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Chapter 41 - Self Configuring Modular Robot[]
The Archon was a little disappointed...
...but she arranged the command circuit anyway, with stops at Donegal, Arluna, and Kowloon.
A state tour of the Commonwealth half of the realm fit with duties of the Archon and Royal Family. Though Katherine demurred, preferring to return to New Avalon with Peter.
Part of preparations, was a somewhat overdue visit to the Royal Medical Center, to verify the health and well-being of the children.
"You're sure?" Melissa asked Dr. Rajanaput. "I mean, it could be wrong, right?"
"I'm afraid not, Highness..." the medical doctor's eyes were deeply saddened.
How do you tell someone they're going to die? How do you tell a child their life will end sometime before age forty?
Melissa delayed the trip, and used the HPG Network to summon the best medical minds at New Avalon, after informing her husband of the test results. Then, she steeled herself to inform the family.
The first of those calls went through the Tharkad A Class station, outward to Kowloon on a priority heading, systems along the route were realigned to facilitate real-time connection.
"Duke Patrick." she greeted the young man who was doing so well as Duke of Kowloon. "I'm afraid I have some bad news..."
"What happened?" Patrick was suddenly tense, fearing the worst.
Well, the worst was there to be feared.
"It's about Elizabeth, she's tested positive for Degenerative Neural Sheath Annihilation Syndrome...like your Great Uncle, Truk. Who died at NAIS in the twenties." better to tear that bandaid off immediately. "Our medical projects she'll be dead by age forty."
He closed his eyes and a moan crossed the interstellar gulf. "Does she know?" he asked.
"I haven't told her yet." Melissa said. "I'm summoning our best medical researchers for this-"
"Let her come home." Patrick said, "Wait, that's wrong too...tell her, and ask if she wants to come home or try treatments."
"You expected this, yes?" she asked.
"It was always a possibility, and one of the common myths is that it hits exceptionally intelligent people." He explained, "I know Grandfather was worried too-but we thought she might've dodged the bullet on that."
"Well, she might yet." Melissa said firmly. "I have invested too much in your sister to let her die of some random genetic failure!"