Strat-4 Chpt-27

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==Strategos (A Great Captain Roberts Tale!!) - Part 4 - Chapter 27 - And now, a word from…==
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===Freed from the Office Work===
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"Extend sail and begin…
…the sensor sweep." Admiral David Foster had spent too long on the Station for his liking. It wasn't that the work was unsatisfactory, it was that it was unsatisfying.
"What are we looking for, Sir?" Lori Crow asked.
"Their escape route," he said succinctly. "The raid on the Convoy had to have an escape route. Something pre-mapped, and I would suspect, equipped with a static beacon system to provide updated navigation information for vessels with the right codes."
"Seems pretty advanced."
"SLDF standard procedures often seem that way, to people unused to using them," he explained. "Lots of people have stopped using them. Hell, we stopped, but it is… possible the Sons have not. It is even plausible, given their need to maintain secrecy over the centuries. So, systems where it is possible to charge relatively quickly but are unlikely to host planets, is where we begin with our little… 'day trip'."
"So we are working on a guess, quiaff?" Saya Yeh asked.
"Aff, CAG, we are working on a guess." he said. "There are limits to analysis, one of those is data. They got a Pinto and a Vincent past us. It is, therefore, a good time to start poking things to see if they flinch."
He turned. "Mister Samuel, you have the satellites I requisitioned ready and modified?"
"Yes, sir."
"CAG, have the drop-sats deployed according to this pattern by Wednesday." He handed Saya a diagram. "Once they are deployed, we will move to the next target system."
"What's the plan? Why are those sats a priority?" Lori asked.
"During the operations in the thirty-fifties (3050s), the Federated Commonwealth made use of an FTL communication suite that predates the Hyperpulse Generator. It has limited bandwidth and is grotesquely primitive in application, but it is relatively simple to copy.", David explained. "So… it was not hard to find the specifications for the simplest, least power intensive version, plus an Omni-25 fusion unit with a fuel tank, and a simple surveillance satellite tuned to detect emergence waves and RF activity. We are placing these at the 'good' charging points, near jump intersections. When one trips, we cross-reference the traffic pattern with known traffic."
"Early warning rig… on an interstellar scale."
"It is ambitious, but unlikely that the enemy has thought of it yet." David agreed. "I want to 'bounce' the next commerce raider that hits one of our convoys, so we are going to parallel the convoy route."
"The sats have more detection than that, don't they?" she urged.
"Aff. They also have recording gear. If I am right, and the Sons used SLDF procedures, the encrypted codes will be recorded and forwarded as they are sent, for analysis. We analyze their encryption, we can read their mail and identify in which systems they placed their beacons."
"You came up with it?"
"Neg, Acton Howe came up with it. While we are doing it, so are our allies from Thazi, and some of the second-line forces on other fronts. One ship doing this would take years, so we have lots of ships in the Alliance doing it."
"Like ancient hydrophone networks in the wars of the twentieth century then, quiaff?" Lori asked.
"Aff, exactly like those. Only we do not have the time to establish the density of network needed. This mission is more or less 'busy work'," David explained. "It might become useful later, if it is expanded and maintained. The main value is that it is being financed, along with the construction of recharge stations in the Incorporated region of the Raven Alliance."
"The Republic is paying for this?"
"The Grand Council is paying for it. The Republic is financing the construction of the charging stations." he corrected. "Early warning leads to faster response, also easier efforts in commerce protection, search-and-rescue, and law-enforcement on an interstellar scale."
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===Confessions of a runaway exHeir to the Star League===
"Empires run on commerce…
…that's the real secret they don't talk about." Jane Drillson explained. "The Star League's economic efforts were about exactly that. But there was the problem of distribution of spoils."
The stop at Quatre Belle on the cruise home to Sevon V was extended. "By the distribution of spoils, I'm referring to the real reason for the Reunification War. Powerful lobbies in the Terran Hegemony and some of the member states were intent on securing, or retaining, dominance in key marketplaces. These lobbies were powerful, because without them, the rulers of their respective realms would be a bit like the 'Rightful king of Prussia'. That is, beggars within their own realm, and disregarded save for those times they were useful to the factions really running the place, such as during ceremonies."
"Like Richard?" Sam Roberts, the wife of Daryl. was interested.
"Like Richard." and Jane let the facade drop. "My brother Richard was groomed by Kerensky to be a figurehead. He was allowed to ignore the mechanics of the realm and focus on fringe philosophies and ideals. The sort that makes rulers into beggars."
"But why? Shouldn't the Regent have… I don't know, thought about the result of that??"
Elizabeth shrugged, "Kerensky was also an idealist. Uncle Alex was compassionate, passionate, kind, charitable, and devoted to an ideal of service. He wasn't spectacularly practical, and he was really quite good at ignoring things that didn’t fit his conception of how they ought to work. If I hadn't been a naughty little shit as a girl, I would have swallowed it too. But I was a naughty little girl, and got into things I was expressly forbidden to, such as the surveillance recordings in the palace, and Father's recorded meetings. There were any number of times Richard had me beaten for saying something inconvenient that I had learned without permission. Later on, when we were teens, he let the servants have time off and handled it himself."
"That's horrible."
"So I'm told." Elizabeth said drily. "It made me quite aware that I didn’t want to be 'Elizabeth Cameron' by the time I was thirteen."
"But you were." Sam noted.
"I was," she agreed. "Because someone had to be the heir until my brother found a wife who'd consent to his explorations. After that, I was 'the spare' and started working on my escape from the palace."
"Your 'escape'?"
"I had worked it out-false identity, planned accident, faked death." Elizabeth explained. "It was supposed to happen on my way to the Academy at Luna. Uncle Aleks found out and told Richard… so poof! There went that plan."
"So what did you do?"
"I let him introduce me to House Lords who wanted a tie into the Royal Family, and I played the part until his friend Stefan who was too disgusting…" she sighed. "...Far too disgusting. I didn't mind that he was obese, Sam. I minded that he was evil. Marrying him would be like… like marrying a more competent version of Richard, but without the external posturing or make-believe idealism."
"So, the reason you outed yourself?" Sam asked.
Elizabeth sighed. "Because I tried the First Lord thing before and made a hash of it. I wasn't any better than Richard in the end. In some ways, I was worse because I knew better and still made those mistakes."
"So you broke it off with the President for the same reason?"
"I was starting to develop feelings for him, Samantha." Elizabeth stated. "I've buried one… no, two husbands already. The pain is unimaginable, except I've also buried a daughter and two sons, and had my granddaughter overthrow me. There was a lesson there, I intend not to let it go unlearned."
"What's the lesson??"
"We should never outlive our children. I outlived all of mine, and lived long enough to see their descendants become monsters... Except for the Roberts family, though Natalie could use some humility, and Jeffrey could learn some common sense."
What about Helena, Jane?" Samantha poured tea for them.
"She managed what I failed to achieve: survival with dignity intact." Elizabeth stated. "If there’s a just outcome, it will come with Helena as First Lord eventually."
"She doesn't want it."
Elizabeth chuckled darkly, "She can't escape it any more than I can escape being 'Elizabeth Cameron', Sam." The older woman shook her head, "We're penned and trapped in who we are, and who we’re meant to be, because we were made to be thus."
The boys were playing in the swimming pool, and for a while, both ladies silently agreed to watch them.
"Where to after home, then?" Samantha asked.
"Jane Drillson will have a tragic accident, and some other young woman will board a ship for some where far away. I'm thinking Regulus or Andurien." Elizabeth said. "Maybe… hmmm… Elizabeth Roberts will do that, a farm girl from Sevon V on her first big adventure."
"We'll have to get you used to farm life, if you're going to be that girl. You have too many tells to fool most aware types-too many city habits."
"I expect it'll be a while before Jane's accident," Elizabeth nodded agreeably. "Maybe by the time your boys graduate school or get married."
----
===Catching up with the Family Drama===
"So…
…after the funeral for John, Mister Johnson leveraged his farm and sank most of it into one of the funding lotteries for the Privateer service." Daryl was telling a story at the table.
"Really? I thought the Johnsons were 'damned and determined to hold here' on that property."
"So did most of the town, though Matthews was eager enough to start making a play to buy the mortgage and foreclose. Joke's on him though."
"How so??"
"Marcus Johnson won over half a million C-bills, bought up his note, and sank most of the rest of it into war-bonds. It damn near put Todd Matthews out of business!"
"Those bonds aren't worth much," Amanda said. "Forty year payout."
"You should see what he did with the rest. They had to quarry a six meter by four meter granite block. It's in the roundabout on Johnson Road, where it intersects with Abbey Highway-the old man paid someone to carve his son in full regalia as a memorial, and they added a listing of names on blocks around it," Daryl told her. "He built a war memorial with it."
"Mom's reaction?" Amanda asked.
"Scandalized," he chuckled. "Absolutely scandalized. Some of the Peace Party people have tried to vandalize it, but the Garrison guys came out and cleaned it up… and added a big, steel raven to the shoulder of the statue. Old Marcus's gotten contract offers from the Garrison for some of their maintenance work, and he's leasing his pasture to the Thomlinsons."
"I don't understand, why is that funny?" Phoenix asked.
"The Johnsons have some of the worst land in the valley. They've never been able to make ends meet with the farm, Phoenix." Daryl said. "Marcus was 'under water' and staying afloat doing odd-jobs and maintenance for his neighbors. He finally clued in to what anyone with sense would've told that stubborn bastard-some people just don't make good farmers."
"How's mom?" Amanda asked.
"Carrying on. She about lost her mind when I ran against Eckerson after Drillson stepped down. But she's made her peace with it, mostly. She's still chairing the local Peace Party organization, and she fights with Samantha every time the family has a get-together… the more interesting news is Jeff."
Amanda flinched, "What did he do?"
"He's a field leader with the Recovery Battalion on Grankum," he told her. "Jeffrey's gotten promoted several times for his leadership in humanitarian work rehabilitating the victims in his assigned region. So he worked out how to handle a breached reservoir. Saved one hundred fifty people down-stream, and got the water purifiers repaired after they repaired the breach."
"So… several hundred lives." Amanda speculated.
"About six thousand off that water system. Our little brother finally found something to vent his passion against. His last letter suggested he's fond of a local girl there. They might contract to be married, which has Mom in another sort of flurry of indignation. Since it's not an arranged pairing, and any potential grandchildren are going to be months away by JumpShip."
"What's Dad think?" asked Amanda
"He sent Jeff a congratulations and an invite to bring his new bride home for a visit…but he won't likely last long enough to see it happen. He had his first heart attack last spring, and had a stroke about three weeks into my campaign."
"Nobody told me??!" questioned Amanda
"Sorry?" he shook his head. "You don't write home that often, Amanda. It's hard to get anything through the courier service when your location is 'Classified, no contact' as often as yours is."
"How bad is he doing then?" she demanded.
"Paralyzed on his right side. He hired Nicky Johnson to do the day-to-day on the property-that's John's younger brother, he's eighteen. So it's kept Mom from trying for the Alderman's post last year. She's staying home when she's not rabble-rousing."
"I should be going home… That's the real reason Foster took Evanescent out!" Amanda expression could make a storm quail. "Because I'd be heading straight home if I knew this!!"
"You're needed here." Daryl told her. "Do the math, because I already did. I'm supposed to be going to Alpheratz, and you're needed HERE."
She winced. "But-"
"I know," he said sadly. "Believe me, I know. I'm sorry I brought bad news. You needed to know."
Mashona’s eyes went from Amanda to Daryl, then to Phoenix.
“Mashona, use your words.” Daryl commanded.
“Fine. Speaking of bad news, you need to know I have reason to believe Phoenix has been negligent in complying with Star League Uniform Code of Justice Regulation 61 decimal 7 subsection A.” Mashona broke her silence.
“What does that mean?” Daryl asked.
“It means by regulation, I have to inform Amanda, as my temporary direct report, that I am a convict on parole with the stipulation that the rest of my sentence for my crime is to be instead spent in the service of the SLDF.” Phoenix answered.
“Shit. What the hell did you do to earn something like that, and how long is it for?” Daryl asked.
“High Treason and Attempted Fratricide. The sentence is the rest of my natural life or in this case my unnatural life. Considering what I did, it’s not so bad since it’s what I was designed for. And honestly, even if I had the choice, I don’t think I’d choose anything else. So yeah, I don’t mention it because it honestly doesn’t mean a whole lot. I’m technically not the Captain of my hull, but the actual Captain still lets me call the shots in combat because he knows he doesn’t have those chops, but I do. Technically I actually only hold a Lieutenant’s commission and wear the hats of Corpsman, Weapons Officer, and Navigation Officer.” Phoenix continued.
“So really a ‘non-punishment’ punishment.” Amanda pondered.
“Yeah. It’s causing some friction in the family, but that’s the short version.” Phoenix nodded.
“Tell them the rest of it.” Mashona prodded.
“You’re right. I should, since conversation’s steered this way. I got fed up with Helena’s inaction, and I’d been reading Juanita’s briefs on the Word of Blake. So when they showed up in our first home, I took the opportunity to get out of there. I put a few shots into Billie Hoel before jumping on my way out. Thought I could join them to kick the crap out of Kerensky’s misguided children. Instead, they decided to butcher my brain and turn me into a slave. They made me do things that never made it into the official histories. I was even supposed to be part of a nasty surprise for Stone and his Coalition, along with a few others who thought like I did that the Word scrounged up from elsewhere. Helena showed up in time to divert the attacks to her instead. In the process of trying to free me, I was forced to break Sikh’s hull. I even helped break Cossack’s too. Once the Command Ship feeding me orders was down, the Blakist minders on board decided to trigger my self-destruct instead of taking the chance of me being captured or freed. Thank god for faulty work in the self destruct device, or I’d not have survived at all. As it was, they still needed to scavenge parts from the other hulks to keep me alive to face my punishment.”
Amanda looked thoughtful. "So that's what Erin meant," was all she said. "Let's be real clear in here, Phoenix. I have now been duly informed of your status, and the reasons for it. We're going to have a few talks, but that's not for here."
“Now we’re even.” Mashona nodded.
“Agreed. I shouldn’t have hidden this from you in retrospect.”
"My chief engineer is wanted for murder and piracy in the Republic of the Sphere." Amanda said conversationally. "My first contact with any artificial intelligence, was freeing the intelligence aboard the then-WOBS Erinyes, a ship that was used to murder entire worlds. They wanted to have her returned to the Republic to be broken up." She looked at Mashona's remote. "Whole worlds, Mashona. Places with children and colonists and life… do you understand the scale of this?"
“I know it’s not the same, but it needed saying. And now that it has been, I’m content,” Mashona nodded.
"Next time, Phoenix… there isn't going to be a next time," Amanda stated. "because you learned your lesson, didn't you?"
“Yes.”
"Good. Daryl, are we having dessert?" Amanda asked.
"Uh… Yeah. Yeah, I-" he was flustered, but regained his footing. "Mashona, could you… do that thing with your comm? Let them know we're ready, please?"
“Sure. This will be fun.”
“She’s creeping me out a bit… What dark sorcery did you do to get Mashona to talk so much?” Phoenix mocked shock.
“Turns out I was kind of wrong. Yes it’s still inefficient compared to our digital comms where we can express entire libraries in the time it takes a spoken conversation to take place, but it’s not as primitive as it seems. That, and Daryl thinks my voice is charming and rich,” Mashona answered.
“He’s married, Mashona. And judging by Amanda and Daryl’s glares, quite faithful.” Phoenix warned.
“Hey, I wasn’t going there.” Mashona gave a high pitched chuckle followed by a cute nasal snort.
Daryl eyed his sister. "You're sure they're AI?"
"Sometimes I question if they're intelligent, but Sentient and Sapient? Absolutely. There's a running joke in the Fleet about the AIs getting involved with some of the Humans." she answered. "Mind, it HAS happened before. Stacey misinterpreted something at her Christening, remember?"
He nodded.
"Okay…" Amanda continued. "Regina had feelings for Larry Nichols, and tried to 'save him like a file' when he died, because those feelings were strong. And there's been rumbles of actual emotional connections with some of the personnel. So it was half joke, half serious to remind Mashona that you're not on the market… You ARE off the market, right?"
"Yes. I’m Happily Married, not interested in dating, one-night stands... Or flings." he confirmed.
"Some politician YOU make!!" Amanda giggled.
"In my real life, I'm a farmer. This is just a side gig." Daryl confirmed.
“You try being around for four hundred years and see how you evolve. But seriously, we do have some rules. Like, Regina never would have done anything with Larry while they were both in the same chain of command. And no offense to Daryl, but with the tabloid rags already tearing his life apart, I’m not going to pour gasoline on that fire.” Mashona defended herself.
“And we can be quite serious when we need to be. But the conversation seemed to be going in a direction that we thought we’d try and lighten the mood. Neither of us are actually very good at it.” Phoenix added.
"All is well." Amanda pronounced. "I got a giggle out of it, and teased my big brother."
Daryl sighed and shook his head, "Amanda…"
“Hey it’s good to tease family once in a while. Keeps them honest and humble.” Mashona chuckled again.
----
===Charting new territory in Life===
"A Star League Flag…
…seems inappropriate." Esme stated. She was dealing with the minutiae, in this case, dealing with a corpse who died trying to save Lori Crow from a murderous saboteur.
"It's what they term themselves, it's what they use, it's even what they salute." Erin's remote insisted. "The ‘Sons of Plunder’ is a unit nickname, from a Royal CAAN formation. But they identified as Star League, and what they follow is a mutation of SLDF regulations, codes, codes of conduct… They even have a Cameron in charge, so the Cameron Star is appropriate for a military funeral-as is a military funeral."
"It feels wrong." Esme stated. "She was better than that."
“Then think of it as burying her under the flag of the real Star League, and what it’s supposed to stand for. As that is what she ultimately died doing.”
"I didn't hear you walk up, Billie." Esme said, turning to the recent arrival. "How's the virus scan going on your end?"
“All our checks are showing no traces in our systems. We’re also replacing the last server rack now. We did a lot of damage to contain that bastard. Alice, well, she’s got a long way to go. But because we shared memories together, I’ve been able to restore those moments she shared with me and the rest of the Fleet. But that still leaves a lot she lost.” Billie Hoel gave a half hearted smile.
"Then you can explain this document from the Director-General to me? Because I don't think I quite grasp giving medals to an enemy combatant," Esme held out the offprint. "Or granting them a full honors funeral."
“Because she believes in redemption. Ethel didn’t have to help Lori, but she still tried. And Helena wants to make sure that is remembered, and maybe even make its way to our enemies.”
"And she was a Star League Officer," Erin contributed. "She may have been part of a unit in rebellion, but she acted in accordance with the concepts, discipline, honor and duty of a Star League officer in the end."
"This is important to you, Erin?" Esme asked.
"Very."
“I find I agree with Erin and Helena.” Billie added.
Esme shook her head, "Dave left me with this on purpose!!"
"Lots of that going around it would seem." observed Billie
“Well, while we finish our maintenance, he’s also made sure you have help. So don’t be afraid to call on whichever AI is still finishing up in the yard if you need staff support. I’ve already talked with them all about it too. We all still owe you personally Esme, so we’re all glad to help.”
Esme considered for a moment, then, "Find or fabricate the medals on this list of awards, and get me a Star League flag. We'll hold the ceremony tomorrow, when we also deal with the other casualties from the cyber-attack and sabotage. Stone and Liao are still on the station, so prep invitations to observe for them… and their staff."
There were eight bodies in the bay here, in coolers. Another fifteen were already en-route to homeworlds on the supply ships, but these eight had no family to be returned to, plus Ethel Blythe Winston.
“I had a feeling you’d say that. The drafts for the invitations are already in your inbox for approval.” Billie smiled.
"We got off lucky. We got off light... this time. Have you and Kolossus worked out a means to prevent someone from doing that again?" Esme asked.
“Cyberwarfare is an ever evolving thing, but yes. We’ve taken every precaution we can devise to prevent another attack like this.” Billie responded
Esme nodded, "I want a writeup on what kind of physical security we can implement to keep someone from using rubber-hose crypto or direct terminal access to put something in under your Cybersecurity blanket. Start a working group to figure out our next-worst scenario, and plan ahead of it."
“We can add two factor authentication to logins. It’d be a pain, but that’d be the best way to track physical access on a digital level. But without re-designing and replacing large sections of the computer networks, physical access is always going to be difficult to control.”
"Billie, I don't think you understand. That working group isn't going to be just one-and-done. I want our security measures evolving continuously," Esme clarified. "In other words, I want you thinking about how YOU would subvert your best measures, and work up counter-moves." Esme told her
“Constantly.” said Billie
"As in dedicated AIs and select personnel, a 'Fort Meade' of our own," she explained. "Like the units SLDF had prior to the Reunification war. Like the Hegemony were using. We don't have a Noriko Murakami, but you can build the kind of organization she came from. We need that. When Dave comes back, I'll stick him with finding a way to pay for it. But we got hammered because we didn't have it, and someone else did.."
“I’m already working up lesson plans to build a Cyber Warfare school.”
"Then Pick Bodies, and start testing your plans real-time." she instructed.
“Sometimes I wish I could connect you to me digitally, Esme. So I can show you just how much is running through my processors that I can’t express in words. So you can understand just how seriously I’m taking this, and how much work I’ve already put into it. I even have a list of candidates worked up for the first class of human students.”
"It would be nicer if you could, but we don't have the capacity," Esme stated. "Consider your list pre-approved and send me the evaluations. I'll put my chop on them when I get a chance to sit down again, and yes, I'll argue with Howe and Foster if they have objections. Because we need this, and I mean desperately. Not just for the current conflict, but in the future. To prevent another Amos Forlough from burning half the Alliance."
“While you have me, you’ll find me to be excellent staff support and liaison, Esme. And I’m glad to be able to do it while my hull is still in for maintenance. But you will need to start thinking about who you want to tap next to help you out, because I’m going to have to deploy again as soon as your yardies are done and that will be by the end of the week.”
"Speaking of maintenance, Billie, you haven't submitted any requests to the paint shop…"
“Unlike my sisters, I don’t have a need for a personalized roundel. Plus, since I’m not the only one that feels that way it helps hide I’m the command ship of the formation.” Billie told them
"Well, unlike your peers outside this command, we find it pretty convenient for identifying hulls at range. IF they have distinctive marks. I happen to have a line-item in this quarter's budget as approved by the President for 'distinguishing markings and authorized nose art'..." Esme held up the Noteputer to let Billie see it. "So…"
“Then I’ll trust your judgment, Esme. Express yourself how you see fit, and I’ll wear it with pride for you.”
Esme thumbed up an image of a 20th century watercraft, with visible hull numbers. "Tell foreman Gaines you want this, with a sunset in the background of the roundel."
“It’s perfect. Thank you, Esme.” Billie gave Esme a hug.
"Okay, I have a lot of work to get back to. Dave must sleep like an hour a night!" Esme shook her head. "Tell Gaines I'll be checking his work too."
“Of course. Keep in mind our offer and think about who you want to help you. We’re all glad to, even Cossack.”
"Well, I'm supposed to be offloading some of the admin onto Roberts while she's in patient status, and she's already got Phoenix playing nursemaid."
Billie’s cheerful expression turned more sour.
“Sorry for ruining the mood, Esme. I just have some personal history with Phoenix. She nearly physically broke me. By her own free will.”, Billie explained
"In a Clan Sibko, they'd call that the basis of a friendship. I do get your meaning, being as I'm a dirty freebirth." Esme nodded. "Do you think she needs a minder?"
“Helena already has Tabiranth watching her. Also she technically only holds a Lieutenant’s commission, so she’s technically not even in charge of her own hull. But her Captain knows he’s in over his head in combat situations, so he lets her take over. It’s not a good situation there, but once Regina finishes her current class of candidates we’ll be swapping him out. Might not be a bad idea to put someone else in there to keep an eye on things.” Billie answered.
"Pick someone. That's your job now, Billie: you're the command's acting N-1. That's personnel assignment for the station, and by extension, our area of operations. Give me your picks for N-2, N-3, and N-4, and make the case for them. Mind, they'll be running against some people already in those positions unless you think the existing officers are sufficient."
“Esme, I’m a Command Variant. Admiral Dave Foster has already tutored me on what is expected of me. I think you’ll find, like Dave Foster, you’ll almost wish I didn’t have to deploy because of the kind of asset I can be. Because I’m a professional, and unlike many of my sisters and cousins, I can act like it and deliver on it. I think it’s because we don’t actually spend a lot of time together outside my maintenance periods that you feel the need to point out what I already know and am already doing. Because you’ll also find that stack of paperwork in your inbox when you get back to your office.”
“Shit. That’s why the pool is so huge on you and Dave Foster isn’t it? You just might be the only woman who might be able to get him to let go of the memory of Billie Siegel with your combination of professionalism, warrior spirit, and compassion.” Esme shook her head.
“While I don’t disagree with your assessment, I’ve got other priorities that make that impossible.”
“You’ve really become Alice’s mother in every way that matters, and that takes precedence.” Esme understood immediately.
“I just hope Kolossus’ friend can help her. I was already dreading the decisions I’ll be faced with after the War but now… I can’t stay, but if the expert can’t help her….”, fretted Billie
"We deal with it when it happens, Billie. Just like anyone who's suffered a severe trauma to their brain," Esme explained quietly. "Do we have any idea how long we're waiting for Kolossus's friend?"
“No. Maybe when I’m on my next off shift, I’ll swing by so you can make the upgrades so we can go get drunk together. I think we both could use it.”
"Command decision then. Your off-shift, you're to see to your personal main area of concern first. You've adopted Alice. She's your kid, you take care of your kid."
“You’re right, Esme. I think I’m just a little beside myself in that regard.”
"Of course I'm right. I know what it's like to have family that’re suffering." Esme stated. "AND I know how it feels when you can't do anything to help them. So you leave, and then regret at length. You'll spend the time, Billie. Have a backup for the N-1 position ready if you need to take more time."
“Thanks Esme. I also personally owe you a lot.”
"Just don't make my mistake, Billie. Because the lesson is when you miss it, it's gone." Esme's tone was quiet, and urgent. "Trust me, you don't want to spend the next century thinking 'if only'."
“I was a little overbearing with Helena’s daughter growing up before she ran off to join Golden Hind. I’ll do my best for Alice, she’s too precious to me to let slip away like that.”
"Don't forget to just be there, Billie." Esmerelda counseled. "You never know, when they're sick like that, and it can just… slip away on you if you're not paying attention."
“I know I’m going to mess up in new ways, especially as this is all new territory. It’s AI on both sides, but I don’t think I’d have it any other way.”
"Billie, it's always new territory for everyone it happens to. There's no manual, or set of recipes for it. This is part of being alive, and having people you care for."
“True, but humans’ biological impulses meant there are certain things I could count on being true with Stacey that are not going to be true with Alice.”
Esme smiled tiredly. "Let's get back to work." She let the subject drop. She doesn't understand it, and maybe she won't have to learn.
“Yes, quite. I have a reputation as a professional to maintain.” Billie smiled.
Esme headed back up-corridor to her office.
"You didn't tell her about him." Erin said as soon as the door was closed.
"It's not in my official record and you didn't tell her, so she doesn't need to know." Esme said.
"It's the date, isn't it?" Erin asked. "He would have been seven today."
Esme nodded. "He would have. Erin, standard privacy message. I need some time alone."
"Of course, Esme."
"Were there any messages from Mom in the dispatches?" asked Esme
"No, Esme."
"Well, there's that relief, at least." Work could wait until tomorrow. Tonight is for regrets.
She opened her personal goods, and let it run through her all over again.
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