Space Odyssey: Spectre
Chapter 634: Catherine’s Debrief
Catherine was sitting in an interrogation room. It was not the worst one she had been in. In fact the chair she was in was padded, which was a surprise. She was not chained up or restrained. There was a single camera in the corner of the room. There was a metal table in front of her. On the other side of the room was another chair and the door she entered in from is one of those bulkhead doors that seals easily.
Ching!
She nearly jumped out of her skin when the loud metal started creaking and was slowly pushed open. But contrary to her expectations of a burly man walking in. The woman from before stepped into the room.
Or more accurately her head peaked around the door. "Do you want a drink, food, or anything else?" She asked. "The guards were supposed to ask but it looks like they forgot to."
"Umm... no, I am alright." Catherine answered in confusion. "I am surprised I am not being tortured at the moment."
"The Spectre Galaxy Government- that is the temporary and probable permanent name for the new galactic governing body, has a strict policy against overtly torturing someone. With that being said, even if we did need to interrogate you via torture, our expert in the subject would have already done so before you returned to the Spectre Galaxy." Salem explained as she fully moved into the room and pushed the door closed before sitting at the chair across from Catherine.
"Your expert in torture?" Catherine asked in surprise.
"Yes, Jace." Salem answered as she set down three items on the table. She clicked a button and it clearly began recording them. "For the record Cathrine Hex’s first interrogation and initial debrief after being formally handed over to the military. Political asylum in consideration pending an investigation into atrocities and her other crimes. This is Salem Wintry."
Cathrine’s brain was slowly processing the information Salem just told him. His cold demeanor toward her combined with the knowledge that he was considered an ’expert’ in torture. It did not spell a good combination. "May I know a bit more about Jace’s childhood?"
"Are you willing to cooperate and answer all of our questions honestly?" Salem asked. She was looking up from the datapad she was reading off of. It was one of the three items she set on the table. The last one being a cup of juice that she did not recognize.
"If we can exchange answer for answer." Catherine agreed.
Salem thought about it for a few seconds before nodding. "For the record, the gaps in the recording will be during times I answer Catherine Hex’s questions. The gap is necessary since information about Agent Jace is classified." Salem spoke aloud before reaching forward and turning the recording device off. "What would you like to know about first?"
"Was he adopted or did he live in an orphanage the first part of his life?" Catherine asked as she leaned forward. Showing genuine concern that would have touched Salem’s heart, until she remembered this was the woman that abandoned Jace in favor of pursuing knowledge.
Salem cleared her throat. "The full explanation, I suppose I should give you, is that he lived in orphanages until he entered the military academy at Kamot Prime. The orphanage you dropped him off at initially only had him for a short time before he was moved to a less well off orphanage that was in the slums of Kamot Prime. He was moved because he beat some older kids halfway to death because they were acting inappropriately to another child." She took a moment for Catherine to absorb the information. When the woman went to ask another question she held up a hand to stop her and reached forward to start the recording device. "Miss Hex, where are the current whereabouts of your husband?"
Catherine’s eyes glossed over for a moment as she sucked in a breath before sighing. "My husband died a few years after we entered the Milky Way Galaxy. I am not clear on what happened. But we were separated when we initially entered the galaxy and he was captured by pirates. I later learned he had been used to create genetic abominations and the nation I eventually allied myself with had sent a strike squad and killed him because he was being forced to make weapons for rebels." Salem seemed to read over something and nodded. "Umm..."
Salem reached forward and turned off the recording device. "You can ask your question now."
"Are you married to my son?" Catherine asked. Causing Salem to raise an eyebrow. Almost as if she was asking, ’is that all?’
"I am married to your son. Through a marriage ritual that the Xenar set up for the nanosystem." Salem answered and then decided to throw in some extra information. "But he has had many women on the side and many of those have resulted in children. In addition to the three children he adopted during his longest time being stationed at a facility."
Catherine frowned and jumped into another question, forgetting there was a pattern to this questioning. "Did you have any children with him?"
Salem held up a hand and reached for the recording device and switched it on. "Did you provide the foreign galaxy with any additional technology or information?"
Catherine leaned back. "I am going to need a datapad to write all of that information down. But mostly it was technology that was out of grade. They are at least four generations behind on technology and that is only from my view. My understanding is that our galaxy has advanced several generations as well."
Salem nodded and sent a message on her datapad asking for a writing utensil and pad of paper. "I have requested a pad of paper for Catherine Hex to make specific notes." She then reached forward and turned off the recorder but kept her hand on it. "No, I did not have any children with him. I did not have the opportunity after we both evolved into Spectres but we will plan to in the future." She then turned back on the recorder. "Did you commit any atrocities or crimes in the Milky Way Galaxy?"
"You are not asking me about the crimes I committed in this galaxy?" Catherine asked in surprise.
"We already have those ones on record." Salem informed her.
Catherine narrowed her eyes. "How would you be able to verify the truth?"
"You just have to be honest." Salem countered.
Catherine leaned back in her chair. "How about I just write an entire book of my performances?"
"The crimes you committed will be enough. The longer it takes, the longer you are not allowed to have a trial. The longer that takes, the longer you are in prison. You can use the notepad for your lesser crimes. But I would like to know about any major crimes." Salem informed her.
Cathrine seemed to think for a few minutes as she leaned back and looked at the ceiling. "There are some I do know about. But a bunch I did and did not commit. There are entire months, weeks, days, and other periods of time where I lost time." She nervously rubbed her hands together. "I assume the atrocity I committed that is being questioned, happened during one such blackout."
"If that is true, it will be taken into consideration." Salem declared. "We are going to need more than that though."
"I will provide more. But once again, it is not a simple and straightforward short list of items. It includes at least thirty different crimes and then there are the repeats to be considered as well." Catherine insisted.
"Very well, Catherine Hex will record her crimes in a notebook as well." Salem declared before pausing the recorder again. "Ask your question."
"Did Jace... ever have anyone there for him?" Catherine asked hesitantly.
"During his time at his orphanage he did not. He was there for the other children but there was no one to protect him." Salem started and leaned back in her chair. "As far as I can tell, myself and the others at the academy were the first people to look out for him. Not that we did much."
"I... made a mistake." Catherine sighed. Salem left her alone as she seemed to be lost in thought. After a few minutes she spoke up again. "Is there anything I can help with? I was able to chart several Xenar planets and other things that are not on any map during my time."
"Do you have the coordinates memorized or..." Salem asked.
"I do have them memorized." Catherine nodded. "Salem... please take care of my son."
Salem maintained a neutral expression. But there was a flash of longing in her own eyes. How long had it been since she had seen her own family? Maybe she should make arrangements to at least talk to them. She knew they were safe, but that was about all she really knew.