{"id":118,"date":"2012-03-04T00:00:22","date_gmt":"2012-03-04T05:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/?p=118"},"modified":"2012-02-29T08:35:48","modified_gmt":"2012-02-29T13:35:48","slug":"chapter-ten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/?p=118","title":{"rendered":"Chapter Ten"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Chief Commonwealth inspector Frederick Rose, in charge of investigating the unsolicited attacks on Mimir sixteen years ago, was killed today when the Aral<\/em>-class transport he was aboard exploded on lifting from Eldas.\u00a0 He was thirty-six years old.\u00a0 He is survived by his wife, Daciana Mason Rose.\u00a0 They had no children.\u00a0 Officials say there is no reason to suspect foul play in Rose\u2019s death.\u00a0 The Aral<\/em> class of transports has been under investigation recently due to a flaw discovered in the design of fuel lines.<\/p>\n

— Newswire, 23 Duodecem 5237 PD<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

20 Octem, 5249 PD
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to see you again, Freder.\u201d\u00a0 Adam Windsor extended his hand to the other man, who leaned heavily on a cane even after all these years.<\/p>\n

At least he can <\/em>walk again, <\/em>Adam thought.\u00a0 That was a distinct improvement over the last time he\u2019d seen Frederick Rose, when he\u2019d helped Daci smuggle him here, telling everyone that he\u2019d died.\u00a0 He\u2019d owed Daciana that much\u2014and it wasn\u2019t all that much, in the grand scheme of things.\u00a0 Help her smuggle her husband to safety?\u00a0 Child\u2019s play after he\u2019d done the same thing with Rachel and her niece so many years before.<\/p>\n

Frederick Rose still looked<\/em> frail, though.\u00a0 It was clear his health had been permanently affected by the poisons that his pursuers had tried to use to kill him\u2014and when those hadn\u2019t done the job quickly enough, they\u2019d resorted to other methods that had similarly left their mark on the man.\u00a0 When he smiled, though, he was the same Freder Rose that he\u2019d grown up with.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s good to be alive to be seen, Adam.\u00a0 What\u2019s brought you out this far?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour wife.\u00a0 I need Daci.\u00a0 Where is she?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-oh.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced over his shoulder, down the corridor, then back at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s in the lab, taking a look at some of the latest samples that Dr. Grace sent across, I think.\u00a0 I\u2019ve finished with them already, but she wanted to have a look herself.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head slightly.\u00a0 \u201cYou can take the soldier out of the scientist\u2026\u201d\u00a0 His voice trailed away.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s brow furrowed.\u00a0 Back to playing with her test-tubes, then.\u00a0 Wonderful.\u00a0 Hopefully she\u2019s come up with something useful.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cHow is she?\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cDay to day, mostly, like me.\u00a0 Some days are better than other days.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned heavily against the cane.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t come to take her back to Nova Spexi, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam winced.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a war coming, Freder.\u00a0 We need her.\u201d<\/p>\n

He blinked a little.\u00a0 \u201cHow do you know?\u00a0 The communications taps haven\u2019t\u2026haven\u2019t yielded\u2026\u201d\u00a0 His eyes widened.\u00a0 \u201cThe Oracle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam just nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did she see?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWar, Freder.\u00a0 Do I have to say more than that?\u201d\u00a0 He scrubbed a hand over his face.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s more to it than that, too, but that\u2019s the more important part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick frowned.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s the other important part?\u00a0 I can tell there\u2019s another one.\u00a0 It\u2019s all over your face.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two people in the galaxy that can read me.\u00a0 Rachel, and him.<\/em>\u00a0 Adam sighed.\u00a0 \u201cAmerica and Grant are still alive.\u00a0 They\u2019re somewhere in N-E space, as prisoners, but D\u2019Arcy<\/em> says we\u2019re not sure where.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour tone suggests otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThe Oracle had a vision about that, too.\u00a0 Thought it was some kind of nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 Rachel and I don\u2019t think so, and neither does the rest of the Council.\u201d\u00a0 Adam watched his friend\u2019s arm begin to tremble.\u00a0 \u201cDo you need to sit down?\u201d<\/p>\n

He waved his free hand.\u00a0 \u201cIn a minute.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be fine another minute.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled a little.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s much better than it used to be, anyway.\u00a0 Hope you\u2019re not still losing sleep worrying.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head slowly.\u00a0 \u201cNot since the last time you wrote, no.\u00a0 I\u2019m losing sleep for other reasons these days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe war?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head again.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 Something more pleasant, mercifully.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled wryly.\u00a0 Frederick looked confused for a moment, then began to laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou old bastard.\u00a0 You\u2019re back with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never really left<\/em> her.\u00a0 Severing probably would have killed us both.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled a boyish, almost embarrassed smile.\u00a0 \u201cI moved back in a couple weeks ago.\u00a0 No one knows yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one\u2019s noticed, you mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cThe same thing, really.\u201d\u00a0 He grasped the wiry man by the arm.\u00a0 \u201cYou need to sit, Freder.\u00a0 The strain\u2019s starting to show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick smiled ruefully.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t even let me impress you just a little, huh, Grumpy?\u201d\u00a0 He leaned into Adam\u2019s shoulder, the limp more pronounced as Frederick led him toward a lounge just down the corridor.\u00a0 \u201cWanted you to see how much better I am these days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI noticed, Freder.\u00a0 Believe me, I noticed.\u201d\u00a0 Last time I saw you, you still had a hard time sitting up on your own, let alone walking.\u00a0 <\/em>Adam suppressed a wince.\u00a0 <\/em>He needed to visit more often.\u00a0 But how?\u00a0 That would raise suspicion.\u00a0 The Guardians were expected to maintain a working relationship, nothing more. \u00a0The general view of Daciana Rose was that she was very<\/em> hard to get along with, especially in the wake of Frederick\u2019s supposed death.\u00a0 They had staged a rather public falling-out to emphasize the point and at least partially explain her very prolonged absence from Nova Spexi, her supposed exile to Urgathe.\u00a0 \u201cHow\u2019s the research going?\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick eased himself slowly down into a plush chair and put one leg up on a nearby ottoman.\u00a0 It was a neatly appointed room, one that he and Daci clearly spent some time in, given the comfortable seating and a wood-burning stove in the corner, composite logs neatly stacked nearby.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t really want to listen to the technobabble, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cIt seemed polite to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGrumpy, polite?\u00a0 I think the world is coming to an end.\u201d\u00a0 Frederick leaned back, expression slowly smoothing out, most of the pain etched there erasing itself.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s going well enough.\u201d\u00a0 He adjusted himself in the chair, looking up at his friend.\u00a0 \u201cWhy did you come all the way out here to talk to Daci?\u00a0 You could have just called.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe probably needs to come back with me, Freder.\u201d\u00a0 He tried to quell the guilt that brought bile into his throat.\u00a0 \u201cWhat she and Aidan and I are going to have to do to get this planet\u2014this system\u2014ready for war isn\u2019t really conducive to the distance and\u2026well, insanity of getting in and out of here.\u201d\u00a0 Urgarthe was mountainous and the complex Daci and Frederick lived in here was set into a deep valley with narrow access.\u00a0 Daci had insisted that the lab be in a place that could be easily buried or otherwise disposed of if something went wrong there.\u00a0 Frederick had been in no position to disagree.<\/p>\n

Frederick sat very still, staring at Adam even as the Guardian looked away.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s why you didn\u2019t say why you were coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam just nodded, unable to speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Frederick\u2019s voice broke.\u00a0 \u201cI need her, Adam.\u00a0 You can\u2019t just take her away from me like this.\u00a0 Not after\u2026no.\u00a0 Adam.\u201d\u00a0 His friend\u2019s voice broke in the middle.<\/p>\n

Adam tried not to sound desperate.\u00a0 Desperation was weakness.\u00a0 That wasn\u2019t him.\u00a0 Unless it\u2019s Rachel or Freder.\u00a0 God.\u00a0 <\/em>\u201cI don\u2019t have much choice, Freder.\u201d\u00a0 He finally met Frederick\u2019s gaze again.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re going to need ships, orbital defenses, all of that.\u00a0 She\u2019s an expert when it comes to defenses that are costly to the aggressors.\u00a0 She knows what we need and she\u2019ll know how to deploy what we\u2019ll manage to get.\u00a0 The colony<\/em> needs her, Freder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick shook his head slowly, voice quiet, broken.\u00a0 \u201cWe were never supposed to have to worry about this.\u00a0 E-557\u2014the colony\u2014it was supposed to be a safe haven.\u00a0 The rest of the galaxy was supposed to leave us alone.\u00a0 I was dead.\u00a0 She was doing research.\u00a0 Guarding the planet.\u00a0 Doing a job.\u00a0 Like I was doing a job.\u201d\u00a0 He swallowed, stared at his hands.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t mention that more than a few people had tried to kill him for doing a job, the particulars of which he couldn\u2019t even remember, thanks to the supposed accident that should have taken his life.\u00a0 \u201cWas supposed to be a new life.\u00a0 A safe<\/em> life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWas supposed to be the same with Mimir, Freder.\u00a0 The rest of humanity really doesn\u2019t seem to care what we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick nodded, then leaned forward and buried his face in his hands.\u00a0 Adam winced and moved to the chair.\u00a0 He put his hand on Frederick\u2019s shoulder and squeezed.\u00a0 Despite how frail he looked, there was muscle corded like steel beneath the surface.\u00a0 Frederick shook his head slowly.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t stay here.\u00a0 I can\u2019t go anywhere else.\u00a0 And now I have to give up one of the very few things I do<\/em> have that make my life bearable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Freder.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Frederick whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI know, Adam.\u00a0 I wish I could say that helped.\u201d\u00a0 He straightened, leaning back against and looking up at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t stand there and watch me cry, Grumpy.\u00a0 Go tell Daci her exile is over.\u201d\u00a0 He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.\u00a0 \u201cShe won\u2019t want to leave me here alone.\u00a0 She\u2019ll refuse to leave, I\u2019m sure.\u00a0 Tell her\u2026\u201d\u00a0 his voice trailed away for a moment, then returned, ragged but still strong.\u00a0 \u201cTell her I said to go.\u00a0 She has my blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe won\u2019t believe it if it\u2019s not true, Freder.\u201d\u00a0 And I\u2019m not going to lie to her for you, either.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll believe you because it\u2019s true, and she\u2019ll hate us both for a while because of it.\u201d\u00a0 Frederick sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI always knew it could come to this.\u00a0 I just never thought it would.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were all in denial.\u00a0 Me included, most days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick nodded, closing his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cI wish it wasn\u2019t going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all wish that, Freder.\u201d\u00a0 Adam squeezed his shoulder again.\u00a0 \u201cYou going to be okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick nodded slowly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to have to be.\u00a0 Go talk to Daci.\u00a0 I\u2019ll\u2026make some lunch or something.\u201d\u00a0 He smiled wryly up at Adam.\u00a0 \u201cAfter I rest for a few minutes, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry, Freder.<\/em>\u00a0 Adam nodded a little and eased away, already mentally preparing himself for the talk he was going to have with Daciana and the impending explosion of the former ordinance expert\u2019s rage.<\/p>\n

Daciana Mason Rose was in a laboratory, though she wasn\u2019t playing with any test tubes.\u00a0 She was watching a holographic representation of a ballistics test that must have been going on somewhere in New Earth space, from the looks of things.\u00a0 Her once-short dark brown hair was woven into a messy braid that started at her brow and then fell down her back to between her shoulder blades.\u00a0 She looked like she was still in her pajamas.\u00a0 She turned at the sound of his entry, her expression like a storm coming in off the water.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy is Frederick so upset, Adam?\u00a0 Tell me you didn\u2019t come all the way out here to make him upset.\u201d<\/p>\n

He kept his own expression a mask of stone.\u00a0 \u201cBecause I told him the truth.\u00a0 You don\u2019t answer your comms anymore.\u00a0 If you had, then you\u2019d know why I was here and why he\u2019s upset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t like your tone, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t play those games with me, Daci.\u00a0 Your husband may be the closest thing I\u2019ve ever had to a brother, but my affection doesn\u2019t necessarily <\/em>have to extend to you, too.\u00a0 It just tends to out of concern for <\/em>him.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cDaci, there\u2019s a war coming.\u00a0 I need you back in Nova Spexi and I need you there now<\/em>.\u00a0 Aidan and I can\u2019t get this planet defensible against a large-scale attack without your help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not leaving Frederick.\u00a0 You can\u2019t ask me to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 I can only ask him to let you leave.\u201d\u00a0 Adam shook his head slowly.\u00a0 \u201cYou have a job to do, Daci.\u00a0 He knows that.\u00a0 You know that.\u00a0 I know that.\u00a0 That job has to come first.\u00a0 There\u2019s thousands upon thousands of lives depending on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was silent for a moment, just staring at him.\u00a0 That stare hardened into a glare.\u00a0 Her words were a stiletto carved from ice.\u00a0 \u201cYou lost Rachel because of that kind of attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam closed his eyes and tamped down his temper.\u00a0 Rachel and I did what was best for the colony at the time, what was best for Lindsay, what was best for a future here.\u00a0 That\u2019s in the past, now.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cYou need to come back to Nova Spexi with me, Daciana.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not leaving Frederick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam kept his tone gentle, voice mild.\u00a0 \u201cHe says you are, Daci.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her gaze was colder than the depths of space.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t believe you asked him to let me leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe asked why I was here.\u00a0 I told him.\u201d\u00a0 I owe him that much.\u00a0 And more, but there\u2019s not much more I can do.\u00a0 I wish there was.<\/em>\u00a0 Adam\u2019s voice was still quiet, gentle but firm.\u00a0 \u201cDaci, you knew that once Mimir and the Guard were gone that there would come the day that we\u2019d have to fight for our survival.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat wasn\u2019t supposed to happen until after I was dead,\u201d she muttered, turning and stalking away from him.\u00a0 She paced, arms crossed tightly, shoulders hunched.\u00a0 \u201cHe can\u2019t have said to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould he be this upset if he hadn\u2019t said that, Daci?\u201d<\/p>\n

She flinched.\u00a0 She turned away from him again, stared at the frozen hologram.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t leave him here alone,\u201d she repeated.<\/p>\n

Adam tried not to sigh.\u00a0 His voice came sternly, now, with the undercurrent of command that was more natural than its absence was these days.\u00a0 \u201cDaciana.\u201d<\/p>\n

She held up a hand, then covered her face with it.\u00a0 Her shoulders shook for a moment, then she took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t resign, can I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 You can\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 She can\u2019t possibly be considering that as a viable solution anyhow.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think so.\u201d\u00a0 She sighed and stared at the hologram for a few more long moments.\u00a0 \u201cHow do we know that there\u2019s a war coming?\u00a0 I haven\u2019t heard any reports about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Oracle.\u201d<\/p>\n

She flinched again.\u00a0 Her resolve was ebbing.\u00a0 \u201cHow do we know the report is authentic?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it happened in full view of the Council.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d\u00a0 Her shoulders slumped even more.\u00a0 She turned back toward Adam.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026I have to go to Frederick.\u00a0 He\u2019s\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam just nodded, not making her lie about why she needed to leave the room.\u00a0 He already knew why.\u00a0 \u201cGo on.\u00a0 I\u2019ll find somewhere to wait for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m taking you with me, Daci.\u00a0 Today, if possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

She winced.\u00a0 \u201cNot today, Adam.\u00a0 Tomorrow, maybe, or the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTomorrow, Daci.\u201d<\/p>\n

She bit her lip, then nodded.\u00a0 She fled the room.\u00a0 He turned toward the hologram and stared at it for a moment, then exhaled.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, I hate this job.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2022<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He and Frederick were sitting on the roof that night, staring at the stars like they had when they were kids on Mimir.\u00a0 The stars were different, and they\u2019d become different men, but the moment was the same as all the others.\u00a0 It was somehow comforting that no matter how much things changed, some things stayed the same.<\/p>\n

The chill had settled in early in the mountains, a promise of a frigid winter to come.\u00a0 Adam wore his jacket and a pair of gloves.\u00a0 Frederick wore the same plus a stocking cap and had a blanket pulled around himself besides.\u00a0 Their breath steamed in the nighttime chill.\u00a0 Daciana was somewhere below, packing her things to leave in the morning.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d been quiet for a long while, just sitting up there, when Frederick broke the silence.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not staying here when you two leave, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stiffened and slowly looked over toward his friend, who was looking at him with that same serious expression that he\u2019d worn when he\u2019d told Adam some thirty years before that he wasn\u2019t staying on Mimir.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u00a0 Where are you going to go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBack to civilization, I guess.\u201d\u00a0 Frederick looked away, up toward the sky.\u00a0 \u201cWhere can we stay in Nova Spexi until we can build a house or something?\u201d<\/p>\n

What the hell is he talking about?\u00a0 <\/em>Adam blinked.\u00a0 \u201cBut you\u2019re dead.\u201d\u00a0 It was the only thing he could think to say in response and it was hardly the most intelligent thing he could have said.\u00a0 He kicked himself for it as soon as the words were out of his mouth.<\/p>\n

Frederick laughed weakly.\u00a0 \u201cNot for too much longer, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n

His mind raced.\u00a0 What if word gets out that he\u2019s still alive?\u00a0 Whoever was trying to kill him the first time isn\u2019t going to have quit because it\u2019s been twelve years.\u00a0 You don\u2019t try that hard to kill someone and then just give up on it.\u00a0 The only reason they stopped hunting him was because they thought he was dead.\u00a0 Even if he doesn\u2019t know now what he knew then, before that explosion, they\u2019re not going to care.\u00a0 There\u2019s always a chance he\u2019ll remember.<\/em>\u00a0 Whatever knowledge had put Frederick in danger was knowledge that he still seemed to be trying to recover.\u00a0 Twenty-eight years after the attacks on Mimir, he was still trying to figure out who was responsible.\u00a0 Maybe he\u2019d known twelve years ago, when those attempts on his life had begun.\u00a0 But Frederick didn\u2019t know anymore.\u00a0 They\u2019d known that within days of him coming out of his coma, here on E-557, when they\u2019d decided that it was best that no one know he was still alive, much less on the isolated world.<\/p>\n

Frederick looked at him and smiled weakly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re worrying about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour wife is going to kill<\/em> you.\u201d\u00a0 She\u2019ll kill you before anyone else has a chance to.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cDoes she know?\u00a0 Did you tell her?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 But I\u2019ve been thinking about it all day.\u00a0 Since you and I talked.\u00a0 It\u2019d be hell on both of us to be apart.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how you and Rachel managed.\u201d \u00a0He looked down and sighed.\u00a0 \u201c\u2018course, there\u2019s more to it than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam eyed him.\u00a0 Frederick was uncomfortable, and the discomfort was written all over his face.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t pain, but something else.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think she\u2019s pregnant.\u00a0 She doesn\u2019t think I know, but I\u2019m pretty sure.\u201d\u00a0 Frederick rubbed his face and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019d talked about it on and off for years and it never\u2026never really happened for us.\u00a0 And now, with whatever\u2019s coming, and the stress, I\u2026\u201d\u00a0 His voice trailed away as he stared up at the sky.\u00a0 \u201cI need to be there.\u00a0 I need to be with her.\u00a0 The last thing she\u2019s going to need on top of everything else is worrying about me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s throat swelled and he nodded a little.\u00a0 He could sympathize with that.\u00a0 If I was in his place, and it was Rachel in <\/em>her place, I can\u2019t say I wouldn\u2019t do the same thing.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s going to worry either way, Freder.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cBut at least I\u2019ll be able to be there and able to tell her to stop worrying, right?\u201d\u00a0 He smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cSix years of trying, and it happens now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think she\u2019s sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think she\u2019s positive.\u00a0 She just hasn\u2019t found the right way to tell me yet.\u201d\u00a0 Frederick smiled a little.\u00a0 \u201cI think she was waiting to tell me next week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn your birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cCould you think of a better gift than that, Adam?\u00a0 Finding out that you\u2019re going to be a father?\u00a0 When you\u2019ve talked about it and tried and tried?\u201d\u00a0 Frederick shook his head a little, still smiling a little.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t think of anything better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam found his eyes stinging as he thought about some of the talks he and Rachel had had on the subject.\u00a0 He sighed a little and lay back, stretching.\u00a0 \u201cI envy you, Freder.\u00a0 I really do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s still time for you and Rachel, Grumpy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head a little, staring at the stars.\u00a0 \u201cNot too much of it, I\u2019m afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Adam murmured.\u00a0 There was<\/em> still another few years for he and Rachel before that door closed to them.\u00a0 The older they got, though, the slimmer the chance that they would be able to start a family of their own became.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have the luxury of twelve years\u2019 age difference between he and Rachel like Frederick and Daciana did.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll call Rachel,\u201d he said finally.\u00a0 \u201cYou two can probably stay with us for a few days, at least, until we find someplace better for you both.\u201d\u00a0 He thought for a moment, staring at the stars.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think Ezra Grace uses the house his parents built up in the hills.\u00a0 I\u2019ll talk to him and see if I can set you up there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick nodded.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s a smart guy, that Grace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cToo smart for his own good sometimes, I think.\u00a0 But incredibly dumb about some things, too.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head a little, smiling ruefully.\u00a0 \u201cHe wants to fly into N-E space with an ex-Compact ex-black ops agent and an ex-Chinasia pilot to rescue America and Grant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to be kidding me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNot one bit.\u00a0 And the plan is just about crazy enough to work, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cAre you going to approve it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDepends on what changes they\u2019ve made and whether they\u2019ve convinced the pilot to come along.\u00a0 Rachel said that she thinks I should order him along if he balks.\u00a0 I\u2019d rather not.\u00a0 He\u2019s more valuable when he decides he wants to do something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAren\u2019t they all?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yes.\u201d\u00a0 Adam grinned.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s par for the course.\u201d\u00a0 He pushed himself up on an elbow and winced as his shoulder creaked.\u00a0 I\u2019m getting old.<\/em>\u00a0 \u201cI have to track down D\u2019Arcy Morgause tomorrow and ring his bell unless he\u2019s got something useful to tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick winced.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re allowed to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho\u2019s going to stop me from doing it, Freder?\u00a0 The Council?\u00a0 They\u2019re as annoyed with him as I am, for better or worse.\u201d\u00a0 He shrugged a little, sitting up fully.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s holding back information and that\u2019s just\u2026well, to quote Dr. Grace and his sister, not kosher.\u00a0 Not when it\u2019s a matter of life and death for two of the Inner Collegium.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDaciana\u2019s always said the man lives and breathes secrets, Grumpy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat doesn\u2019t give him the right to deny information to anyone who could use that information for the good of the colony, Freder, which is exactly what he\u2019s doing.\u201d\u00a0 Adam frowned.\u00a0 \u201cAnd it could be his downfall, this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded.\u00a0 \u201cCouncil\u2019s getting fed up with his shenanigans.\u00a0 But they don\u2019t have anyone just yet who can take his place.\u00a0 But that\u2019s only a matter of time and of finding someone.\u201d\u00a0 There\u2019s a few men and women I could think of that might be good for that job.<\/em>\u00a0 He looked at Frederick for a long moment.\u00a0 Like you, old friend.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got that look, you old bastard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever it is, I think I\u2019m going to say no.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see, Freder.\u00a0 We\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chief Commonwealth inspector Frederick Rose, in charge of investigating the unsolicited attacks on Mimir sixteen years ago, was killed today when the Aral-class transport he was aboard exploded on lifting from Eldas.\u00a0 He was thirty-six years old.\u00a0 He is survived … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-last-colony"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p25yjF-1U","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=118"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118\/revisions\/121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}