on everyone’s mind. “Become careless, I mean. Because we’ve all been trying our best, and we haven’t caught them yet.”

“We will catch the real traitor,” Cruger replied. “It’s only a matter of time.”

Bridge briefly wondered how much of that confidence was real and how much was an act. Maybe the Commander knew more than he was letting on? ‘No,’ Bridge reasoned. ‘If he knew anything, it would be me in that cell instead of Boom.’

“Bridge, you’re closer to Boom than any of us. Have you noticed anything?” Cruger asked. “Does he have any new friends, or has he said or done anything strange?”

Bridge answered as honestly as he could. “No, sir. I haven’t noticed anything — he’s been pretty much the same as always. Well, maybe he’s been a little more stressed out than usual, but everyone kind of is.”

“That’s true, cadet.” Cruger said thoughtfully. “I’m sorry, rangers. But for now, this is the best option. Unless there’s anything else, you’re dismissed.”

—-

“Sir?” Sophie looked up from her console. “Supreme Commander Fowler is on the line.”

Cruger groaned. How did he find out so quickly? Kat was right – bad news really did fly faster than light! “I’ll take it in my office.”

Returning to his office, he sat down at the desk. Taking a moment to compose himself, he pressed a button, and Fowler appeared on the viewing screen.

“I hear you’ve finally detained a suspect,” Fowler said. The way he said it implied great negligence on Cruger’s part.

Cruger ignored the insult. Fowler enjoyed needling him, probably hoping that Cruger would lose his temper and do something rash. It hadn’t happened yet. “Yes, but we believe there are others involved. Boom is an easy scapegoat, but the investigation is ongoing.”

Fowler frowned. “You’re letting your personal feelings cloud your judgment, Commander,” he said disapprovingly. “Don’t look so surprised. It’s well known that you and Dr. Manx are close to the suspect.”

“My feelings have nothing to do with it,” Cruger countered. “Boom is not the traitor – he doesn’t have the skills or the motivation.”

“Are you sure, Commander?” Fowler asked. Cruger’s silence was all the answer he needed. “I suppose that it doesn’t concern you that this whole incident has been a publicity nightmare for SPD. “

“My only concern, Supreme Commander,” Cruger said. “is the welfare of Earth.”

Fowler ignored him, continuing as if he hadn’t heard. “Do you know what our enemies are saying? They say that SPD, the most powerful police force in the galaxy, is so incompetent that we are unable to secure our own bases. And worse, powerful people, important people, have begun to listen. What will you do, Cruger, when they strip you of your command and turn the defense of Earth over to, say, the Newtech Police Department?”

“That will never happen,” Cruger growled.

“No, it won’t,” Fowler said flatly. “A special task force has been sent from Galactic Headquarters to collect the prisoner. They will arrive tomorrow, and I expect your full cooperation. The traitor will be tried by an intergalactic tribunal, and you will be permitted to continue your work.”

The Supreme Commander of SPD gave a sharp salute. “Goodbye, Commander.”

“Supreme Commander,” Cruger acknowledged distastefully, returning the salute.

Fowler blinked out of existence.

—

Boom sat inside his cell and stared dejectedly at the floor. His prison was one of the few isolation rooms, reserved for particularly dangerous or unruly prisoners.

He didn’t think of himself as dangerous. Well, Kat might disagree with that, but he had never done anything illegal, certainly nothing that would get him arrested and confined! How could anyone believe he could have done all of those terrible things?

“At least my parents aren’t here to see this,” Boom thought, biting back a sob. After all, they still thought he was a ranger.

Clank!

Boom nearly jumped out of his skin as a guard rapped her baton on his cell bars.

“Traitor!” The guard hissed. Boom knew many of the cadets, but he had never met this one before. “You’re worse than the Troobians; you betrayed your own planet. People like you don’t deserve to live!”

Boom backed as far away from the cell door as he could. There was something scary about that cadet, a cruel light in her eyes. If she had her way, Boom realized with a shiver, he wouldn’t make it to any sort of trial – and many of the other cadets probably felt the same way.

“Leave him alone!” A familiar voice said. Standing outside of the room, Syd had heard enough.

“Yes, sir!” The guard returned to her post and stood at rapt attention.

Syd glared at her. “Well, what are you still doing here? You’re dismissed.”

Already in enough trouble, the guard saluted stiffly and left. She wasn’t going to argue with a superior officer, but she couldn’t understand why a ranger would stand up for someone like that.

Now that they were alone, Syd turned to Boom. “Boom, are you okay?”

“Not — not really.” He wiped his eyes on his sleeve. He didn’t want anyone, not even Syd, to see him cry. “You have to believe me, I didn’t do it!”

“Boom, it’ll be okay,” Syd said. “None of us think you did it. We’ll prove it wasn’t you. You just have to hang in there.”

Boom nodded. “ I’ll try, Syd. I really will.”

—

For the rest of the day, through two training sessions and a battle in the city, Bridge was unusually silent. He spoke to his other teammates only when he had to, and he didn’t speak to Sky at all.

For the most part, people left him alone. Whether it was out of respect or suspicion, Bridge no longer cared. Most people, particularly the cadets who didn’t know him, seemed to feel a combination of both. Everyone knew he was friends with Boom; even Sophie was tiptoeing around him.

Sky, on the other hand, practically oozed suspicion. Bridge couldn’t ignore it or block it out, so he tried to stay as far away from him as possible. However, since they shared a room, there was no way to avoid him.

“You weren’t covering for Boom, were you?” Sky asked, finally cornering Bridge. “Because it would explain a lot.”

“He didn’t do anything,” Bridge said. “There’s nothing to cover for.”

“You seem awfully sure about that,” Sky replied. “I mean, even Cruger has doubts.”

“I know he didn’t do it,” Bridge said quietly. “I don’t need proof, he’s my friend.”

Sky looked a little ashamed. “Bridge, last night — I didn’t mean…”

Bridge cut him off. “Yeah, you did. And I deserve it, I guess. But you — you don’t trust anyone, no matter what. That’s why everyone thinks it’s you.”

—

To Be Continued

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