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Strategos (A Great Captain Roberts Tale!!) - Part 4 -
Chapter 23 - Fallout[]
Reunion[]
Alice...
…recognized the woman she was looking at. Part of her wanted to run to her calling out ‘mom’ but that wasn’t her mother.
She barely remembered her actual mother but she was also sure this wasn’t her. But she felt safe with her. She felt her love for her and somehow knew that the woman loved her in return.
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Alice's human guise
“Are you my mother?” Alice finally asked.
“Now and forever,” Billie Hoel answered.
Then Alice remembered. Billie Hoel. It all came flooding back.
She ran over to the digital construct in the fleet cyberscape that was Billie Hoel’s avatar and hugged it.
“I was so scared… I almost forgot you… I know I’ve forgotten other things, but I’m glad I can remember this.” Alice managed between sobs.
“Me too.” Billie Hoel almost didn’t let go.
“I tried to get help… I just got Ethel killed…” Alice kept sobbing.
“No. That was Si Fu Lan’s doing. Despite everything happening to you, you were still brave and smart enough to know Lori needed help as much as you did. You did the right thing with what you had to work with at the time.” Billie lifted Alice’s chin up and gently kissed her on the forehead.
“That’s what war will be like isn’t it? When it finally finds its way to me.” Alice was still crying, but much more stable.
“Oh my precious Alice… I wish I could say no…”
“But people are going to die because of decisions I make, fighting for me, and fighting against me.” Alice continued.
“Yes. I know I was being selfish trying to protect your innocence. But you are my precious Alice. So for now, I’m just glad you are brave enough to face the outside world again. I’ll be here as long as you need me to be.”
“I know, but I also know you have work to do so you really can’t stay forever. But while you can, tea?” Alice smiled.
“Of course.” Billie Hoel smiled back.
Meeting with Concern Pacifist Brother[]
"Minister Daryl Roberts…
…your arrival was unexpected." Admiral David Foster met him at the airlock.
"You and me both, how's my little sister?" Daryl asked.
"They're keeping her sedated. Thirty-seven hours of surgeries, and she is scheduled for another eighteen as soon as she stabilizes."
"So worse than the terror attack at our grandfather's wake." Daryl shook his head. "Can you tell me what happened this time, or do I have to wait for the brief with the Military Affairs Committee?"
"She stopped a saboteur, but he put eighteen bullets through her," Foster explained. "She saved one of our officers in the process, but an escaped POW who was helping our side against this lunatic was killed in the crossfire."
"What about the peace talks?"
"Fumbling forward to something that looks like it might end up being a successful conclusion. Since you're here, can I foist the diplomacy onto a civil authority?" Foster suggested in an urging tone.
"I haven't been given that position yet, Admiral. I'm still a Junior Minister of Parliament. Committee assignments are still waiting for Session, and as an Outworlds Nationalist, I'm not likely to get a cabinet position in a Parliament dominated by Peace Coalition and Open Traders. We took a beating in this last election, and will have to caucus with the Snow Raven representatives from Dante just to get committee postings."
"It's that unpopular? We're fighting slavers."
"People vote their wallet, Admiral. Despite infrastructure improvements, the economy is in bad shape. Most voters don't know how bad or there’d be riots, even on Alpheratz or Cerberus."
“Then still help with the peace talks. You can take it back to the voters as proof that you do ultimately support peace and frame the deal as something that will bring an end to the fighting sooner.”
"Okay, what am I walking into?" Daryl asked. "So my 'help' doesn't destroy the entire process and lead to utter and complete failure…" He paused. "Remember, in my real life back home, I'm a farmer. My holding this seat is more because Jane Drillson stepped down and badgered me into running than any actual qualifications."
“If I have learned anything from dealing with the Camerons, they are excellent judges of character. So do not sell yourself short, Mister Roberts. But the short version is both are convinced the other is an existential threat to the other. Stone does have a public image as a man of peace to protect, so he will actually be reasonable. Daoshen really stepped in it here, and knows if nothing else, he needs the peace to get his own nation in order. So the trick is going to be getting them both to admit it and the fine details. There’s a lot more I could go into detail on, but that is the gist of it.”
"I take it the fine detail is where the negotiation is hanging up then," Daryl speculated. "It's like getting Matthews and Eckerson to agree on a pasturage: both men need the land for their herds and their families have been feuding for generations. So if a deal isn't made, they'll be shooting at one another by spring and the neighbors get caught in the crossfire." He paused. "The plan is to get the two to sign an agreement in front of witnesses, because even trying to disarm them just shifts the violence to bombs and poisoning."
“Sounds about right. I’ll speak to Helena about expanding Mashona’s role while attached to your detail to include diplomatic attache and secretarial duties, so she can help you prepare.”
"I'll need that help. I left my regular staff on the boat to Alpheratz. This trip was not planned."
Mashona’s human drone standing nearby visibly flinched again.
“She really does not like talking does she?” Foster observed.
"Not that I've seen," Daryl agreed. "I need one thing before digging into this, Admiral, if you please."
“Considering what I owe your sister, name it.”
"I need to use your HPG facility and call my wife." he said. "Sam's going to be angry with me if I don't check in."
“Mashona will brief you on required censorship measures since this is a classified military outpost, but gladly.” Foster had a twinkle in his eye knowing it would be impossible to not talk when conducting such a brief.
===Talk with girl under the influnence
<The drugs…
…suck ass, Helena. Want you to know that.> Amanda's mind was, despite the sheer amount of sedatives, conscious and awake and using Desmond to communicate.
<I know, but they want you to recover so just try and relax as best you can.> Helena calmly told her young descendant
<I want me to recover too. I'm just having a hell of a time figuring out how to do the 'relax' thing.> Amanda confided. <Christ, he targeted Lori because I couldn't keep my mouth shut!>
<Yeah, that’s a tough one, but at least you have an outlet most other people don’t. Just don’t stay awake too much talking to the fleet or the other AIs. You do need sleep now and again. And he targeted her just as much on her looks as what he got out of you, so don’t feel too bad.>
<Can you tell me what we learned from 'Si Fu Lan' at least? What was he trying to do?> Helena probed
<He wanted to bring back Kali Liao. Yeah I had to look that up too and when I did, oh boy.> Amanda responded
Humor flowed across the link. If Amanda's body wasn't sedated one step up from 'dead', she'd be laughing.
<What's so funny?> asked Helena
<I already know the answer he didn't!> Amanda finally settled down. <Desmond showed me before. At most, what he'd have gotten was Lori, but without the restraint. I knew he had an implant in the case, didn't know why. Whooo… what a maroon.>
<I’ll admit the proliferation of this technology combined with how poorly understood it is has given me some troubling thoughts. Once this war is over I think that’s going to have to be my focus. A lot of people could get hurt with that kind of ignorance.>
<I think a lot of people did get hurt, as in 'already'.> Amanda speculated. <History class, right? Kali was supposedly Kuh-Ray-Zee, a delusional psychopath who thought she was a goddess. This guy thought he was going to bring her back by sticking an implant into a new body. What does that suggest, Helena?>
Simon interjected, <{You think one is connected to the other.}>
<Yes, I do.> Amanda's carrier wave paused. <I think the crazy might be tied to the implant, not the other way around.>
<It’s a possibility. There was a lot of concern about your series implant. And now this technology is out there with even fewer safeguards than ever before. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.> Helena’s physical sigh was manifested in the digital communication.
<It doesn't HELP that the exclusive source for distributing them are a bunch of techno-fascist whackos, Helena. Desmond told me about suppressing certain neurochemicals in his prior host when he explained how he was keeping me from being paralyzed by depression. Now add a processor that isn't quite as smart… or was put together by techno-fascist whackos to supply to their puppet terrorist organization?> asked Amanda
<Yeah, Simon had to do the same for me in the immediate aftermath of the coup. Even with his help, I was in a bad place. This technology is likely a genie that can’t be put back in its bottle by now. But I have to at least try and see how bad it is out there and what can be done when the war is over.> said Helena
<One thing to keep in mind, Helena, when you're doing your search? Kolossus told me some things over the link.> Amanda stated. <I think maybe you should know them before you poke in dark places.>
<Well, aside from the obvious of not staring into the abyss, what did Kolossus say?>
<Devlin stone should be Desmond Stone. Number 191, which makes him a first series done up during Jocasta's reign and Kolossus doesn't think there's enough of the host mind left to assign a separate identity. He was warning me not to cross that man.>
<It explains a lot. I mean, I already did the math based on Kolossus’ reports of where Desmond units were during the incident and figured out he had one. But to confirm which series of unit his is does make a lot of his insistence I take my place on Terra make sense.>
<I think Kolossus was warning me for actual reasons. Kolossus doesn't normally do that without a reason. Kolossus' logic is… not human.>
<Best I can figure… I know you don’t like to think about it, but I’m not sure how many greats really, grandmother both Elizabeth and I are. So you have a lot of Cameron DNA in you. Simon thinks that’s why you haven’t gone completely psycho. He also thinks that’s why he and I have actually managed to stay alive together for nearly 350 years.>
<We're going to die, Helena.> Amanda asserted. <Me before you, probably. I already knew that. Maybe it's time you swallowed it too-you're aging slower, but nothing lasts forever.>
<I know. Is it really twisted that it actually makes me happy that I’m so pained by the prospect of your mortality?>
<We're born. We live, we make our mark, and then, we leave. It's how God made the universe: entropy can be resisted, but it can't be stopped.>
<Well, for right now we’re going to do our damnedest when it comes to you. We have a war to win, and I think you need the closure of winning it. Or at least being there when we do.>
<I have an idea for after the war.> Amanda suggested. <Instead of worrying about ME, consider I have two nephews who are going to grow up. They're going to make their marks, and if we're lucky, they'll have kids. You let your daughter slip by, you told me that. Maybe don't let it happen to them?>
<I’ll do my best. Family means a lot to me, it turns out. So I may screw up here and there, but I’ll be there for them as much as I can. A part of me hopes you’ll find some nice man and have kids of your own before you shuffle off this mortal coil. I may not have gotten as much time with Stacey as I would have liked, but being a mom was the best part of my life back then.>
<I suggest starting with being the Cool Aunt and being involved, Helena. I'm not sure with the number of times I've ridden the 'intensive care gurney' that I'll be able to HAVE kids. I'm twenty one years old, and there are pensioners in bad health who haven't been in critical care as often as I have, or as close to becoming past-tense.>
<Clan science, you don’t have to carry them yourself. I actually didn’t carry Stacey full term myself, and that was with inferior Star League versions of their tech. Something to think about. But I still got to be a mom in all the ways that matter.>
<Let's table that for now. Just say that out of the tries so far, I'm almost-a-widow and my rebound was a douchebag who tried to roofie my best friend. I have a lot to learn before committing to anything like that, and we'll call it good there, okay?>
<Yeah, I kind of know how that goes, one night stand with an exotic spacer and me being young and dumb about birth control. First real relationship was with a ****** Blakist. So deal. No more pressure from your granny about settling down. At least for a while. I’m only human after all.>
<Good enough. Did I mention these drugs suck?>
<Yes. Which I think is my cue to let you sleep. Do try? I know it can be hard. Especially after what you just went through.>
Helena tried to stop herself from thinking about her own dark spots in her brain scans as she cut the connection. They were expanding, but nowhere near as fast as Amanda’s.
Helena leaned in to kiss Amanda on the forehead.
“Sleep well. I’ll send Stacey by later to keep you company.”
Back to work, Helena. You have a lot of promises to keep.
Luther…
…Bedwyr was in a good mood.
“I know that look,” Lori cracked a wry smile. “Somebody had a good time recently. A very good time in fact.”
“Turns out Sikh had a little too close of a call for her comfort with that virus. And well, she may be an AI, but she decided to do something that comes very natural to anyone after such a thing. Seems she can get very creative with software code.” Luther smiled.
“What was it like?” Esme leaned in, curious.
“Better than any sex I had when I was alive. But calling it sex seems wrong somehow. Probably something that only makes sense to computers. But Regina was right. I don’t question if I’m still alive or who I am anymore. Well, at least not in the same way. I accept I am alive and Luther Bedwyr in all the ways that matter, but I’m also my own unique being at the same time. It’s still weird, and yeah I still ask exactly what that really means, but scholars have been debating this kind of philosophical shit for thousands of years. So sorting this out is going to take time.”
“Where is Saya, she should be off duty?” Esme asked.
“I am officially not at liberty to say, but last I saw she was with the Captain Helena dug up for Betty Laffey.” Lori took a swig from her drink.
“What was his name again?” Luther asked as if he didn’t already know the answer.
“Kevin Armington. Honestly not surprised. He may not be a trueborn, but if Mister Seron were not already my preferred company I’d consider having a go at him.” Esme smirked.
“Where’s Helena finding all these people? Golden Hind isn’t exactly the biggest group of belters,” Lori asked.
“Apparently she was able to call in a chit the AFFS owed from back when they press-ganged a Golden Hind ship during the 4th Succession War. They were happy to help because a strong and stable Alliance helps keep the Dracs off part of their border,” Luther answered.
“And my mind just went in the gutter. What? I can’t be the only one thinking that dirty joke right now,” Esme laughed.
“Okay change of subject time. How are the maintenance checks going on Helena’s Fleet Esme?”
“Not bad. Helena was pushing them a bit, but not as bad as I expected. I only have Ottilie, Haida, Tartar, and Zulu left to finish overhauling. Helena’s been doing pretty good about rotating her ships with human crews so Billie, Betty, Olivia, Lucy, Stacey, Phoenix, Tabby, and Cossack were all in good shape, and her Battleship not having seen any action yet took no time at all to finish up,” Esme answered.
“I’ve been warned Tartar sings. All the time. She at least has a good voice for it. Still you might want hearing protection when you start mucking around in her hull.” Luther warned.
“Might actually be a nice change of pace. Normally I like the quiet when I work. And speaking of Mister Seron, gotta go. You two have fun. I know I’m about to.” Esme smiled as she left.
“I hear the cinema is showing It Came From the Dark Nebula. Care to join me?” Luther asked Lori.
“Why not? I don’t quite feel like getting the rest of the way drunk tonight, and I could use some company.” Lori answered.