by Ben Winston
She ducked into her wing’s ready room to get cleaned up and presentable. Less than ten minutes later, she was getting off the maglev on the command deck freshly showered, and in a clean cover-all. She entered the briefing room, faced the head of the large table and saluted.
“Sir, Cadet-Lieutenant Talena Williams reporting as ordered.”
Ian returned her salute and put her at ease. “Before we begin these proceedings, I’d like to introduce Senior Lieutenant Grossmen and Captain Myers. Chief Grossman is our new Bosun, and George Myers is our new Gunnery officer. Please welcome them to the ship, and introduce yourselves as you get the opportunity.” He nodded to Major Harris. “It’s all yours, John. Ladies?” As Ian stepped away from the table, to take a seat in the small spectator’s area, so did Beth and Jenny. Cindy and her hover-chair were already there sitting beside Janet Laskar.
Talena looked a little apprehensive since Ian and her lovers stepped away from the table. That could only mean that the action to be decided today was serious enough for her family to remove themselves from the vote.
John and the rest of the chiefs saw the look of apprehensiveness on Talena’s face, and let it play out as long as they could. They all seemed to relax as they watched her facial features harden into determination and saw her stiffen in resolve.
John finally took pity on her. “Cadet-Lieutenant Talena Williams, you’ve been called before this assembly this evening because a proposal for your emancipation has been brought to us. This petition is sponsored by the Command and Medical sections; therefore they have excused themselves from this decision.
“It is our understanding that this petition has been brought to us without your knowledge or consent. So, before we proceed any further, we need to know if you agree with the proposal that has been offered on your behalf.”
“I absolutely agree, Sir.” Talena replied proudly.
John nodded. “You have now become the petitioner. Would you and one of your sponsors please take a seat at the table, and we can proceed.”
Talena moved to the indicated chair, as Ian came forward to sit beside her. After they’d taken their chairs, Talena took Ian’s hand under the table, and beamed up at him. He winked at her.
“For the record, would the sponsor please state his name and position, please?” Bill Laskar asked from his chair
“Ian Williams, commanding officer of the Federated Starship Star Dancer, CAV-zero-zero-one-seven.”
“Thank you, Commander,” Bill replied.
“Cadet-Leftenant Williams, if I may ask; why do you wish to be emancipated?” The very pretty, British, Combat Operations Chief, Major Chloe Brighton asked.
Talena turned slightly to face the woman. “That’s complicated, Sir, and has more than one answer. First, but only by a small margin, I feel a duty to this ship, my commander and my crewmates. The best way I can think of to fulfill that duty is to become a combat pilot so I can serve to protect this ship, and my adoptive planet.
“Second, I feel that to be honest, I need to mention the absolute love I feel for the family that adopted me. When they first rescued me from the malfunctioning cryo-pod, I resented them for not letting me die. However, that resentment was quickly replaced by love for my new family.” Talena smiled sardonically.
“That love was quickly replaced too. One by one, I fell in love with each of them. I very much want to bond with them, if they’ll have me.”
Her smile disappeared completely and she looked each of the officers in the eye. “My childhood ended with the death of Starlin, my mother, my friends and the rest of the original crew. I do still miss them, but my life continued without them. I still carry the child I was inside me, but I’m no longer that child.”
John nodded to Janet Laskar. “Counselor Laskar, May we get your professional opinion on this matter?”
Janet stood, and moved up to the table. “I frequently get opportunities to speak with the Cadet since my daughter happens to be in love with her. I find that she is impressive in both maturity and intelligence, and is well balanced mentally and emotionally. She’s quite able to care for herself even if she didn’t have the loving support she already has. Professionally, I see no reason to deny the petition; I feel it would be insulting not to approve it.”
“Counselor, the petitioner just admitted to some pretty rapid emotional changes. That seems at odds with her being mentally well-balanced,” Chief Dommer of engineering asked.
Janet gave him a small smile. “In most cases I’d agree with you, Chief. However in Talena’s case it actually serves to prove my point. Consider this; you’re fourteen years old. Everything you know; mother, girlfriend, and almost everyone you’ve ever met, are gone. In some cases they may have literally died right in front of you. Regardless, you still saw some of the pain-contorted bodies lying around you. Even the place you’ve lived your entire life is no longer safe for you. Any ‘well-adjusted’ adult would become suicidal under those conditions. Talena was no different. Granted the only reason she accepted Commander Zeus’ idea was mostly due to a lack of will to oppose it. She none the less went along with it, thinking that her wish to die would still be granted.
“Then, four and a half millennia later, you awaken on a bed, not a bunk, on a planet, not the ship, and some young ‘clone’ of the man you spoke to only an hour before, a man you watched leave the ship with the rest of the crew, is smiling down at you. To top off all of that, a woman that looks exactly like a blond version of Zeus’ wife, Hera, is there standing beside the exact duplicate of your dead mother wearing a different uniform.”
“I’d’ve thought I actually was dead, that or I’d gone completely, bloody insane!” Major Brighton said softly, but looked down the table to Major Dommer for his opinion.
“I agree.” Major Dommer nodded. “In that instance though, I would have found a way to make sure I was dead. Just that final situation alone would have been more than I could’ve adjusted to, I’m sure. Thank you, Counselor. That certainly put it into perspective for me.”
“Doctor Williams, with the Cadet’s permission can you testify as to her physical condition?” John asked.
Beth moved to stand beside Talena, but Major Dommer quickly got up and pulled out a chair for her. She smiled a thank you to the man. Then turned to Talena for her permission. Talena nodded her agreement.
“Cadet Talena’s physical condition, with regards to her physical maturity is somewhat difficult to report on. Because of the unbelievably long cryo-stasis she’s gone through much about her physiology can’t be considered normal. It appears that her body may have stopped maturing at roughly the age of twelve to thirteen. What affect this will have on her in the long term is difficult, at best, to predict. It’s doubtful she will physically age much more than she already has.
“Be that as it may, I would point out to the panel that most of the mature adults in our society appear quite a bit younger than they actually are. In some cases that difference is quite pronounced,” Beth finished.
Major Reynolds from the Armory looked concerned. “Doctor, since the extended cryo-sleep has stunted her growth, does that mean she won’t be able to have children?”
Smiling sadly to let the woman know that no offence was taken by the question, Beth replied. “I’m sorry, Major, I can’t answer that question. It’s not relevant to this discussion. Only the Cadet will be able to answer your question for you.”
Debbie blushed. “Oops! Sorry Doctor, Cadet. I didn’t even realize I was being nosy.”
“No offense was taken, Major. Once we’re off duty though, you can ask me again,” Talena replied.
No one else had any questions for Beth, so she moved back with her wives and Janet.
John looked to the monitors that Talena now noticed were active. “Councilor Belden?”
Ian’s ears perked up at the title, but figured John was just addressing him as a member of this council.
Luke nodded. “We have decided how to vote on this, Major. However, Councilor Jo
hnson wished to make a statement.”
Ian again caught the title, and wondered why everyone suddenly had different titles. However, this was for Talena, so he put it to the back of his mind for now.
John nodded acceptance. “Is the Councilor ready?”
Before Luke could answer, Laura Johnson appeared as a hologram beside the table. “I am, Major.”
“Thank you, please proceed,” John smiled and nodded in welcome.
Laura clasped her hands in front of her. “I spoke to several people down here that have had interactions with the Cadet. Even though the truth has been revealed to everyone, those who know her refuse to believe that Talena is only fifteen. I feel it’s a relevant point to express the irony that the residents down here will happily accept the fact of faster-than-light travel, aliens, and all that entails, but they have a problem accepting Talena’s real age. They admit when they first saw her, she looked young, but once they got to know her... Well, no one can convince most of them she’s less than eighteen, and in some cases, older. There were no dissenting or derogatory comments or opinions. She is viewed as a member of Commander Williams’ family, as a wife though, not as a daughter. Actually, no one ever really believed the ‘adopted daughter story’, but at the time didn’t want to publicly admit to their real thoughts,” Laura shrugged as she finished. “The opinion of the people of New Talos has been given to Chairman Belden so he may cast the vote for the town.”
“Thank you, Councilor. Dr. Punjab, do you have any questions or comments?” John asked.
“Only a comment, Mr. Chairman. We of the scientific community can prove that age is not a good indicator of maturity: we have found that several members of several governing bodies of State as well as Federal level of most countries are of sufficient age as to be considered to be an adult. However, their actions clearly call that status into question. Miss Williams is proof that the opposite of this phenomenon is also true. What this means is physical age is not a reliably determining factor in gauging maturity. We recommend that Miss Williams’ petition not only be approved, but that she be allowed to run for public office as well.” Amal said with a stone-cold, straight face.
It took a minute before the first giggles and soft chuckles were heard, since no one knew if Amal had been intentionally clever or it was an accident. The silliness of the statement finally got to the group, and everyone was soon laughing. Dr. Punjab was grinning like it was Christmas; it was the first time anyone had heard him make a joke.
When everyone had gotten a good laugh, and calmed down, John called the meeting back to order. “We have only one more witness, folks. Major Dancer?”
The hologram of the ship’s AI appeared beside the table. “Yes Major?”
“We’re ready for your testimony; please proceed.”
“Before I begin, Cadet-Lieutenant Williams, do I have your permission to offer information from your personal file as testimony relevant to this decision?” Star asked Talena.
“Only for the purposes of this conclave, and only relevant to this decision, please,” Talena replied. Star nodded acceptance of her restrictions, turned back to the assembled, and began.
“During my maiden voyage, we were to make a port call at Alpha-ca Station to pick up some colonists and more crew. A very pregnant, Honors-Graduate of Engineering was one of the people waiting there for us to arrive. However, as we were docking, the ensign gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Talena and I both arrived at Alpha-ca station at roughly the same time. I guess it was her maiden voyage as well.” Star smiled down at the girl.
“As she grew up, it was commented on many times that young Talena seemed much farther along than other children of her age group. Beginning about six months before the attack on Talos, my records also show that her mind absorbed, and still absorbs, knowledge at a rate slightly faster than an average adult human. The lack of change in her personal learning rate would be consistent with a physically mature mind, indicating that she had indeed reached adulthood. Much of the decision to allow her to join the Flight Acadamy was based on that fact alone.
“Since reaching the current learning plateau, her actions, even in private, have been consistent with those of a playful adult and not a teen-aged young person.
“I feel that I should mention that during her time at Talos, instructing the young ones there, she was also subtly guiding them to respect and help each other, as well as to accept the way of life we all now have. I feel that because of her guidance, those young people were able to actively participate in the discussions that took place the night of the Commander’s broadcast. By doing so, they in turn helped their parents to make the final adjustment to our current situation. I do not believe an immature young person would be capable of the required subtlety,” she finished.
“I thought ‘IQ’ never changed?” Bill asked, curious.
Janet stood up from her seat. “It’s a common fallacy that IQ measures intelligence. It doesn’t, it measures our ability to learn; nothing more. I believe that what Major Star was referring to was how fast Talena’s mind was absorbing the data offered it. While the two are close, they are still not the same. IQ is the measurement of how well she CAN learn verses how well she IS learning. A person with an IQ of 150, which is genius level, can be dumb as a box of hammers if they don’t have data available to learn,” Janet seemed about to continue on when John cleared his throat.
“That really is a very interesting topic, but not actually relevant to the decision before us at the moment. Thank you, Counselor. Major Dancer, do you have more to add?”
Star straightened to attention. “No sir. It is a given that there is far more available data, but all of it supports my statement. If needed, and with the Cadet-Lieutenant’s permission, I can keep the data available for further inquiry.”
“Thank you Major, that won’t be necessary. We’ll be voting on this issue in a few moments,” John replied, thanking her, and excusing her at the same time. Star ‘walked over’ and ‘took a seat’ next to Jenny.
“Ladies and Gentlemen; I would like to recommend we break for a few moments to consider the evidence brought before us. I remind everyone that regardless of our personal feelings, this is a very serious matter. This decision is irreversible and has the potential to destroy this young woman’s life,” John said sternly.
“I’ll second that, Mr. Chairman,” Dr. Punjab said.
John nodded. “Motion carries. We’ll reconvene in ten minutes.”
Talena and Ian joined their lovers, while the rest of the panel got up to stretch their legs. Talena had just finished hugging the ladies, and Ian was about to ask Jenny about the new titles when someone cleared their throat behind him.
“Begging your pardon, Commander. Cadet, this is Bosun Arnold Grossman. Since he’s literally fresh off the boat as it were, he’d like the opportunity to make your acquaintance before he adds his mark,” George Myers said. He turned to the older-looking man. “Arnie, this beautiful young lady is Cadet-Lieutenant Talena Williams.”
Talena saluted, and after he returned it, she offered him her small hand. The contrast between the two was almost absurd. “Certainly! What would you like to know, sir?”
As the Bosun led her off a few feet to talk quietly, Ian leaned in to speak quietly to George. “He does know that no matter what, he should be sure to let his own conscience guide him, right? I really don’t expect anyone to suck-up or vote the way I want them to.”
George nodded. “I explained it to him. That’s the reason he wanted to talk to her. He doesn’t know her from Eve. Even with the testimony, which was pretty one-sided by the way, he said he’d feel better about casting an honest vote if he could at least talk to her.”
“That makes sense, he did get dropped into this on pretty short notice,” Ian said.
“I don’t remember meeting him, when did he come aboard?” Beth asked.
Jenny grinned. “The Bosun and part of his team arrived on the red-eye from Talos early this morning. I doubt he’s ev
en been to bed yet.”
“Somehow, I think you might be right. I wonder if he saw Andrea while he was in Talos,” Beth replied.
George looked a little chagrined. “No he didn’t. I believe his reasoning was,” He switched to a gruff sounding imitation of Grossman’s voice. “If they make me younger, none of these kids they gave me will listen to me. ‘tis part o’ th’ job to be a gruff ol’ bastard! It took my whole life to get like this, and I think I finally got there. A Bosun needs to be intimidatin’; who’d be scared o’ some scrawny kid?”
About that time, Bosun Grossman burst out laughing at something Talena told him. ‘So much for the gruff, old bastard image,’ Ian thought.
Distracted, Ian forgot to ask Jenny about the titles, and instead fell into a discussion about the arrival of new personnel. He noticed that John was about to call the meeting back into session, but Ian nodded to Talena and the Bosun now in an animated, but quiet, discussion. He held up a hand with his fingers splayed to indicate five more minutes. John nodded understanding.
No one seemed to notice the passing of the extra time when John finally called them all back to the table.
“Does anyone need more time to consider this decision?” John asked the room at large. He did look at George and Arnold since they were the new guys. Both shook their heads.
“Very well. Major Dancer?” John sat down as Star once again approached the table.
“Since this is a personnel issue, the vote must be kept private. The program will even keep the information of who voted yes or no from me. I will however be tabulating the votes. In order to remain anonymous, the computer will use each of your ocular devices to display the question along with the options in front of you. Be very sure to read the three option buttons because ‘yes’ will not always be on the right. If, after five minutes, you still have not cast your vote, the computer will record ‘abstain’ as your vote,” Star finished the instructions.