"Why?"
"Well, when you spend most of your life away from civilian culture it's hard to come back." She hard her own hardships but she's seen worse in people.
It was a hard time to forget, especially with everything she's done when she was younger.
"We weren't allowed to see our families on the Civilian deck. We knew things that didn't get talked about with the population. Imagine trying to live a cushy life holding on to secrets that could change everything." She said.
Celeste sat down in the other chair. This was the most anyone has said to her about this. She didn't want Hariette to stop.
"What was Aurora like?" she asked, an excitement in her eyes to know.
Hariette laughed. "Aurora was the most brainwashed." She said, a wide smile on his face. "No one trusted the system more. It wasn't till our last year that Aurora got his head out of his ass."
"I mean, the system has it's flaws."
"That's true." Hariette said. "And they taught us loyalty and all that. But once they really push you, it's starts to make you crack. Aurora wanted to be Commander so bad that he wouldn't let anyone stop him." She explained. "It was very difficult for me to get this job because everyone was waiting on what he wanted."
"I would've never thought he'd want to control an army so bad." Celeste said.
"Well, things changed. We had a small war after two years of being on the planet, Aurora lost his mind and trapped an entire continent in a beam of energy-"
"What?" Celeste didn't believe that.
"Aurora resigned after that." Hariette continued, she didn't want to stop to give details. "He was forced to come back, and has been where he is ever since."
Celeste got the idea that she wasn't going to get details from Hariette. She wanted stories, not summaries.
"Fine, what about Sirus? He always tells me to mind my own business when I ask him things."
"Sirus is still that guy you try to stay away from." Hariette laughed louder. "He's terrible."
"My dad's great." Celeste frowned.
"He was always angry, always fighting, always yelling. But no one left him alone so of course he was going to be mad." Hariette thought it was amusing. "When he shifted the ranks, everyone tried to fight for his spot. He kicked me out of my placement." She wasn't bitter now, but she remembered the temper tantrum she had when she found out.
"Was he good?"
"I think you should ask him." Hariette said to her and smiled. "When Sirus got paired with Aurora, everyone placed bets to see how long they would last."
"Seriously?"
Hariette nodded. "They both had qualities that they hated in people." She said. "I said a year. Now it's been like thirty-two or something like that."
"I can ask all the questions I want but they won't say anything." Celeste was upset. She wasn't getting much from Hariette either.
"Tell you what." She was going to be generous. "I have to go up to space in a few weeks to get a few resources. Come with me."
Celeste's eyes widened. She hasn't thought about going into space. She had friends that did just to see the Mother Ship, but she never let herself get involved. Now she was being given the chance and she knew she was going to have a lot of clearance to go up there.
She had to say yes.
"I'm going!" She said excitedly. "I'm definitely coming with you!" She couldn't hide how happy she was.
She wanted to see what it was like for the generation before her. She had to know. Hariette offered her a great gift. She did think it was time that Celeste find out about everything she was asking about. She was old enough, no one had to keep secrets from her.
And Hariette was in a good mood. So of course she would help Celeste out.
"I'm going to space!" Celeste said loudly as she put her tablet down on the bed. "Hariette is letting me come with her."
Dri was on the image on her tablet. He figured there was something serious going on since she called three times. He had to take time away just to speak with her, but he was glad he did.
Celeste has never looked happier.
Dri was laughing. "You're finally going to poke around?"
"Hell yeah!" She was excited. "I can get the answers I'm looking for."
She was so excited to go up to space and see what her parents saw. Nothing made her happier.
"Come with me, Dri." She said.
"Uh," he didn't have the same excitement she did. "I don't know if I can take days off for that." he mostly didn't want to be up in space.
He wasn't one to get curious about what was up there. He was only excited because Celeste was. It wasn't going to be more than that.
"You don't want to be near the stars?" She was more than happy. She would be so close to things she's only heard about.
"You mean the balls of fire? I'm not particularly fond of the idea." Dri admitted. "I'm happy for you, and you should go, but I'm not exactly that kind of person."
"For me?" she leaned her head to the side and batted her eye lashes.
He pursed his lips tightly and told himself not to give in to her.
"Let's see what happens." he sighed, disappointed in himself because he liked her too much to say no.
He should've known better.
Celeste always rambled about what it would be like in space. If people were with her at night, she'd point out the stars and projections. She talked about the lights in the sky, what seasons they could be seen and what colors they would be.
But that wasn't all she was happy about.
She would see the place that the previous generation called home, the massive space ship that brought millions of people here. And there wasn't just one, there were multiple for each nation's voyage.
She was lucky to see one of them.
Dri was curious about other things. Clearly Celeste was going to go on about it until they could actually be up there. Dri thought there were other things Celeste wanted to talk about. She had so much happiness in her, and her being able to go up to space wasn't all of it.
"What did Hariette say about your finished blue print?" Dri asked her.
"She was so happy. I've never seen her smile like that, Dri. It's like I made her whole world." She laid down in bed and sighed. "I have to thank Clover. He's the one who explained all that medical science to me."
"So when's this happening? I want one of those cool things." Dri was happy for her, and he did say he would be Celeste's test subject.
"Clover said he needs a couple days to put a few things together under the system and then he'll be good."
"Soon I get to keep all of my memories of you." Dri said to her, smiling.
"We could start now." she had a few suggestions in mind if he wanted to make a comment like that.
"We could." he agreed. "But I have to go back to work."
He was busy, he always was, but he somehow found time for her.
"When do you come back from France?" she asked.
"Tonight."
"Will you come see me tonight?"
He smiled at her again, a shine to his dark eyes. "Yes, I'll come see you." he said to her.
Chapter Nine
There was a massive funeral that was being broadcasted everywhere. Everyone in the American Nations had stopped what they were doing to pay their respects.
The Adviser had died. That's how he's known to the Civilian people.
To the older generation he was the last Captain of the Mother Ship. He would help command the fighting forces. And he made sure the civilian people were safe.
He was an important man, and his time had come when he fell sick.
He did everything he could and didn't regret a single thing.
The day was dreary, it rained earlier and the clouds still remain in the sky. People were outside crowding around as others traveled with the group that escorted the casket. The Adviser had a high honor. He was a decorated man. He was having a funeral like one.
"I feel ignorant." Celeste said quietly as she walked beside
Dri.
She was only here because Dri asked her to go with him. She didn't know what the funeral would be like but she wasn't expecting this.
She wore a black dress, almost to the length of the ground. Her silver hair was down over her shoulders, the only part of her that wasn't covered in black.
She didn't want to look around to see everyone else, but she noticed all the military officials, and other officials from different departments.
She didn't have a badge to show her importance.
She didn't have anything.
She was just a regular civilian. Beside her, Dri was in uniform, all of it, because this was important. He wore all of his badges to show who he was, and he was paying his respects.
Celeste didn't know why.
"I don't know why he's so important." She whispered to him.
She's never seen a funeral so massive. To know that everyone was watching or participating in some sort of way astounded her. No one else got this big a funeral.
Everyone was dressed in black, and groups were filling the streets.
"He was the person the department heads answer to." Dri whispered back. "The President is for the people, Captain Iris was for us."
"Wasn't he in charge of the Mother Ship" She had heard from someone.
"So I've heard." He had heard, too.
Celeste didn't know anything about the previous generation. She didn't think learning about it in school was enough, she knew that information was watered down. She couldn't trust what she was told then.
"Who's taking his place?" She asked.
Clearly they needed a new Adviser. Who was going to keep all the departments in check now?
Dri was quiet for a moment before he looked ahead. "No one knows yet."
They continued to walk with the others in the street. There were crowds and crowds of people walking in silence.
He was debating if he wanted to tell Celeste anymore than he should. Some of it wasn't for Civilian people.
But what he knew involved her father. Maybe he should give her some notice before something happens.
"There's a rumor that Aurora might do it." He said, but Celeste wasn't happy about that.
It seemed that Iris was in his position until the day he died. Celeste didn't want that for Aurora.
Celeste hated that idea. "I want him to retire."
"Well, that's not the main issue." Dri leaned closer to her as they walked. He couldn't let anyone else know what he was telling her. "If he leaves his position, his pending charges will become active. The Department of Justice will arrest him." He whispered.
Celeste looked at him quickly. She had no idea Aurora had pending charges. It's not like he would tell her, but still. Aurora? As far as Celeste knows, Aurora isn't the criminal type. She wanted to know what the hell he did to have pending charges on his profile.
"You're joking." Celeste didn't believe him.
He shushed her. "I've heard it from a few people." he said quietly.
"Aurora wouldn't consider that." she was sure of it.
"Other countries aren't excited about the idea of him taking Iris' place either, they think he might be a dictator." Dri kept facing forward as they walked with the others around them.
They had reached a grassy area, and other peopled filed in behind them.
The plain was empty.
Only one grave was prepared here.
"Aurora as a dictator?" Celeste didn't believe what Dri was telling her. What did others see in Aurora that Celeste couldn't? It was ridiculous how they thought of him.
"I know." Dri agreed with her. "Apparently no one understands the concept of 'democracy' but I can't say that we're entirely truthful."
Some people understand how the department works and who has real power.
"No one wants the position, so I can't tell you what happens yet." Dri said to her.
Celeste was never involved in the politics. She didn't know what went on with the departments, within the borders, with other countries. She wasn't an official for her department so it's not like she could get details. She was just a regular civilian.
The funeral continued. Only a select few were allowed to see the burial. Celeste stayed close with Dri since he knew what he was doing. People were paying their respects, some had said a few words, others cried quietly to themselves. Celeste had to pretend she knew.
But she didn't.
She felt like the odd one out.
She saw multiple department heads talking among themselves and it looked serious. Aurora was with them. Sirus was behind him. Who was going to take Iris' place? It didn't look like any of them wanted the position.
Dri had turned to see where Celeste was looking.
She was watching her parents. There was so much she didn't know and so much she wanted to ask but she felt like it was easier to keep her mouth shut.
"So which way did they have you?" Dri asked quietly, hoping the question wasn't too personal.
There were multiple different processes for parents to have children if they were unable to.
"Empty egg and surrogate." Celeste said, almost distracted, she hadn't even realized she answered. She kept her eyes on her parents. "I don't know who my carrier was. I didn't ask." She didn't think it would matter anyway, she didn't get her genes.
"You're just like them, you know." Dri said, almost politely because he didn't want to upset her.
Celeste already knew.
She expected every child to be like their parents. Some get good qualities and bad qualities. She knew what was what.
"They don't talk." Celeste looked at Dri finally. "I mean, I ask about things that happen before and they won't tell me." she was upset that things were kept from her. "And I get they're protecting me from whatever, but it's not fair." Celeste hated it. She wanted to know about them.
She wanted to see what they saw.
"Aurora has PTSD and I didn't even know that." Celeste shook her head. "I had to find out from the Head of Health and Medicine. Imagine that." She didn't think other people should be telling her these things.
"Don't worry about that now." Dri wanted her to focus. "You're stressed because you're actually starting your research trial tonight." He said.
Dri's surgery was tonight and Celeste had this lingering thought like she shouldn't do it, like it was a bad idea. Harlow warned her but it seemed like Celeste won't listen. The implant would function at ninety-seven percent which was much better than what Hariette and Aurora had.
"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?" Celeste asked.
"Always." Dri smiled at her. "You can trust me." He wanted her to believe him. No one else would have Celeste's back like he does.
He'd protect her with his life.
She smiled at him, too. "You're going to be a great sector leader."
"I already feel like one since I'm handling all the work now." Dri was stressed too, just like Celeste. "Tell Sirus to take a day off so I can. He's killing me." He complained.
"Yeah, like he'll listen to me." Celeste rolled her eyes.
Dri sighed and moved his hands in his pants pockets. Celeste continued to look around. She didn't recognize people. She stayed hidden from the departments.
One of her aunts was there, walking over to Aurora, her cousins with her. They probably didn't know either. Celeste reminded herself that she might not be the only one to be kept in the dark.
"Cersi." Dri had said and straightened up immediately.
Another woman had walked over to them. She was in the same uniform that Dri was wearing, badges all over her. Her white hair was tied up cleanly in a bun, not a strand out of place.
There was a tired look in her eyes as she looked at Dri.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Dri said kindly.
"Thank you." she was grateful. "Iris kept his word and said he would do his job till the day he died, so..."
Celeste wanted to ask her something. "Who was he to you?" she wasn't sure if she was being impolite or n
ot, but she asked anyway.
"My grandfather." Cersi answered. "I don't believe..." She didn't recognize Celeste. When she had introduced herself, Cersi nodded. "You're Sirus' kid." she said.
Right.
"I honestly thought you of all people would be in this department." She said bluntly to Celeste, but she gestured to Dri.
Shouldn't Celeste be taking over sector one?
She never wanted to.
"I think Dri is more of a leader than I am." Celeste smiled.
As much as the question offended her, she knew that Cersi didn't mean it that way. Though Celeste never liked when people assumed she would follow after her parents, especially with joining the Defense Department. No one would know unless she tells them the question offended her.
She kept it to herself.
She was lucky to direct the conversation on to Dri instead.
"He's definitely come a long way, that's for sure." Cersi smiled, though her expression was tired. "Soon, we'll be working together."
Celeste figured that Cersi was about to be a sector leader, and by the badges she wore, it was going to be one of the first five.
Celeste didn't know what that meant.
She smiled as they talked, not understanding what they were saying, mostly because she didn't work for the department.
"You're not going to take Iris' place?" Dri had finally asked Cersi.
"The department heads are deciding that." she looked over to a group that were together. "I hope they don't consider me." she was serious. "I don't know how I'd feel if one of our Commanders took his place either." she said.
"Heard the rumor?"
"That Commander Aurora might do it?" she asked. "Yeah, I heard. Also heard that might make Europe declare war immediately so I don't think Aurora's going anywhere." she scoffed at the idea.
Celeste didn't know what others were seeing in Aurora that she couldn't.
"It'd be good for him to stay." Cersi smiled. "It would be difficult to control an army that has extreme loyalty only to him and the two others."
An Unintentional Evil Page 10