Last of the Chosen (Spirit of Empire, Book One)

by Lawrence P White

  It was not the proper way to relieve the watch, but it worked, and he didn’t argue. His navigation could be done any time, but with George gone, Ellie and Jake had to keep a fairly constant watch on Resolve. If Mike was out, so was Jake, leaving long shifts for Ellie followed by very brief sleep periods. The work was not hard, but it was tedious, and she had additional demands from her child. Mildred was nanny, not mother. Ellie would allow no one to usurp that privilege.

  After three more jumps in the direction of Gamma VI, Mike ordered a time-out for the crew. His last two jumps had not gone exactly according to plan, and Ellie was clearly flogging herself to keep going. Resolve was in deep space and not threatened by anyone or anything. They could afford a full day of rest better than they could afford mistakes.

  Everyone rested. After a sound sleep, Mike and Jake entered the net briefly to check on the ship’s well being, then they made their way to the lounge. The rest of the crew dribbled in over the next few hours, and for the first time since coming together as a crew, they spent a few pleasant hours together socializing.

  “So who was Mike Carver before he became a spaceship captain?” Reba asked, her green eyes twinkling. “Were you a scientist or something?”

  “Hasn’t anyone told you the story?” Mike asked.

  “Nope. And I’m ready. I’d like to know more about this kidnapping, too. Why did Ellie choose you?”

  “Because they had no one else,” Mike answered with a frown. “I’m an architect and a civil engineer. I own my own company. We had just won a contract to build a large, high-rise casino complex in Reno, and I was on my way to present my final drawings when a Chessori space ship fell from the sky right in front of my car. To make a long story short, Resolve landed nearby in an effort to take prisoners. I got caught up in the fight, we killed all the Chessori, then Ellie shot me with a stunner. While I was out, they transferred Jake to my body. I woke up a few days later in a padded cell on Resolve and got to meet Jake.”

  Reba’s eyes narrowed as he talked. “You mean it was pure chance that brought you here? Were you ever in the military?”

  “I was in the Army for a few years.”

  “Wait, Mike,” Ellie demanded. “I, too, would like to know your story. Start at the beginning.” As an afterthought, she added, “Please.”

  “The beginning. Let’s see. . .” He blinked a few times as he considered where to start. “I grew up on a cattle ranch in Wyoming,” he began. “The ranch butted up against some real mountains, but our land was mostly mile upon mile of wide-open fields. Do you have any idea what life on a ranch is like?”

  “No, but I would like to know.”

  “Responsibility starts early. Chores were never-ending, and my parents held to high standards. The ranch has been in our family for generations. My ancestors on my father’s side immigrated from Scotland and didn’t stop moving until they reached Wyoming. This was back in the days when they still fought off the Indians. I guess they got tired of that, because Dad married one. They met during college. She keeps the house, helps with chores, and manages the books while he oversees everything else. Horseback riding began not long after I learned to walk, and driving ranch equipment and pickup trucks started as soon as I could reach the controls. By fifteen, I was helping Dad fly his plane and helicopter, though none of it was official, and I never got a license.”

  “What did you do with planes and helicopters?”

  “Find our cattle and horses mostly. It was a large ranch, Ellie. I spent many a cold and stormy day on horseback taking care of the livestock, but it wasn’t all work. Hunting and fishing were an integral part of life, often shared with family and friends. I didn’t know it then, but it was a wonderful place to grow up.”

  “I’ve always wondered how people manage to get to school in such remote areas,” Reba commented.

  “I was home-schooled until high school. I grew up splitting my time between lessons, animals, our land, and machinery.”

  “What about friends, and what about sports and stuff?”

  “I had friends, and we had rodeos and such. I’m pretty good on a horse, and I’ve tackled a few steers in my time. We had hobbies, too. I used to build, or rebuild, old radios and televisions. When computers became commonplace, I built my own. Fixing cars became a passion, and when I got to high school, my friends helped me restore an old Ford Mustang. That was the only car I’ve ever personally owned. It’s lying beneath the wreckage of the Chessori ship now.”

  “I’m sorry,” Ellie said.

  “Don’t be. It’s a small price to pay for going into space. Maybe you can buy me a new one someday when this is all behind us.”

  “Maybe I’ll give you Resolve instead,” she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

  “Not unless you fix George first,” he said with feeling. Her lips pursed. They had a long way to go before George could be replaced.

  “Where did you go to college?” Reba asked.

  “Arizona State. I majored in civil engineering and added qualifications as an architect after the Army. As much as I like ranching, I like building things more. The ranch will go to my younger sister, Mary. She stayed and has a family of her own now.”

  “What did you do in the Army?” Reba asked.

  “I was assigned to an engineering battalion as a second lieutenant. I spent four years building temporary bridges for tanks and other armored vehicles, erecting training facilities, repairing roads, and taking care of the men and women under my command. The work was not glamorous, but I was good at it, and I wasn’t one of those officers who hesitated to get his hands dirty when necessary.”

  “I’ll bet you weren’t. Did you see any action?”

  “No. I was an expert marksman in the army, and we did a lot of hunting on the ranch, but I never fired a weapon in anger until the Chessori ship fell from the skies that night.”

  “I hadn’t either, not until I met all of you,” Reba replied. “How about you, Jake?” she asked looking into Mike’s eyes.

  Mike told what he knew about Jake, and Jake filled in the blanks. “Jake refers to his people as the Miramor, though everyone else calls them Riders. He knows very little about others of his race, mostly because they never meet. When they reproduce, the parent fissions into two beings, transferring his knowledge to the fledgling in the process. They don’t like sharing the same body, so they part as soon as possible, never to be in contact with others of their race again. To me it seems sad, but Jake prefers it that way. I’m his family now.”

  >You’re all my family now, Mike.<

  “Oh. Sorry. Jake says all of us are his family now, and since we’ve all shared in the net, he’s right.”

  “Where’s your home world?” Reba asked.

  Jake paused in thought. >You know, Mike, I don’t know where it is. Wooldroo had no memory of it either.”

  “He doesn’t know,” Mike answered.

  “How far back do your memories go?” Ellie asked.

  “He knows a lot of what Wooldroo knew, though he didn’t get the full transfer. He has pieces of memories going back several generations, but nothing beyond that.”

  Ellie sat up straight as a thought occurred to her. “Jake, do you read minds other than Mike’s?”

  “He does not.”

  “This is very important, Jake. One of the attributes of the Chosen is that we never, ever reveal to others what we learn during Testing, at least not without their permission. You and I have been mind-linked on the net. Have you seen into my memories of Testings? And have you, Mike?”

  >What’s this Testing, Jake?<

  >You call it her ‘eye thing,’ and no, I have not attempted to pry. I have no knowledge of any Testings other than our own.”

  “Neither of us has, Ellie. We haven’t tried, but even if we did, it probably wouldn’t work. Can you see into our minds when we’re in the net?”

  “No. I know whatever thoughts you direct my way, and I sense feelings and emotions. Nothing more. It’s not like my Test
ing.”

  “It’s the same for us,” Mike said. Ellie leaned back into the couch, much relieved. “Is it such a big thing?” he asked.

  “It is one of the most fundamental matters of State,” Ellie replied. “The results of Testings always remain completely private. Our system would fail if they did not.” She changed the subject, pointedly. “How did you find your way into the Navy?” she asked Reba.

  Reba sensed Ellie’s need to change the subject and smiled. “It’s not exactly a typical career path for a woman on Earth, and it hasn’t been easy. Nor was my childhood easy on my parents. You may have noticed that I have a lot of energy.”

  “And good looks to go with it,” Mike added with a smile. “I bet your parents had their hands full.”

  “And plenty of sleepless nights when I reached my teens,” she said, smiling at the memories. “I was a handful, all right. I told you my father is Senator Morrison from Maryland.”

  “You did. That must have been an interesting childhood.”

  She turned to Ellie. “Do you know what it means to be a senator?”

  “The Empire has an Imperial Senate. To be chosen as a representative is a great honor.”

  “It’s a lot of work, too, at least on Earth. Some senators keep their families out of the limelight, but my father did not. Mother has been at his side whenever possible, and they dragged me around with them when they could. I can’t tell you how many diplomatic luncheons and dinners I’ve been to. As I got older, late nights at these functions included dancing with people from all over the world. I was quite the socialite.”

  “Where did you live?” Mike asked.

  “Annapolis. I grew up just outside the walls of the Naval Academy. The sea has been a constant throughout my life, and it called to me. Many a weekend was spent sailing on Chesapeake Bay. I’ve been at the helm of some pretty amazing sailboats, but my favorite was a tiny Hobey-Cat that belonged to my family. You and the boat are one with the sea on a Hobey-Cat.”

  “I bet you had good grades, too,” Mike said with a glimmer in his eyes. “Or were you a maverick who didn’t have time for studies?”

  “Straight A’s all the way through. I’ll never know if Dad pulled strings to get me into Annapolis, but whether he did or not, I earned it on my own. It probably didn’t hurt that I knew the commandant, as well. Just one of those social connections, you know?”

  Mike grinned. “No, I don’t know. The life you describe is totally foreign to me, but the academies look at more than just grades when you apply.”

  She nodded. “The Navy looks for leadership as much as it looks for good grades. I was on all kinds of committees in high school, and I was captain of the swim team for a year. I majored in mathematics at Annapolis. They tell me I’m a wizard. I also led the debate team, I lettered in swimming, and I won promotion to Cadet Adjutant during my senior year.” She smiled reminiscently. “For the first time in my life, demands on my time exceeded my available energy. I had to drop out of swimming.”

  “And then?” Mike asked.

  “I completed a tour of duty aboard an Aegis destroyer as a line officer, then received an unusual award from the Navy, an advanced degree. They sent me to Harvard for an MBA. My promotion to lieutenant came with the assignment as aide to Admiral Trexler, a tremendous boost to my career. It virtually guarantees my promotion to Lieutenant Commander . . . well, it did,” she said, wincing. “I had hoped I would get my own ship on my next assignment.”

  “Admiral Trexler struck me as a pretty sharp guy,” Mike said.

  “He’s a sailor to the bone, and he doesn’t hesitate to cross swords with politicians when he sees the need. It’s been revealing to be on the other side of that aisle, I can tell you.”

  “Have you left a family behind?” Ellie asked softly.

  “Just my parents. There have been no serious suitors in my life yet.”

  Mike choked. “You’ve got to be kidding!”

  She smiled at him. “I’m not kidding. Look, I know I’m attractive. I’d be stupid if I didn’t admit it. Do you have any idea what a hindrance that is to relationships?”

  Mike looked at his large, work-hardened hands. “Uh, not exactly. It’s not something I’ve had to deal with.”

  “I have. Most men are afraid of me. I’m not exactly the docile mothering type, you know.”

  “And that’s to our benefit,” Ellie said, getting up to give her a hug. Mike stood as well to embrace both of them. Looking to Otis, he said, “We’ve got a pretty good group here. What’s your story?”

  Otis just growled, returning Mike’s look with that stare cats are so good at.

  “Come on, Otis,” he said, disengaging his arms from around Ellie and Reba.

  “Protectors always stay in the background, Mike. My personal history is not an issue here.”

  “Do you have a family?”

  “I do. My wife is also a Protector. She has returned home for birthing.”

  “Congratulations! Where’s home?”

  “Brodor. Raising our children on our home world is a strong tradition that cannot be broken.”

  Ellie spoke softly. “The timing may have been fortuitous, Otis.”

  He nodded but remained mute, making it clear he had nothing further to say.

  “So what’s life like in the Palace?” Reba asked him, trying to draw him out. “Was there much work for a Protector?”

  “There is too much work, but most of my time has been spent away from the Palace with Daughter. I have protected her for many years.”

  “Away?” Mike asked. “You take a lot of vacations?”

  “What?” Ellie asked sharply.

  “Well, what else? I don’t suppose you’ve ever had to cook or do the laundry or clean a toilet? Have you ever worked at a real job?” he asked innocently.

  “I see,” she said, resting her hands in her lap.

  Uh, oh, Mike thought to himself. He knew this pose well. >I’m in trouble again,< he said to Jake.

  >You think?<

  “You see my life as getting waited on hand and foot, day and night, never lifting a finger,” Ellie stated. She thought for a moment, then stood up and came to stand before him, her hands on her hips. “Let me tell you something, Mr. Carver. I have personally visited one hundred thirty-two worlds as the Queen’s representative, and I permanently resolved serious disputes on each of them. I have quite a reputation within the Empire. I have a job, a permanent lifetime job, which is more than you have right now.”

  Mike caught himself sliding down into the cushions of the couch once again. >Oops,< he said to Jake.

  >Oops is all you can say? Maybe an apology would be in order. There are lots of things I haven’t told you about her. She’s right when she says she has quite a reputation.<

  Mike did a quick calculation in his head, shook his head and repeated the calculation, coming up with the same answer. “Just a minute,” he queried. “You’re not old enough to have visited that many worlds unless my math is wrong.”

  “Which part of your math do you suspect?” Ellie quizzed him, still waiting for an apology.

  “Come on! It would take thirty years to hit that many worlds, and that would be pushing it.”

  “Actually, it has taken many more of your years than that, and I have been pushing it.”

  “No way! You’re not old enough!”

  Ellie took pause and backed away from him, a hooded expression on her face. “How old are you, Mike? And just how old do you think I am?”

  “I’m thirty-five. You look like you’re in your late twenties.”

  “Thank you! I’m flattered. You would be much closer if you quadrupled that guess.” She sat down in a chair to await his outburst. It didn’t come. He was too stunned.

  The silence lasted a long, long while. Ellie broke it. “I come from a long-lived family, Mike. My life expectancy, provided we survive this rebellion, is around two hundred years. Does that surprise you?”

  “I guess it shouldn’t,” he an
swered, shaken. “You don’t look like you’re middle aged.”

  “I’m not. I forgot to mention that years on Triton are equal to about two of your years.”

  He did the math, it was pretty simple, but he did it again anyway. “Four hundred years?” He looked at her with a blank expression.

  “Have you talked with Jake about your own life expectancy?” she asked, looking into his eyes with deep concern.

  >What’s she talking about, Jake?<

  >Sorry. Maybe I should have brought this up sooner. One of the benefits of having me aboard is that I keep your body healthy. The process of doing that slows the aging process considerably.<

  Mike paused, afraid of the answer. >How considerably?<

  >We might have as long as Ellie. Not that I expect us to live that long with this rebellion, but if we’re lucky enough to survive accidents and wars, we have quite a few years ahead of us . . . Careful, Mike! Just sit back and relax! Breath deep!<

  Mike would have fainted without Jake’s help. Ellie was by his side in an instant, concern etched across her face. Reba’s only comment after Mike finished explaining was, “When do I get my turn, Jake?”

  Chapter Eighteen: Feelings

  Reba took to spending long periods in the net. Working with both Jake and Ellie, she worked hard to learn the processes they followed for checking up on the ship. Several months after she’d begun, she stood her first watch alone. Nudging the computers to do their job was not something she could learn without George’s help, but when she found something questionable she brought it to their attention when relieved.

  Reba’s efforts instantly reduced Ellie’s burden. She started eating more, some of the strain left her features, and she started working out in the gym again, usually with Mike or Reba for company. Most important to her, she was able to be a real mother again. Alexis and Mildred emerged from their quarters more often and became regular partners during meals. At least one meal a day was attended by everyone. Otis struggled with the idea of leaving Resolve’s screens unattended, but even he could not argue against the odds of anyone discovering them in interstellar space. Duty was constant, but Reba made certain their lives did not consist only of work.