by Mark Wandrey
"Decades? Sir, I don't know the first thing about science, how can I possibly help? I mean, beyond basic applications of Concordia tech operations and what we learn in school, that is to say."
"Naturally, or you'd be in our branch. You have to realize the nature of our problem. Most of the hard scientists in the Chosen are civilians. Sad but true. Most true scientists have little time for muscles and guns. The Trials are so unfair to the type of brains we need here. Still, a few do get through from time to time,” he chuckled and patted his chest. “And I flex my muscles when I can to get a few into the Chosen despite their lack of cavemen skills. Having a place on the Chosen Council has its advantages, you realize." Another stack of parts was sent crashing to the floor, again without notice. Minu didn't even try to stop it this time.
The strange machine stopped spitting fire and was beginning to hover up off the counter. Out of nowhere a crab type robot skittered along the counter and grabbed the apparatus before it could float away. An animated struggle between mass and lift quickly ensued. Minu was so entranced she missed what Bjorn was saying again.
"-sometimes a different tact is needed."
"I'm not sure I follow."
"It's like the old story of the kloth around plateau? For decades they would line up thousands of soldiers and battle the beasts into submission. Then one day a pig farmer up and suggests just using bait to lead the migration around their territory, thus giving them time to build that grand migration wall. Now they're scarcely more than a nuisance each year."
Minu knew the story well enough. It was Mindy Harper's husband who came up with the plan to divert the kloth using goats and pigs as bait. What she didn't know was that he was a pig farmer! "So you’re saying that maybe I can see something the scientists are missing, even though I really don't even know what they are doing?"
"Exactly!" he yelled and jumped to his feet just as the apparatus managed to lift off the shelf, crab-bot in tow. "I was waiting for that to happen," he said and grabbed the device. To Minu's surprise he began to fly himself. "I suspected as much!" he said gleefully as he floated up toward the ceiling. "You see, it has no effect on mechanicals, only biologicals are imparted the graviton neutralizing field! Mechanicals are lifted through brute force!" The crab robot gave up and dropped back to the counter where landed nimbly on its spindly legs. The bots optical sensors watched impassively as Bjorn's head bumped against the ceiling.
"Fascinating, sir."
"Isn't it? Just imagining the applications makes me dizzy? Or maybe it is a residual effect of the anti-graviton?” Minu suspected multiple collisions with hard objects. “This bears further experimentation. I don't suppose you will grab my leg and see if it extends to you?"
"I really should find my assignment and meet the team, sir."
"Of course, or course. There is another reason why a few commanders are needed over here. Just a moment and I'll come down and go with you." He tried to let go and his hand stuck like it was glued to the sphere. He looked surprised and amazed at the same time. "Well, I do seem to have a dilemma. Maybe you better go on without me while I figure this out."
"Will you be okay?"
"Me? Certainly! Tell Arnold on the way out to give you your assignment, and then ask him to come in and give me a hand?" Bjorn bounced off the ceiling and began to drift toward a massive stack of EPCs. "And do ask him to hurry!" he said as he made flapping motions with his free arm like a swimmer. All he succeeded in doing was sending himself into a spin on three axis. He was beginning to turn purple as Minu excused herself.
Arnold, his assistant in the outer office, gave Minu a computer chip then listened patiently as she explained his bosses latest hi jinx. "Again?" Arnold said in an exasperated tone, "I'd hoped he'd given up on that thing. Took us almost a day to get it shut off last time." Minu left just as a resounding crash echoed from the office and EPCs came rolling out of the doorway.
She popped the chip into her tablet as she walked and it provided all the information she needed. Her billet, on the ground floor at the end of the wing, her office on the third floor (things were looking up), and lab assignment. Lab? What did she need with a lab?
First she stopped at her billet, a small private room about two thirds the size of her old bedroom in the Chosen Tower. She found her bins waiting and added her backpack to the stack. After exploring the tiny kitchen and private bath (excellent!) she went up the lift to her office.
If her room was small, the office was positively minuscule. Still, it was her first office with a secure computer hookups as well as places to store hard files and even a small fluid display wall like the one in Dram's office. She played with the controls for a minute before settling on an ocean scene. It seemed a little out of place in the concrete cubical, but it made her smile. She could make it pretend to be a window if she wanted. Aside from snow and rocks there wasn't much to see this time of year in the mountains so the ocean scene stayed.
Next she headed for her lab. Stepping through the open doorway she found it to be about twenty meters long by half that wide. One entire wall was a fluid display and the floor was laid out in a grid to allow power and data feeds to be moved as needed to several reconfigurable work benches. Another wall was lined with row after row of shelves and cabinets, each sporting a programmable digital label describing the contents. She went over and opened one and found it full of all kinds of scientific apparatus, most of which she had no clue to its use.
"You break it you buy it," a voice said from the doorway. He turned and saw a four silver stared science Chosen standing there with hands on his hips looking annoyed. He spotted the four gold stars on her cuff and sneered. "How did you get in here anyway, the lab is coded. Only members of the team assigned her should be able to enter."
"Well,” she said, “to start with the door was propped open. And second, maybe I'm in here because this is my team?" He looked taken aback. "Minu Alma, command," she said and offered him her hand.
"Alijah Richards, embarrassed." he said and took the preferred hand. As they shook she noted his thin dexterous fingers and total lack of callousing, just like Pip. "Pip said our commander would be a girl, and I didn't believe him."
"Believe it. Now where is everyone?"
"Home for the day. Most just got back from the memorial in Tranquility."
"Okay, we'll meet here at oh eight hundred tomorrow. Please email everyone and let them know I want a staff meeting."
"Understood," he said. Misgivings aside, he was still a Chosen. She nodded and headed out the door. "Now to the cafeteria," she said as she headed for the lift. Tomorrow would be a busy day.
Chapter 10
Octember 2nd, 515 AE
Science Department, Chosen Headquarters, Steven’s Pass
The meeting the next morning went better than she hoped, and worse than she'd planned. It can never be an easy thing telling a bunch of experts in a field that their new boss is a sixteen year old girl with no experience.
Pip was glad to see her and rather pleased that he'd planted the idea in Bjorn's mind. Of course Minu got the impression that it wasn't too hard an idea to plant since Bjorn was friends with both her father and Jovich. She'd run into Bjorn at breakfast and he'd acted like he didn't recognize her. He was a very mystifying person, or borderline senile. Pip handled the introductions to the rest of the team.
Alijah, whom she'd met, was a specialist in high energy physics. She found out later that this meant he knew how EPC worked and could design things to use them. Next was Terry Drake, a blond haired man in his late twenties. Why he still owned only four stars was a mystery. He was probably the best looking man she'd ever seen, in an almost surreal way. He could easily have been a model back in Tranquility. His demeanor was modest when Pip explained he was a brilliant electronics engineer and knew materials science to boot.
The last member was Mandi Bishop. Minu was surprised to see another woman enter the lab, then noted the civilian clothes. Bjorn's comments on civilian scientists working
for the Chosen came to mind right away. Mandi was the oldest in the team by far at thirty years old, and she was as good looking a woman as Terry was a man. Her curly brown hair was meticulously kept and she favored tight fitting blouses that emphasized her amazingly large breasts. Minu fought the urge to look down at her own modest bust for a quick comparison, not that there was much of a comparison. She shouldn't have been surprised when Mandi asked the first question.
"So, is it true that you were in the same class as Pipson?"
"If by class, you mean the same Trials, then you are correct. Is there a problem?"
"I just find it hard to understand why they put a young girl like yourself with no scientific background in charge of this lab."
Minu looked at her for a long moment. Mandi was probably ten centimeters taller than her and tried to use every millimeter to her advantage. Minu grew up as the shortest girl in her class, one of the shortest girls she knew. When you were surrounded by taller people, the leaning tower of intimidation just didn't work. Minu's father once said that 'small man syndrome' was something almost completely reserved for males.
"Well, I guess you better speak to Bjorn about that concern, as my assignment was his and the Chosen Council's decision. In the meantime, I am in charge of this lab and I mean to get down to business." Mandi smiled acidly and gestured with her hands as if she were offering Minu the lab as a present. Sooner or later I'm going to hurt her, Minu thought as she took a computer tablet from the holster on her hip.
The computer holster was a staple of most people working in science. Minu first saw one on the mission to GBX49881 where Pip had worn three. The standard issue jumpsuit belt of basic synthetic web material easily accepted a number of removable pouches and holsters including one designed for the small handheld computer tablets. Minu's use of the ubiquitous computer holster caused Mandi to give a surprised double take. "I've reviewed the research schedules and want to make the following changes. First, the examination project of that Mok-Tok EPC interface is to be moved up to the top of the list. I want Alijah to push this along with Terry providing backup. I have a feeling you guys are going to strike pay dirt with this and maybe we can see some practical applications results. Next up will be the reverse engineering project on the salvaged gravitic impeller labeled GI-011."
Minu glanced up from her tablet from time to time to see how her orders were being taken and found them all with jaws hanging open. All except Pip who was watching Mandi out of the corner of his eye with a devilish evil grin on his face. Even through Mandi's slack jawed surprise there was resentment showing through. Minu had gotten very little sleep last night. She spent the hours gaining the in depth knowledge of her team and their research projects. After more than a year as a Chosen, a night of lost sleep was a small challenge.
She went on for a few minutes, reprioritizing their work for the next six months before putting aside the tablet to summarize. "That's what I have so far, any comments or suggestions?" All except Mandi made a few minor points. Minu made notes on her tablet and told them she would take them all under consideration. Command training emphasized that team members would respect a leader who valued their opinions, even if they seldom used them. They nodded their heads and she smiled. She'd shown she was open to input while also showing she was in charge and would exercise that power. Pip subtly gave her a wink of encouragement and her heart swelled.
Once the meeting was over and the team was going about the morning work Mandi came over. Minu could tell she was spoiling for a fight and decided she'd just let it happen and be done with it. "I want a word with you," the much older and taller woman said.
"Fire away," Minu said with her most amiable smile.
"What do you think moving my impeller project back to second? I've been prepping that reverse engineering project for over a year."
"I don't understand your question."
Mandi blinked and gawked. "What part don't you understand?"
"The part where you asked what I was thinking. I was thinking when I saw last years research logs it looked like a cluster fuck. I was thinking I'm in charge of this lab and need to make this schedule productive, instead of indulgent of individual wants and needs."
"So what made you decide to just bump a project that I've been working on for longer than you've been a Chosen?"
"Reading."
"Huh?"
"I read your briefing and all your project logs-"
"All of them? How could you-"
"Do not interrupt me again," Minu said in a slow measured tenor full of warning, and took a half step closer. Despite only coming up to Mandi's chin Minu set her jaw, leaned back her head and speared her with the striking green Alma eyes of doom. Mandi clamped her mouth shut and took a half a step back before she could catch herself. "As I was saying, I've read all your logs and project briefings since you were assigned the artifact. It lead me to the clear conclusion that you are probably at least another two months from being able to actually begin physical work, and set up at this point is a waste of resources. Maybe some preliminary breakdown and disassembly, but that hardly requires the attention of the entire team. The EPC interface that Alijah has been working on is already half finished and would benefit greatly from the entire the teams dedicated efforts. Perhaps we can complete the interface report and then be available for other projects much sooner."
Mandi clearly wasn't ready for this. The young little snot-nosed Chosen not only had a firm grasp of what the lab was doing, she also knew all the personnel and how best to use them to the teams advantage. Minu also knew that the big busted civilian was bullying the rest of the team to make her own pet projects a priority. She was also a cast off from a dozen other Chosen science teams. Her file said she was considered unreliable and highly resentful of the Chosen. A little research had answered the mystery of that last item.
"Mandi, I know you tried to be a Chosen and didn't make it through the Trials." Minu watched her face turn bright red and a little vein start to pulse on her left temple. "I know that you once owned a small scientific firm in New Jerusalem and it went bankrupt five years ago. After that you bounced from firm to firm until landing a general research assignment with the Chosen. Considering the resentment you're harboring for the Chosen I'm sure it was a last resort job.
"Now after all of that I'll tell you one more thing. I've reviewed your qualifications and think you are a top notch engineer. Some of the civilian work you did is brilliant and if your company hadn't been mismanaged by your financial investors you'd still be doing great. I also now understand a little better what Bjorn meant when he said that the Trials should be better balanced between brains and brawn. The Chosen are poorer for not having someone like you on the inside."
"Oh," was all Mandi managed to get out. In the course of a few seconds Minu first puffed her up like an over inflated balloon, then pulled out the plug and let all the air out. The woman just didn't know what to say. "Well, I guess we better get to work,” she finally said.
"Thanks. Any time you want to talk, my office is just down the hall." Mandi walked toward her work bench, glancing back at Minu once over her shoulder. Pip was doing his best not to fall on the floor laughing. All in all, an interesting first day.
* * *
"Science?" Gregg sputtered around a spoonful of potatoes. Aaron, acting as if his friend was choking (which he wasn't), smacked him in the back hard enough to send several spoons full of potatoes sailing across the cafeteria.
"Hey!" several people protested. Minu laughed and Gregg apologized as he reached around to massage what no doubt would be a bruise.
"How did you land in science of all places?" Aaron asked while Gregg wiped up potatoes. Minu noted Aaron looked even more muscled after a month. He was also quite a bit more tanned while Gregg was medium rare.
"It's a long story. What's with the tan?" she asked Gregg, pointing at him with a skewered piece of mystery meat from her tray.
"GCX01998, a true garden spot of the galaxy." Aaron sa
id between bites of salad.
"Garden spot, eh?" she asked.
"Sure, if you like B sequence stars way too close to the planets," Aaron sneered. "The planet is tidally locked with the star so the side facing is cooked while the terminus has a narrow inhabitable band."
"Very narrow," Gregg agreed.
"So what made it worth it?" Gregg just shrugged but Aaron had a theory.
"There is this ancient Concordia facility at the terminus between light and dark, the planet it tidally locked to his sun, you see?”
“You already said that.”
“Right, sorry. So this place is mostly half melted junk now but our commander thinks it was once an industrial facility. Something to do with harvesting molten metals that bubbled to the surface in the sunlight side." Minu took a bite and nodded.
"Have you ever wondered how big the industrial base for the empire must be?" Gregg asked. Minu just shook her head as she chewed. "Our commander says there are thousands of these factory worlds scattered around, all abandoned. They just wore out and were abandoned."
"Well why don't they fix them up, or whatever?" she asked after swallowing. Neither of them knew the answer. Just then Cherise showed up.
"What's this I hear about you being in science now?"
"Really, she's in science?" This time it was Aaron that got slapped in the back by Gregg who'd swung as hard as he could. Aaron put out a hand as if he'd felt a few tentative drops of a rain. Gregg sputtered and Aaron started to laugh. His guffaw was cut short by Gregg's plateful of potatoes in Aaron's face. Aaron roared with rage and grabbed his own half eaten plate and the battle was joined. Those seated nearby figured complaining was useless as a general food-fight broke out. Chairs scraped and people dodged for cover as the two men went to war. Minu snatched the remains of her lunch and fell back to another table with Cherise. The boys ran out of food and switching to wrestling, each trying to shove the other’s face into the mess of trays and food on the floors. A second later they crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs, chairs, and goulash. Minu shook her head and sighed as a few other scouts came running in to break up the fracas. Other nearby Chosen held their trays as they stood and watched. Minu saw some money exchanging hands as bets were placed.