Sol (The Silver Ships Book 5) (42 page)

Almost 30 percent of the station’s militia members boarded various vessels headed inward on deployment to other locations. Sol’s militia was receiving new marching orders. In addition to their general policing practices, which were now termed colony or station security, they were to support civilian projects and relieve the strain on civil administrators. Chong and Woo repeatedly stressed to the militia commanders that they must be prepared to roll up their sleeves and get to work. An often-repeated phrase to the commanders was “make your location shine like Idona.”

Captain Yun boarded a passenger liner headed for Earth. His traveling companion was Major Lindling, who he was delivering for trial on charges of corruption. Yun took a little pleasure in confining Lindling to his cabin for the duration of the trip — he never did like the man.

To Chong’s surprise, the resignation of Patrice Morris crossed his console. The lieutenant’s high profile rated it flagged for the admiral’s attention. For a moment, he was perplexed, thinking that the lieutenant was a strong supporter of the changes at Idona. It was the note attached to her file by his adjutant that made him smile.

After transmitting her resignation to the naval headquarters offices on Mars, Patrice Morris, now a citizen, dropped into the station director’s office looking for Nikki Fowler. She found Nikki bent over her desk panel studying income flow matrixes.

“I’m looking for employment,” Patrice said without fanfare.

“I heard you resigned your commission,” Nikki replied.

“Word gets around fast now that everyone is talking to one another. I like this station and what it’s becoming. I’ll take whatever position you have available.”

“Any position?” Nikki said, raising an eyebrow.

“Any position,” Patrice said with resignation. She envisioned ushering a fleet of scrubbers down the corridors at night.

“Well … Captain Yun is headed inward with Lindling so I could use an assistant station director,” Nikki replied, grinning when she saw Patrice’s mouth fall open.

“Sure … I mean yes,” Patrice replied, breaking out her own grin and extending a hand to Nikki.

“Done,” said Nikki, shaking Patrice’s hand. “Let’s get started,” she added, dropping into her chair and indicating another for Patrice. “With the Harakens leaving, station security is going to become a top priority. You’ll be taking on that role until you hire a chief of security.”

Knowing the Harakens were soon leaving, Nikki asked to meet with Alex and, of all individuals, the three SADEs. The group met in a small room next to one of the meal rooms.

“This is going to sound a little unusual, but I’m going to come right out and ask,” Nikki began. “Would you consider taking some of the children with you? I’m speaking of the orphans … the ones who’ve become attached to the two of you,” Nikki said, pointing to Cordelia and Z. “When we were in the inner ring, everyone took care of them, but they have no relatives. Now, out here, with all that’s going on, I’m worried that they won’t have the guidance they need, and, truth be told, I’m concerned that they could end up being sent to a UE orphanage.”

“What about the children? What do they think?” Cordelia asked. “Edmas and Jodlyne are teenagers and have grown up on this station, and Jason and Ginny have their six friends.”

“That’s the ten I’m talking about,” Nikki replied, “and as far the children go, I talked to them yesterday about the possibility of them leaving with you. Early this morning, all ten showed up at my cabin door with an assortment of carryalls and bags, with one question among them: ‘Had I talked to the Harakens yet?’”

Nikki sat back against the edge of the desk, watching the SADEs transform into inanimate figures. “Must have stumped them on that one,” she whispered to Alex. “You’re not included in this one?” she asked, noticing Alex’s relaxed posture and visage.

“And happy not to be,” Alex replied, smiling.

“Why are you smiling?” Nikki asked.

“It’s a long, long story, Nikki,” Alex said, laying a companionable hand on her shoulder. “Someday, when it’s possible, visit me, and I’ll add this tale to the other ones I’ve promised to tell you.”

“Now, how can I refuse an offer like that?” Nikki said, laughing at the idea of traveling to meet the Harakens.

“You never know what the future might hold for you, Nikki. Believe me … no one knows that better than me.”

Nikki stopped laughing and regarded Alex. They appeared to be about the same age, but his eyes said that he was lifetimes older than her.

While they waited, Alex’s mind drifted over the years with Julien from their incredible introduction aboard the derelict liner, to the day Julien transferred into his avatar, to Founding Day when Julien and his beloved showed up in their inventive costumes at Alex’s offices in the Assembly, and a lopsided smile softly formed on his face.

The SADEs returned to the here and now. “We will speak with the children,” Cordelia announced. “If they are still willing to go after our discussion, we will take them. They would live together with Julien and me. Z will visit Edmas and Jodlyne, but his avatars often take him where the children can’t go.”

“Fair enough,” Nikki agreed. “They’re waiting for you in the next room,” she added, pointing to a connecting door.

The SADEs would not have agreed to someone accusing them of being nervous, but, at this moment, they might accept words like concern and trepidation. This was appropriate because algorithms drove their reactions. However, in humans, it would be called fear — perhaps a lower level of the emotion, but fear nonetheless.

The children were assembled at a long table in the empty meal room, their small bags of possessions clutched in their arms and wearing expectant expressions.

“Are we going with you, Cordelia?” asked Ginny, her little face contorted in confusion and angst.

“Remember, Ginny,” Edmas said, “we’re supposed to wait to hear what they have to say first.”

“Oh,” Ginny said quietly.

Over the course of time, since the freeing of the rebels, Edmas and Jodlyne had taken on the responsibilities of care and wrangling of the eight younger orphans. This was entirely due to Z’s influence. The two tunnel rats began following Z for the protection the huge individual represented. When it was announced that Z wasn’t human, instead of being repulsed as some rebels were, the teenagers were utterly fascinated by the discovery. But in the end — human or SADE — it made no difference to the teenagers. He was Z, and slowly but surely the two tunnel rats copied the manner in which Z treated others. It was during this time that Edmas and Jodlyne recognized that the eight small orphans needed the attention that the adults were too busy to give them.

“You do realize that you will probably not return to your people for many years, if ever,” Cordelia said.

The children all nodded their understanding, and the SADEs continued to present reasons why the children should stay on station.

“Excuse me,” Edmas finally interrupted. “What we want to do most of all is stay together.” The children nodded their heads vigorously to Edmas’s statement. “That won’t happen here,” he continued. “Families might take one or two of us, but they can’t take all of us. If we chose to stay together, then it’s a UE orphanage for us, which is a guarantee that we won’t be staying together for long.”

“I want to swim with the aliens,” one little boy said.

“Can you swim, little one?” Julien asked with a smile, knowing the answer.

“No,” he admitted, “but I can learn. We can all learn. We’re smart.” This was greeted with another round of adamant nods.

“Edmas and Jodlyne,” Z said, “you know that much of my work takes me to places where humans can’t travel.”

“Yes, but you’ll come visit us,” Jodlyne challenged, making it a statement rather than a question. “And we can ride your horse and hear about all the places you went.”

“Z, you’ve taught us that it’s important to help others. We can best help by being with these little ones,” Edmas said. “We want to go with you to your world, but we want to stay with them.”

Despite their intentions to appear human as much as possible before the children, subtle fugues worked across the SADEs’ faces as they ran the possibilities through their crystal minds and shared their conjectures with one another. That they couldn’t reach a logical decision, despite their attempt to do so, was a foregone conclusion. This was the messy world of humans.

Cordelia sent to her companions,

Julien instantly agreed with her, and the two SADEs waited for Z.

Z sent.

Cordelia asked.

Z looked at the pleading faces, intently watching them, especially those of Edmas and Jodlyne. Z sent.

Cordelia once asked Alex the same question, and she played his response for Julien and Z:

Z said, still confused by his inability to resolve the question in the manner he approached all problems.

“Come, children,” Cordelia said, opening her arms to them.

With whoops and squeals of joy the children raced to embrace the SADEs, hugging whatever chest or leg they could comfortably reach.

“I’m a Haraken,” Ginny announced to Cordelia.

“Yes, you’re all Harakens,” Cordelia said laughing.

“I understand you’ve become a father,” Alex said to Julien later that day. “Quite a feat … you having ten children at once.”

“Yes, I will need some parenting tips. I was hoping to ask your mother what difficulties she failed to overcome in your upbringing,” Julien shot back.

The two friends sat together, alone with their thoughts. The stars outside the station’s view window twinkled and, far in the distance, the dim light of the star of Sol fell on Idona Station.

“Perhaps, your eminence,” Julian said, “it’s time to leave for home unless it has been your true intent all along to adopt Sol as your new kingdom.”

“You wound me, my friend. I intended to give Sol to you as a gift. You’d be the first SADE to rule a system.” Alex said and sent Julien an image of the SADE wearing a shining gold crown.

Julien melted the crown, let it flow down his body, and transform into amoeba-like protozoa that chased a screaming Alex.

And so the two of them, human and SADE, threw images back and forth until their ritual restored a sense of equilibrium for both. Their desperate mission to save their worlds from domination by the UE was over, and they had won a peace.

“Home, my friend?” Alex asked.

“Home,” Julien agreed.