Minerva: An Alicia Jones Novel 06 Read online

  I shivered, “I really hate politics.”

  Kristi asked Nadia as I poured us all a large mug of coffee, “So why are you here?”

  Nadia snorted, “To convince you to come back and turn yourself in. Or else.”

  “Or else what?” I asked as I handed her and Kristi their coffee. Then I grabbed mine off the counter and sat at the table.

  Nadia shrugged, “I don’t really know. But they’re all horribly embarrassed, China and Japan feel they lost face, and the presidents of the U.S. and Russia are livid. I really think they want you dead, but whatever plans they’re cooking up, I’m not in the loop.”

  Kristi shook her head, “They wouldn’t risk being quarantined, would they?”

  Nadia sighed, “I wish I could answer that. I don’t think so, but that’s why I’m here, to convince you to turn yourself in, so you can be put in a jail to rot. At least, until there’s an accident.”

  I snorted, “Sweet, so I can look forward to substandard living until they murder me. You’re not doing a very good job of convincing me Nadia.”

  She snickered, “No, of course not,” she looked thoughtful as she took a sip of coffee, “I only took this job to talk to you personally. The idea of you, the one that saved us all, being a martyr because of their egos is absurd in the extreme.”

  Kristi took a sip of her own coffee and looked thoughtful, and then she shocked me with her words and dropped a bomb into our relaxed conversation of world leaders and stupidity.

  “Do you want a job Nadia?”

  Chapter Five

  Nadia looked shocked, “Excuse me?”

  Kristi snickered, “You know how politically inept our current leader is. Were scientists, and while we believe in what we’re doing we aren’t really equipped to run a world. You understand cutthroat politics and how they think, you also have a heart, a conscience, and I think you’re a good friend. Alicia, or both of us really, could use a political advisor. The job comes with lots of free stuff, but no pay. Oh, and you’re home country will hate you.”

  Kristi grinned, “So how about it?”

  I tried to be offended, but it was true. I was at least politically naïve, if not inept as my best friend so colorfully described it. I tried to look at Nadia with a neutral expression, but it probably came out as more hopeful than anything else.

  Still, she may have been in the doghouse, but she was Russian down to her fingertips, I didn’t think it very likely she would abandon that. Then again, she’d already committed career suicide, and her president clearly didn’t want her anymore. I knew from experience it was hard to serve a master that wanted you out of the way and under their thumb.

  The silence dragged on for a long few moments, and I sipped my coffee.

  Nadia finally replied, “I’d have to think about it. That’s a pretty big decision. Theoretically, if I accepted, what would I be doing?”

  Kristi shrugged, “We’re politically naïve remember? Which is why we need someone like you, but also someone we like and trust. Write your own ticket. I assume it would be something like watching the political climate on Earth, and on the worlds in both of the treaties galaxy wide, and letting us know when things start to get wonky. Even here on Minerva we might miss something important for us to know or deal with.

  “We don’t care what politician is cheating on his wife, or other ridiculous stuff. Just things that would affect our world, or the balance of power in the galaxy. Perhaps major things on Earth as well, but that’s just personal stuff, we still care about Earth you know, they turned on us, not the other way around.”

  Nadia looked at me, “And you agree with this insane idea? I could be a spy you know.”

  I tapped the side of my head, “Nope, I’d catch you with that mystical soul reading crap I do.”

  She blushed.

  I added in a calmer tone, “But yes, I think I’d enjoy that both on a professional and personal level if you were around again. If political hack doesn’t appeal to you, I have a hostess position open at a restaurant with your name on it.”

  She snickered and looked at me as if I was nuts.

  “Sorry, bad joke. We’re having trouble filling the support positions for our businesses, from clubs to food stores. We don’t even have a humanoid doctor yet, just a number of the pod med-docs. Yes, I think Kristi is right, the more I think about it, it’s a brilliant idea for us. The only question is what do you think of it.”

  Nadia asked, “I don’t get paid?”

  I snickered, and explained the whole idea of who needs money when everything is free, and then shamelessly threw in the free shuttle after a year thing. I even went over the whole retirement plan. I felt like one of those late-night infomercials.

  Nadia sighed, “I think I need something a little stronger than coffee.”

  I laughed, “Al, deliver us some Jameson’s to flavor our coffee please.”

  It was a few minutes later when a whiskey bottle floated into the room. I grabbed it and added a bit of flavor to our coffee. Unfortunately, we didn’t have real cream to make it a genuine Irish coffee, but it wasn’t bad with what we had. We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting about Minerva, personal stuff, and answering her questions.

  The focus of her real mission, getting us to surrender and come back, was never mentioned again, except to discuss possible next steps they might take if we didn’t. I for one was mostly worried about my family, I hoped they wouldn’t hold them hostage or threaten them to force my return. One thing that made me think it wasn’t all that likely was that my family were in the public eye. It would be hard to cover up if they took them.

  Nadia left the next afternoon after promising to consider it. Either way, she wanted to make sure her own money and properties were covered legally on Earth before she could leave. It was a valid concern, and she left on much better terms than she’d had the last time we’d parted. It really helped that she’d stuck her neck out for us instead of bowing to the political realities.

  Apparently sneakiness and underhandedness was okay, but when push came to shove she’d done the right thing, and not the expedient thing, when Russia’s leadership had pushed too hard.

  As for the ad update, that was yielding very few nibbles in the last twenty-four hours to my disappointment, hopefully that would change in time. Karen had a few interviews scheduled though, for the Knomen on station, and I hoped that they would check out. A greedy person would take the position for a year, and then use their shuttle to go sell valuable stuff they’d fabricated all year.

  While there was no specific law against that kind of thing, I’d prefer not to have that kind of thing going on. I’d like to think our society was a good idea, and generous, but perhaps I was naïve.

  According to Kristi, the scientist part of it seemed to be working out however, they were here, and for the most part working together to build new non-military technologies for all worlds.

  The objection that one scientist had their second day on station wasn’t so much about money, but because the scientists still wanted credit for their own discoveries, and the rights to publish those discoveries. The complainer had been concerned more with someone stealing his ideas and getting credit for it.

  So that was good, it was just the support jobs that were turning out to be a problem. There were exceptions, a few support jobs had been filled on a part time basis by the scientists’ spouses who just needed something to do and focus on. But overall Karen was right, most weren’t going to work if they didn’t have too. Maybe that would change when enough time passed and they got stir crazy and bored but we couldn’t afford to wait that long.

  I sighed and leaned back into Bill when he put his arms around me. I’d been so distracted with my thoughts I hadn’t even heard him come into our kitchen. I was giving serious thought’s to removing the safety net of my own quarters, and just moving my clothes, makeup, and other stuff into here.

  Bill asked, “Rough day?”

  I shrugged helplessly.

/>   “Not really no. Just… disillusioned. Of all the problems I’d envisioned, trouble finding support personnel to come here hadn’t been one of them.”

  Bill nodded against my hair, “Let’s go for a walk, the stars should be out.”

  I smiled in amusement, the mile-wide park in the center of the ship had a full day cycle to it, with the ceiling six stories high, and with today’s hologram technology, we simulated daylight and starlight as it would be seen from the city being built down on the planet, sun included.

  “That sounds nice.”

  I turned and we shared a quick kiss before he took my hand and we went for that walk. The corridors were mostly empty, and I wondered if they would ever be filled as I’d envisioned. I shook off the dark thoughts and just relaxed in Bill’s presence, let his soul calm mine. Another advantage to being a soul reader, his soul was always smooth, relaxed, and solid.

  I didn’t know what I’d do without him, we’d only been dating for a couple of months and a few weeks now, but we’d been living together almost five weeks, and it felt like I’d known him forever. There was even some truth in that, I’d known him since I was just a toddler, and had been good friends with him until we parted in my early teens.

  We got to the park entrance, and he led us through and we walked along the path. The trees were between ten and fifteen feet high or so, they would take years to fully grow in, but it still looked nice. The grass was fully in, and of course full sized bushes and other flora had been added.

  When I looked up, I could see the night sky. It was still a bit strange, it looked so different from the familiar sky of Earth’s, but the stars above me were the stars above Minerva. Our new home for better or worse. It was even a bit cooler, we couldn’t truly mimic all of the outdoors, but we could vary the temperature a few degrees from day to night.

  I squeezed his hand and looked up at his face from the side.

  He was uncommonly silent tonight, usually his calm drawl would accompany much of our time together, I also sensed a certain nervousness from him as we stepped off the trail and into a grove of small oak trees, which was marked as keep out. Eventually, when the trees were mature enough, and strong enough, those signs and rules would come down.

  “Breaking the rules?” I asked in a teasing voice, and then I saw the blanket, and a basket of all things, as well as a bottle of white wine cooling in some ice.

  He grinned unashamedly, “Prerogative of head of security, as well as the station leader’s significant other.”

  He frowned, “Unless you want to press charges, then I’ll have myself promptly arrested.”

  I snickered, “Nope, I need you to keep my feet warm later.”

  He chuckled, “I see, saved from a night in the pokey by cold feet. I’m a lucky man.”

  I nodded in agreement, and I’m sure my mischievous smile reached my eyes.

  We sat down on the blanket and had a late night picnic, fried chicken, potato salad, and wine. We chatted about everyday things, unrelated to the work we were doing, and I couldn’t help but notice he gotten more and more nervous as the meal went on. Romantic evening, picnic, nervous man, I’d have thought it wouldn’t have taken me quite so much by surprise when he pulled out the tiny jewelry box.

  Truthfully though, Billy had done a lot of romantic things like this over the last month. The only real new variable had been his nervousness. It hadn’t been enough to give me any idea what was coming. I was frozen when he pulled out the jewelry box, and popped it open to show me the glistening diamond ring inside of it.

  “Alicia, I know it hasn’t been all that long since we got back in each other’s lives, but I love you with all my heart. I always have, and I always will. Will you marry me Alicia?”

  I bit my lip in shock, and really wanted to answer, and say yes, but the storm of emotions going though me in that moment had me mute. I nodded in an exaggerated way, just to make sure he understood, and the movement seemed to free my voice. A yes slipped out of my mouth in a yearning whisper. Then I straddled his lap, and we kissed, but I didn’t really remember moving.

  I was thrilled, excited, happy, nervous, and filled to bursting with love all at the same time.

  He chuckled, mostly in relief, when we broke the kiss, “Can I put the ring on?”

  I blushed, “I suppose, if you want to,” I tried to play it cool, and totally failed.

  I couldn’t stop the grin that appeared on my face when he slipped the ring on my finger. It was beautiful.

  He held me as we ate dessert, and finished the wine, before we retired for the night. It was quite a bit later when we finally found sleep.

  Chapter Six

  I looked at my best friend in disappointment, as she clearly wasn’t surprised in the least. It was late the next day, and I’d finally caught up to her. She was busy with the scientist program. Ironically, she’d started to add in personality compatibility matrices in addition to the synergy between disciplines and projects. Apparently one of her match ups worked well on paper, but the scientists came to detest each other almost on sight.

  Now my little joke about a scientist dating website had a little grain of truth in it.

  Kristi snickered, “How do you think he knew your ring size, or what type of diamond cut you liked best.”

  I frowned, it was sweet of him to find out, and to conspire with my best friend, but I felt cheated somehow, mostly because I’d wanted to surprise her I supposed.

  “Fair enough,” I said ungraciously, “Want to join me in my lab, check out the scans. They should be done in about ten minutes.”

  She nodded slowly, “Sure. That actually sounds cool, even if nothing explodes.”

  I snorted and offered teasingly, “We can blow something up if you want.”

  Kristi grinned, “That’s okay, I’ll survive. Unless of course, you have a new way to blow things up.”

  I shook my head in mock sadness, “No, sorry.”

  She sighed and we grabbed coffee on the way to the lab. By the time we got there the initial scan for the ten million lightyear radius area was complete. The oldest data was a little over three weeks, and that would be replaced very soon as the probes went to restart their appointed scan rounds.

  I ordered, “Al, bring up…” he brought up the interface.

  I should have expected it, he was a mind reader after all, literally, but it kind of ruined the theatricality of the moment. I’d have to talk to him about that later.

  The large hologram of our galaxy came up, and I reached inside and closed my hands together, and the milky way shrunk to the size of a pea. Over a hundred other galaxies came up around it. They were all marked with the name, including the twenty or so new ones I’d named myself. Below the name hung statistics, number of civilizations, types by humanoid, Drenil, Bug, and Reilan. As well as the new types which I hadn’t really given names to yet. Right now they were unknown types A through H.

  That meant there were twelve types of life out there, at least within the hundred million light years we looked. Humanoids seemed to occupy approximately eight percent of the worlds. All of the twelve types did. There was a lot of life out there in the universe.

  Below civilizations and types, was a listing of Pre-FTL, Post-FTL, wormhole, and subspace technology worlds. Just the list of four types, and then the numbers. Pre-FTL was in the tens of thousands for most of the galaxies, except the really small ones, Post-FTL was around a few hundred for some, less for others. There were only a handful of wormhole capable worlds, and subspace for right now only included the two in this galaxy.

  Alicia was speechless when she stepped forward and zoomed in on Andromeda two, a satellite of Andromeda, and looked at the numbers.

  She whistled, “Do you see a benefit to opening up talks with any of these? Or should we mind our own business. With wormhole technology even a hundred million light years would be less than three hours away.”

  I shook my head, “It sounds cool, until I thought about it. Just over fifty worlds
is a pain in the ass to keep track of, and we still have ten thousand plus that will join us all one day when they get out into space. It would be incredibly complicated with that many worlds, too many things could go wrong. I also can’t think of a good enough reason or benefit in making contact either.”

  She nodded, “You’re probably right. What about conquering species?”

  I shrugged, “We can’t protect the whole universe. But Al is keeping an eye on all the civilizations, and if any aggressive ones look toward the Milky Way we should know about it. Luckily, there aren’t that many wormhole capable races out there, the FTL races are just too far away to matter.”

  She was quiet for a moment.

  “I have a question for you, is what I’m doing good enough, or should we build more platforms? I even have a smaller design in mind if we do.”

  She pondered, “Maybe we should, a lot can happen in a month. Maybe not a hundred, but more than four? Smaller?”

  I nodded, “We kind of over engineered everything in case of failure. Which makes sense with humans aboard. Worst that could happen is we lose a probe every once in a while.”

  I brought up a three dimensional image of a relatively small sphere with various emitters on it.

  “But I was thinking something about three meters in diameter, a sphere. It wouldn’t have FTL, or wormhole emitters, or anything of the kind for alternate methods of movement, since they’d be essentially probes that have no need to land on a planet.

  “They wouldn’t even have a large fusion reactor to get the singularity or dark energy reactor going, we could jump start them from a ship, once the reactor was live it would have all the power it needed to keep the gravity emitters powered for the singularity. With maintenance nanites that one power source would most likely never fail, but even if it did, it would destroy itself when the dark energy was released, and we could just fabricate a replacement.