by S. H. Jucha
When the laughter subsided, Alex said, “I’m sure we’ll be able to reason with the Council. As I said, I only intend to stop for a few days at most. After that, we head for home … the Hellébore system.”
Alex had expected some sort of overt reaction to his statement. Instead he received a room of thoughtful expressions. The destination might have been a surprise, but it appeared to be a pleasant one.
“Admiral, do we know the condition of Cetus?” Tomas asked. The Librans knew that the Confederation had lost contact with the Hellébore system six decades ago, after the Nua’ll had invaded.
The conference room’s vid screens displayed the image of a planet from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. The group sat entranced as the images changed every few moments to a closer view in a simple vid show. The planet was magnified several times with each image change.
“Cetus,” Renée whispered, recognizing the planet she had studied for years, thinking it would be where she would spend much of the remainder of her life after her marriage. “How?” she asked.
Eric volunteered the answer. “Before you left for Libre, the Admiral requested Julien design a small probe. Engineers fabricated Julien’s design, and Captain Asu Azasdau visited the Hellébore system, dropped the probe at the outer planet, and returned to New Terra. The probe is primitive, only capable of producing a single image once every two hours. We just started receiving images a few days ago, and Z has been compiling them.”
The group stared at Alex, dumbfounded. He shrugged his shoulders in response, offering his usual asymmetrical grin. “It seemed like a logical destination for us,” he said, “but I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. Cetus’s terraforming was barely a century old, and I needed to be sure the planet had remained viable.”
Attention returned to the vid. The images had continued to march closer, finally entering the atmosphere. The probe made two orbits, gliding just a hundred kilometers above a continental surface on the last pass before splashing into the ocean, but it had done its job. Cetus had continued to green. The dominant vegetation was grass. Trees appeared to be sparse or stunted. Herds of animals, some local and some transplanted, could be seen grazing over the plains.
“From the probe’s slim telemetry, we know that the atmospheric oxygen is a few percent above the colony’s last measured levels,” Alex said. “It would be difficult for New Terrans to be involved in strenuous activities outside of a habitat without assistance. Librans should be fine. But we can cure this quickly.”
“Wait … You have a means of accelerating terraforming, Admiral?” Tomas asked.
“It’s not been used before, but the SADEs and I have an idea we want to apply. We believe we can bring the oxygen levels up to acceptable levels even for New Terrans within a few years, but hold your questions on that subject for now. I wish us to focus on the Hellébore system as our future home.”
“Admiral,” Renée said, “the Council will consider Hellébore as belonging to the Confederation.”
“I’m sure they will,” Alex replied, “but I believe they lost it to the Nua’ll, whom we defeated. In any case, that’s one of the reasons we’re going to Méridien. House Alexander needs to submit its bill for saving the Confederation.”
* * *
The SADEs circulated the images of Cetus along with Alex’s announcement that the flotilla was stopping briefly at Méridien before continuing on to Hellébore.
In the days before departure, the Librans could not reach consensus about accepting Cetus as their new home. Some had lost family on the colony, some doubted the Council would acquiesce to the Admiral’s request, some wondered if they wouldn’t be better off leaving the Confederation behind, and some wondered if they shouldn’t stay far away from that point in space where the Nua’ll had first appeared.
* * *
Senior Captain Tatia Tachenko stepped on to the Rêveur’s bridge. It was 3.94 hours. Miko, who had bridge duty, was surprised to see her senior officer. The flotilla was due to depart in little more than six hours. With Tatia’s permission, Miko took the opportunity to take a break.
After Tatia had been promoted to Senior Captain, several questions had occurred to her—questions she believed Andrea had never asked. One such question was why the officers had bridge duty assignments thirty hours a day, every day, even while docked. Tatia had posed the question to Renée, stating her opinion that Julien was much more efficient than human minders.
“I had thought it an oddity myself, Captain,” Renée had responded. “Until I realized that bridge duty had nothing to do with the ship’s operations.”
Tatia had waited for Renée to continue her explanation, but her Co-Leader had stopped, challenging her to reach her own conclusion. Tatia had mentally reviewed her shifts on the bridge. She had done little for hours upon hours except implant comms with crew and discussions with—her thoughts had abruptly halted. Tatia had regarded Renée, nodding her understanding.
“So every officer, alone on the bridge, gets bored, and every one of them sooner or later starts talking to Julien. We’re keeping him company.”
Renée had nodded in affirmation. “Yes, Captain, never underestimate the bond that exists between those two. I could not conceive of passing even a few days locked in a darkened room … no sound, no vision, no company. Julien was isolated for seventy years, waiting for our rescue.” Renée paused, her thoughts wandering for a moment on what Julien had endured. Then she had regarded Tatia. “It’s quite important to Alex that Julien never be left alone again.”
Now Tatia found it was time to talk to Julien again. She hadn’t been able to sleep. In six hours, she would Captain the Rêveur, and the responsibility both frightened and excited her. “Hello, Julien,” Tatia said.
“Welcome, Senior Captain Tachenko. Today is an exciting day, is it not?”
“Yes, it is. I know that you and the Admiral are very close. And both of you are quite the inventive pair when it comes to saving our behinds. But, Julien, I’m not the Admiral. I will need all of your help to ensure I don’t screw up.”
“I will endeavor to do my best, Captain, to prevent you from screwing up, especially since one is along for the ride,” Julien stated drily.
Tatia chuckled, despite her nerves. “Yes,” she said, “I see your point.” She climbed into a command chair, imagining her future with Alain, with the Librans, with the Admiral.
Julien, observing Tatia, had expected her to leave the bridge when she had completed her request, as she was often perfunctory in her communication. Now he wondered if Tatia harbored unexpressed concerns. “Was there something else, Captain?” Julien ventured.
Tatia smiled to herself. She recognized she was behaving abnormally, and Julien’s prodigious analytical capabilities had probably already identified that. “No, Julien, nothing else. I thank you for our conversation and your future support. Right now, I’m just practicing something I learned.”
Julien watched the Rêveur’s new Senior Captain settle comfortably into the command chair and stare out into space, her thoughts far away. It was a view he knew consisted of a brightly lit arm of the Joaquin Station and a field of stars beyond.
Later, Miko returned to the bridge, and soon after, Captain Tachenko left. Julien thought of Alex as Tatia left. Directly or indirectly, Tatia had learned the real reason for Alex’s standing order to maintain bridge duties around the chronometer. At first, Julien had been mildly insulted when Alex, then the newly announced Captain of the Rêveur, had issued the standing order despite the fact that the Rêveur was a derelict with no power. Over time, as each officer engaged him throughout the quiet hours, Julien began to welcome the company, recognizing what his new friend had done. During a long discussion with Edouard one night while the Rêveur was still under repair, Julien took a moment to be thankful once again for the day that Alex leapt across an expanse of cold vacuum to investigate a derelict.
-30-
M
aria had asked Alex to attend a farewell ceremony planetside, but he had politely refused. Then she had offered a launch ceremony on the Joaquin, and again Alex had refused, replying with the time-honored phrase of a guest at an evening’s end, saying, “It’s getting late, Madam President. We have to get home.”
Maria acquiesced. She wasn’t sure whether Alex wanted to leave while his people were still safe or he was just anxious to get going. Whatever his reason, she wished him a safe voyage.
“We’ll see you within the year, Maria,” Alex said.
“I’m counting on it, Alex,” Maria said, ending their comm.
* * *
The flotilla had secured the contracts of over 4,000 pioneers. The New Terrans, their equipment, and their supplies were spread between the two city-ships. Alex’s family was aboard the Freedom, and he had learned that not only were Eloise and Amelia now Christie’s Libran cosigners, they were also her new friends.
“Should I be worried?” Alex had asked Renée.
“You ask me that? Your sister is partnering with the great-granddaughter of Fiona Haraken and the child that created the Freedom’s runners.” Renée had responded. “When those three reach maturity, our world will either be safe for generations or doomed.”
Alex had heard Renée’s laughter echo down the corridor. He, on the other hand, had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. His hope was that Librans’ cool heads would prevail over his sister’s hot one. Then again, he could be forgiven for not foreseeing the strong ties the three teenage girls would forge.
* * *
At ten hours, Alex sat in the Rêveur’s command chair next to Tatia and signaled Julien for all Captains.
“Captain Tachenko, you have the Rêveur,” Alex said.
“And I stand ready to prevent you screwing up, Captain,” Julien announced proudly.
Tatia’s astonishment was in plain sight, and Alex burst out laughing.
“Was that not the expression you used, Senior Captain?” Julien stated innocently.
Tatia ducked her face into her hands. “I’ll never live this down,” she said, then groaned.
Alex got control of his laughter. “Perhaps not, Captain. Then again, it’s just between friends.”
“Just between friends,” Tatia heard Julien echo softly. It occurred to her that she had joined a very private club, and the thought warmed her.
* * *
Days later, the flotilla exited FTL into the Oikos system. Alex had Julien broadcast a request to the Council that House Alexander’s Co-Leaders wished a meeting. Julien appended a synopsis of the events in Libre, proudly emphasizing the destruction of the Nua’ll ship, the nemesis of the Confederation.
Within hours, Julien received a polite response from the Council’s Administrator that their request would be reviewed at the appropriate time. On sharing the Administrator’s response with Alex, Julien asked,
Tatia’s first question on joining the meeting was whether a response to their request had been received.
“What we received, Captain,” Renée replied, “was a polite non-response. The response with no commitment will come later.”
“What? I’m confused,” Tatia replied.
“It’s the beginning of the Council’s pretense that they are conducting business, without conducting business, Captain,” Renée replied. “The Council expects us to be patient and wait for their reply. When we don’t hear from them, we’ll politely request an update from the Administrator, and he will tell us a reply is forthcoming. This will continue until the Administrator finally sends us the Council’s refusal or sets a meeting as much as a half-year in the future.”
“But we saved the Confederation!” Tatia exclaimed, throwing her arms wide in exasperation.
“Quite true, Captain, but did the Council request you to do so?” Renée challenged in reply.
Tatia had no response to what she felt was an absurd comment. She mutely appealed to Alex, but he wore a benign smile. “So we’re just going to wait, Admiral?” she asked.
“Oh no,” Alex replied. “That’s why you’re here, Captain. We’re going to pay the Council a visit.”
* * *
Alex had no intention of letting the Council control the flow of information about the flotilla. He had Julien send a general message to all SADEs in the system, updating them on House Alexander, the flotilla, and the Librans. Without prior prohibition, the SADEs distributed the message to House Leaders and general comm networks. Attached to the message was a summary vid so that every Méridien could witness the destruction of the Nua’ll ship.
One of Alex’s purposes for the distribution was to ensure their arrival hadn’t created a panic, since the city-ships were unlike anything the Méridiens would have seen before and might too closely resemble the huge sphere-shaped Nua’ll ship. In addition, Alex was curious to see how the general population might respond to their message.
As the flotilla approached Méridien, Julien collected tens of thousands of responses addressed to the Co-Leaders of House Alexander. Many requested business meetings or offered invitations to the Co-Leaders to attend a House function. All were curious to meet the New Terran Leader. On Alex’s request, Julien categorized and summarized the count of the messages as to intent. The only response offered in reply to the messages was Julien’s polite acknowledgement of each message.
Julien did receive one critical message. “Admiral,” Julien said, speaking to Alex and Tatia, who were on the bridge, “the Council’s Administrator has politely requested you halt the progress of the flotilla until such time as a decision is reached by the Council concerning a meeting.”
“Any change in my orders, Admiral?” Tatia asked.
“None, Captain, proceed to Méridien as planned,” Alex responded.
“Excellent, Admiral,” Tatia replied, displaying a wolfish grin.
The Administrator’s message was repeated several more times over the course of the next two days, but hours after the last message was received, the flotilla began dropping velocity to enter Méridien’s orbit.
-31-
Despite their arrival at Méridien, the flotilla still had not received a response from the Council. Comms continued to pour in for Alex and Renée. Julien acknowledged their receipt, and the Co-Leaders remained silent.
After a third day waiting in orbit, Alex decided he’d had enough.
Alex replied.
Julien launched joyfully into a comm conference with the SADEs. Not all of them were enthusiastic participants, but the core—Cordelia, Z, and Mutter—had no problem with a no-holds-barred approach to dealing with the Council. The SADEs were not privy to the Council Administrator’s secure communications, but they did have access to a wealth of mundane data throughout the planet.
It was Z who volunteered a scheme to monitor the Council Leaders’ locations at all times. The plan was to identify when all members, on the same day, commed for transport to the Council Chambers. It was common knowledge that once the Council convened, they would meet for an entire day. It wouldn’t provide Alex much notice, but it was the only workable plan they could devise.
Alex staged the personnel he required for the Council meet
ing aboard the Rêveur. The group was up every morning and ready to travel by 6 hours. After seven days, Julien signaled Alex at 5.15 hours that the Council members were ordering transport destined for Confederation Hall, the site of the Council Chambers.
Hours later, the Outward Bound was dropping speed for a landing at one of Méridien’s premier shuttle terminals. It was the closest location to Confederation Hall, although still twelve kilometers away. Captain Manet had received repeated refusals from the terminal’s controller for access to the landing ways. It occurred to Edouard to declare an emergency, but his Méridien training wouldn’t allow the lie to pass his lips or, in this case, his thoughts. Instead he warned the controller that the Outward Bound was landing, and it would be unsafe not to clear his path.
The deciding point for the terminal manager, who chose to override his controller, was that telemetry indicated the huge shuttle was accompanied by three flights of what the Méridiens had learned were the Admiral’s war shuttles … the Daggers. The manager feared for the lives of the people within the terminal, not knowing what unwarranted actions the Admiral might take.
Once the Outward Bound touched down, Sheila ordered the Daggers to fly cover over the terminal. The terminal manager, observing the actions of the Admiral’s war shuttles, curtailed all flights out of his terminal and diverted all incoming traffic to other terminals.
Alex and company exited the shuttle, and Tatia left six crew members, armed with plasma rifles, to guard their ship. Every Méridien in the group thought the actions were unnecessary, and that included the flights of Daggers over the terminal’s airspace, but Alex’s determined look and his march toward the terminal brooked no comments or questions.
