Aide Memoire
A Thursday Prompt story
© 2024 by Walter Reimer

Thumbnail art by  technicolor_pie, color by  Major Matt Mason

Prompt: journal (special condition, 365 words)

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I am starting this daily record because I feel the urge to begin documenting events somewhere other than entrusting it to an AI. Not out of vanity, but from the knowledge that if I am being targeted, my family may be – and although I hate nearly all of you, you are still my family.

I count on you to avenge me if I do not survive. I pledge that I will do the same, if whoever they are try to get at me through you.

My name is Anulka-Mei Balakrishnan, currently the Terran Empire’s Foreign Minister. Several days ago I received a box containing thirty silver discs and a note that read “We know what you did. Traitor.”

It’s an ancient figure of speech, those silver discs. Traditionally, it’s the payment for a traitor.

I did what I had to do, when the former Lord Protector ordered a Fleet incursion into Kashlanin space to attack their home planet. The fate of all Terrans, not just me, was at stake if anything happened to the Savior’s Tomb on Gwath ka-shlal. It was for our survival as a race that caused me to speak to the subadmiral on Downtime Station.

I did the right thing. Surprising, I know.

What causes me to write this is the question “Who are they?” How much do they know, and how much of it was just an attempt to frighten me. The furs who could have possibly known or suspected what I did are all dead. My Political Officer, ‘M,’ the Lord Protector himself, all very dead.

So, who?

I may have a word or two with the new ‘M’ and see what he thinks of it all, but the thought of admitting that I even subtly tipped off the Kashlani will give him a lever to move me this way or that. I will not be anyone’s puppet; of course, if it gives me an advantage, I might at least consider it.

The box had no address on it, and the discs and note are all untraceable, so at present I have no clue who sent them to me. I will probably have to see if they contact me again.


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