by Jim Rudnick
So she had instructed her aides, that they were to prepare a new room for one meeting per week—getting it ready was the phrase she used but she had no idea as to what they’d done.
This was a room perhaps forty feet long, twenty-five feet wide and it had big spacious windows floor to ceiling that were filtering out the direct sunlight and still allowed a glow to enter the room. There was a nicely staged, round table—the aides knew that she like a round table so that there would be no table-politics by some meeting goers taking an un-protocoled seat placement. There would be five at the meeting today so there were five nicely positioned desk-pads, with a tablet and a pad/stylus combo and the Agenda.
Simple Agenda, she said to herself but her aide was trying to get her attention.
“Mam, sorry—not to ever rush you, but if this room is not suitable, we have also prepared—”
“It will do—nicely too. Thank you. Are refreshments going to be supplied…” said and at the doorway three stewards wheeled in food and beverage trolleys loaded with items.
She looked at the table.
She looked at the windows.
She said to her aide, “cut the filter level down by say fifty percent, I’d like more glow coming off the windows,” she said and the aide made a couple of PDA adjustments and the room brightened considerably.
She nodded and then went to take the chair with it’s back to the windows.
That would put her guests, well at least a couple, in direct sunlight and they’d be uncomfortable. Her face would be seen but still shadowed due to the amount of back-light around her head.
She nodded and held up a thumb and forefinger and told that aide to decrease the sunlight just a bit…and in a moment it was perfect.
She sat. Her Darjeeling tea was carefully set down to her right where she liked it.
She smiled and waited for the meeting guests to arrive and in ten more minutes they all came in together.
Doctor Alex Toombs, her head of Research up in the Secure Medical Labs on the Barony Hospital ship, got the seat to her immediate left.
The Duke d’Avigdor, of the Duchy here on the RIM, took the seat between the Master Adept and the Doctor and smiled as he asked a steward for a small bottle of sparkling water.
Master Adept of the Issian faith, was seated beside her on her immediate right. Both she and the Doctor were not really in the full sunlight, by her design, of course.
The Caliph of the Caliphate got one of the chairs across the table from her and immediately searched in his bag….and put on a pair of sunglasses.
Touche, she said to herself and waved over an aide.
“Sorry, Caliph—could we please see if you can turn down the sunlight that is getting through?” she asked nicely and in a moment, the glow from the windows went way down and she nodded to the Caliph.
“Is that somewhat better, Caliph?”
And he nodded to her. But he did not take off his glasses.
She looked at them all and caught each set of eyes, one by one.
“We are here today to discuss really, only one item…the roll out of the newly successful Ikarian vaccine. While it is the property f the Barony—and you’d need to be able to sign-off on that first, we wish to get an idea of your own feelings on what should be done and what you’d all like to see about this very important upcoming change to the lifespan of every single RIM Confederacy citizen…”
She looked first to her immediate right and the Master Adept.
This woman was old there was no doubt about that simple fact and she often said that she would a hundred ‘soon.’
The Baroness thought that was already a done deal—that the woman who was at the top of the Issian faith on Eons, the mind readers of the RIM Confederacy.
The fact that she could read minds—that she was at the top of her craft was a given.
But like all Issians she knew that what she often saw as a series of varying factors—with no clear cut path or answer.
Sometimes, she knew exactly what someone was going to say or do—sometimes months ahead of the actual time, sometimes only moments.
Today, she nodded to them all, and said as calmly as possible “I have been trying to look ahead and I get no real truthful sense of what will happen when the vaccine is announced and launched. Not a single thing has come through to me. And yes, I’ve posited the same query to my own Issian inner circle and no one can say any different. The Issians are moot on this issue,” she said, but she did hold up a hand.
“That said, I think it will change the RIM—and bring upon us and whomever holds the keys to the vaccine, interlopers, bandits, convicts and those that would seek to steal the vaccine,” she said and that brought the group to a new low.
The Baroness nodded and said “exactly, and we would need to be able to protect the vaccine from that type of incursion—as well as protect the actual formulation from someone knocking off a clone of same. Dr. Toombs, can you speak to that, please?”
Alex Toombs half smiled and nodded his head.
“Yes Mam. As you know we were instructed to find a way to take the virus samples that we were provided with and build a vaccine, from same, that did the same job. We did inquire as to what kind of innate protection we could provide, but we were also told not to let that get in the way of the actual testing of the vaccines, run after run. We achieved a modicum of success and the best percentage that we achieved was 49% success rate. Roughly half of all people who took the 50 CC dose, would end up with a lifespan that was twice as long as the normal average for that race—humans and aliens too.”
He stopped then, but that got him no ‘well dones’ or the like and he shrugged and went on.
“Since we shipped the first thousand doses to the Baroness, we have been working again with the animals testing the efficacy rates and have gotten that up to 54% in just a week. We believe that we can get it up to at least say 70% in another month. After that it’s the little things and that takes always three times the time and four times the costs. But we are on that path.”
“And security, Dr.,” the Baroness asked, sipping her tea and prompting him.
He nodded quickly and said “yes, Mam. We have another separate team working on finding a way to hide the actual patent that we have so far only gotten a Patent Pending protection level of security. We are investigating antigens, adjuvants, expressions, excipients and immunostim DNA sequences. Then others are looking at using the ‘red-herring’ approach, but planting within the vaccine with live, attenuated microorganisms, or subunits that muddy the waters for the research team trying to reverse engineer the successful vaccine. We are looking at all the various ways that we can hide what it is we found and use to double a RIM citizen’s lifespan,” he said and smiled.
She nodded and said to the room.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean that in twenty years, someone will hear the story of the Ikarian sleepers and kidnap some to use their blood to find their own vaccine. Still, we’ll be as protected as we can be.”
She sipped once again from her tea and caught the eye of one of the stewards who brought her a new fresh cup.
Information over; now to realm wants.
She smiled at the Duke and said, “David, could you enlighten us all, with what you would like to see done—and what you think should be the role of the Duchy in all of this?”
He looked down as he toyed with the stylus, spinning it on the pad a little bit and his lips were pursed.
He looked away to the big windows and focused on something off in the distance.
One corner of his mouth slid up a bit and then he turned to face as best he could the Baroness.
“If it’s one thing I know, Baroness, it’s that change occurs quickly and as you age, the speed that this happens increases just as quickly. So many things are new—the Barony Drive comes to mind—that is a galaxy changer for sure. This longevity vaccine, is just as disruptive and in my mind, one tries to measure how such items will affect one’s realm and it’s
citizens.”
He took a large gulp of the water and then he said this.
“The Duchy, of course, will use the Barony Drive—all of our own Navy ships are so equipped and our commercial vessels are still being done. The Drive is one thing—but this, this vaccine. To be honest, it’s launch scares me. I wonder if our citizens will all scream for this opportunity, or in fact after some reasonable consideration—realize that this solves nothing. In fact the doubling of life means that mom and dad will end up for sure living in one of their children’s basement or dome or out in the backyard. I guess what I’m saying is, that a lifetime that can be twice as long—is perhaps not something that will a universal best seller. The narcissistic yes, but honest to goodness plain working citizens makes me wonder. I know this—that I will never take the vaccine myownself. Never,” he said and his reasoning though not to her liking, said that there were alternate viewpoints that needed consideration.
She nodded. She already knew that the AI in the room was recording all, but she made a mental note to re-watch the Duke’s piece and to listen much more carefully. Maybe she missed something—some plea for something else—because in her mind not a single RIM Confederacy citizen—the Duke included—would turn down an extension of years to be alive. No one.
She looked finally at the Caliph, who still wore those sunglasses, and she said “and the Caliph—where do you see this new vaccine?” she said.
He nodded and took the sunglasses off and looked her straight in the eyes. He clasped his hands together and leaned towards her across the table. At six foot five, he was as tall sitting as many men were standing and he had her full attention.
“We would like to thank the Barony and it’s Baroness for the opportunity to speak to this issue. As others have noted,” he said and he pointed at the Duke now, “there are all kinds of views, and we know that you’re asking for counsel on this—and here’s what I’d like to offer. We—the Caliphate, will take all of the successful samples that you have been able to produce so far. I will administer them to myself, my family—all my wives and children. If there are any left over, I’d give them to others in the Caliphate. I believe in this vaccine and what it can mean for us—the Caliphate that is—and in fact for the whole RIM Confederacy too. This is an opportunity that comes along—once in the lifetime of the galaxy itself, so why not take advantage. Early bird gets the—well, you know Mam,” he said.
He’d not looked away, his eyes had remained locked on hers. He’d not moved nor had his hands fidgeted either.
Focused, she thought….focused like a laser.
She had heard once that his family with all those wives and children and now grandchildren ran to almost three hundred souls. That was a lot of vaccine to administer but then that was how it was planned to be distributed.
She nodded and said plainly, “thank you one and all. I will take your counsel to mind and have an answer for you soon. Doctor, can I ask that you give us some privacy please, but do wait outside the door” and the brace of EliteGuards inside the room with them opened up the door, and the Doctor nodded to them all and the door was closed behind them.
The Baroness waved over at an aide, who picked up three boxes and placed one carefully just to the right of each of the three remaining guests. The Duke got one, the Caliph got one and the Master Adept got the third one too.
It was a small box, and it held a simple ampule of the vaccine and a short paper dosage instruction list.
It almost said open your mouth, squeeze the contents of the ampule into your mouth, swallow, and live a longer life.
She pointed at the boxes and said.
“There is a single dose inside those boxes. You literally pour the contents of the ampule into your mouth and swallow. And you double your life—well, if you’re genes are in the what, 54% of the testing group.”
She smiled at them and the Duke reached for the box…using one finger, he started to push it away…then he stopped.
Instead, he now reached over the top and slid it back towards him and as he shrugged, he looked to the Baroness.
“For an aide that has been with me my whole life….I think she’d like it,” he said sheepishly.
The Baroness smiled and said “of course—it’s yours to do with whatever you wish. And as Executive Committee members, you an your worlds will be the first ones which we roll out the vaccine to—you all have my word on that too,” and she smiled at them in turn.
Each got up, box tightly gripped in their hands and nodded and mumbled their goodbyes and see you at the next Council meeting in two weeks…
#####
It probably should have been a surprise, but Gia thought to herself that no, somehow as soon as she saw the notices that there would be a wedding—the biggest one ever it said on the RIM, she knew it was true.
Her brother was to marry into the Royal family that ran the Barony of Neres—in fact he was marrying the next Baroness it said. She knew that it would happen as the news feature said, in a bit more than two months from today. She knew that it was going to have over ten thousand guests, take place right on the Baronial grounds in front of the new wing built specially for the couple. She learned too, that every Head of State of all the realms here in the RIM Confederacy were not only invited—but had already agreed to come and be a part of the ceremony and the huge reception to follow.
She had learned of it in two ways too—which worked in her favor. One, was the feed of the news feature that was on all the news vid stations and if you missed it—don’t worry, she knew, as it’d be playing again in just a few minutes.
It was the other way, that was the surprising one. Gallipedia had actually Ansibled her PDA asking if she could take a call. What with her five year Sabbatical not being over for at least a year and some, she took the call anyways and it was her boss from back on Branton, Debbie who actually was more of a friend than a boss. It was a quick conversation and basically it boiled down to this. That if Gia was on the RIM, as she said she was going out the ‘ends of the galaxy,’ would she be interested in covering this upcoming wedding for Gallipedia? Stringer like, at a freelancer’s rate too, if she would like to do that. Debbie would get all the proper credentials and such in her name and all she’d have to do was to show up, take some photos, interview the bride and groom and then Ansible back in her story. About a day’s work and she’d get paid too…paid in so many ways.
She almost laughed out loud with delight; a method for her motive and it had been handed to her as a freelance assignment.
What could be better—and more than that, a fully credentialed Gallipedia reporter would be expected to have full access to the wedding ceremony, the wedding reception and all the ‘behind the scenes’ areas too. Surely, in such a plethora of venues, something would make itself apparent to her as being the best place to make her play.
“Ms. Scott—are you ready?” a voice down-range said to her and she jumped with a start.
Setup of the new range each time took about five minutes and that she thought should be shortened, but then this was the RIM and this was a retail store shooting range. She nodded and put on the earphones that kept the noise level down to what wouldn’t make her ears ring for hours after.
She walked up to the firing port once again, and said to herself, let’s take some pictures…
And when the green light came on over her head, she picked up her camera and pointed it down range.
Forty feet away there was a silhouette of a man at life size.
She clicked the ON button and the display screen on the camera lit up, and she twisted a dial on the top to PIX and the display changed from the one with a thumbnail of the most recent picture taken to one that was live looking out of the lens. She could see the silhouette and with the zoom feature, she was able to center that image and enlarge it nicely.
The camera lens came with a set of cross-hairs too, figuring that the photographer would use them to take a better photo by centering the image exactly.
&nb
sp; Now that’s true for a photographer or an assassin, she said to herself as she held down a button on the bottom of the camera and then clicked the button on the top to take the photo.
Only no photo was taken. Instead a .240 mm bullet was fired, and a hole appeared in the silhouette.
The loudness of the shot shocked her at first, but she knew that it was important for the sound to be loud, so that people reacted.
Near the center, but not quite where she’d aimed, as it fell to the right a touch.
She went back to the display screen, made a teensy adjustment by moving the cross-hairs slightly to the left one notch.
She went back to lens view and then ran another round and zoomed in to see that yes, that was perfect.
She had put a slug where the cross-hairs pointed and that made her happy.
One is only as good as what one shoots, she’d once heard another reporter say—and she had to agree with that thought.
She put eight more slugs into the same silhouette and noted that they were all so tightly grouped dead center on the silhouette that she couldn’t even count the holes in the target.
She smiled.
Camera, okay.
She had already targeted the pen, and while it was as accurate as it could be, it was not her favorite weapon. It shot teensy flechettes that could carry a poison if needs be. The Weapons Shop would, for a price, work on coming up with some kind of formulation for same…but she had chosen at this point to just have a lethal dose of some kind of venom. The flechettes would be ready for a pick up in a week or so.
The PDA she didn’t like at all, but she had taken the time yesterday to get trained on how to load and shoot same, but as it was on her left wrist and she was right-handed, she doubted on her ability to deliver a slug from forty feet away.