Michael held up a finger. “We have the time-dilation working perfectly. We can have them still live through the years while they go through the process.” He added another finger to the first. “They can develop their control of the Etheric in safety, meaning they can die as many times as necessary to learn how not to get killed. We can spend as much time as we have with them. Thanks to the time dilation, our visits can last for weeks at a time, and we have five years of their lives where we know they're not going to skip ahead. Finally,” he brought out his ace last, “nobody can kidnap them in the game.”
Bethany Anne stepped down from the enormous stand she was about to make and looked at Michael with interest in the subject for the first time, her face frozen as she sped up her own thinking before turning to the monitor. “How long would it take?”
ADAM had the answer. “I can’t be a hundred percent certain, but around three months is my best estimate.”
“It wouldn’t make up for their infancy…” Bethany Anne was mulling it over when the door crashed open.
Peter stumbled in fully panicked. He held Tabitha clutched to his chest in one arm his eyes open showing pain, confusion, and fear. “She just collapsed! Help her!”
Bethany Anne and Michael rushed into action. Michael took Tabitha’s body from Peter and rushed into the room next door with the Vid-docs. It took only a minute to get Tabitha into the machine.
Michael paused in setting the Vid-doc up to look at Peter for a moment. “What happened?”
Peter threw up his hands. “I don't know. She's been puking a lot.”
ADAM cut in from the speaker. “Tabitha is suffering from an allergic reaction. Her body has shut down to divert energy to her nanocytes.”
Bethany Anne placed a hand on Tabitha's Vid-doc. “What is she allergic to?”
“Unfortunately,” ADAM’s reply stunned them all, “it's the baby. While the fetus is in perfect health, Tabitha's nanocytes are registering the baby's unique nanocytes as invasive. To her body, it's like she has a massive infection.”
“I knew she had morning sickness,” Bethany Anne began, “but this?” Her voice trailed off as she looked at Tabitha's ghostly pale face through the window.
“What's the solution?” Peter asked, hardly daring to hear the answer.
“The solution is to keep her in the doc for the duration of her pregnancy,” ADAM told him. “I can monitor her and the baby and keep them both stable that way, but I can't imagine she's going to be too happy about that.”
Peter made a face. “I'm going in with her.”
Bethany Anne turned away from Tabitha's Vid-doc. “Of course you are. Have you told her what's going on?”
Peter shook his head, his hand on the window of the Vid-doc, his eyes fearful as his voice dropped. “She's not answering on our link. I'm scared she's going to die, Bethany Anne.”
Bethany Anne squeezed his hand as she opened a link directly to Tabitha’s mind. Tabitha, are you there?
There was nothing for a moment, then Bethany Anne heard her name being screamed. It was faint, but she followed it to its source. Tabitha.
Tabitha’s relief came pouring out. Oh, BA, I am so fucking glad to hear you. I thought I was dead! I can't die and leave Peter and the baby. The baby! Is he okay?
Bethany Anne sent Tabitha a wave of calm. The baby is healthy. You're both going to be fine. ADAM will explain the medical stuff to you. What happened?
Tabitha sounded small and scared. I don’t know. One minute I was watching Pete assemble nursery furniture in our new place, the next I was here. There was a pause, a feeling Tabitha was trying to look around. Where is here?
You’re in the Vid-doc. You got a new place to live? Bethany Anne shot an accusing glance at Peter, who was too distressed to take any shit about keeping secrets right now. You didn’t tell me you were looking to move. I would have helped.
Yeah, we just moved into the empty guardhouse by the secondary food store. About that, I wasn’t hiding it from you. I found it by chance while Pete was gone, but I didn’t want to tell anyone in case I jinxed it.
Bethany Anne bathed Tabitha's consciousness in warmth and another wave of calm. I don't want you to freak, but you have to stay in the Vid-doc until you have the baby. Peter is getting ready to jump into the Vid-doc next to yours.
Tabitha groaned. I take back everything I said about liking pregnancy. How are Alexis and Gabriel? Are they awake yet?
Bethany Anne's heart fell. No. Their nanocytes are pretty fucked up, and they need to stay in the docs for a while, too. It's looking like we have to age them to fix the problem.
That sucks, Tabitha commiserated. I know how much you hated it when they grew so fast while you were gone. How long will it take?
About twelve weeks, if we go through with it. Bethany Anne swallowed a lump as she explained the situation briefly to Tabitha.
Tabitha made a sympathetic noise. I’m not getting out of here any time soon. Twelve weeks isn't so long. I can hang out with them while they're in here.
Bethany Anne explained about the time dilation. You’ll experience a lot more time than is passing out here.
No problem. Tabitha sounded almost grateful for the inconvenience. I’ll have plenty of time to think about what kind of mother I want to be.
Bethany Anne paused for a second.
What’s wrong? Tabitha asked.
I feel like I'm relying on everyone else too much, Bethany Anne admitted, her mental voice soft. I should be the one staying in here with them. It didn’t take long for the fight to keep them safe to start making me miss so much time with them.
You won’t be at war forever, Tabitha assured her. But in the meantime, someone has to keep us all safe. Besides, I'm fully expecting you to return the favor and step in the second I start fucking up as a mom.
Bethany Anne laughed. You should stop being so hard on yourself. You’re going to be an amazing mom.
A shuffle behind Bethany Anne caught her attention. She half-turned and saw Peter practically dancing with worry. Is your link to Peter still not working?
No, Tabitha pouted. You’re the only one I’ve been able to get through to so far. I can hear everyone, but they can’t hear me.
Bethany Anne turned away from the Vid-doc and met Peter’s searching gaze. “She’s still in there. She says she can hear you, but she can’t be heard in return.”
“That sounds like another nanocyte issue,” ADAM suggested. “The full results of the tests on both Tabitha and the baby will be done soon, and then we'll know for sure. I need a decision from you both on the twins. What course of action do you agree on?”
Michael sat and rested his head in his hands. “I believe that aging them is the best solution if we can agree on how it is to be done.”
Bethany Anne still wasn’t sold. “What are our other options?”
“We already covered them,” ADAM told her. “Stripping them of nanocytes practically guarantees they will die—either now from this malfunction, or in the future from old age or something else. Replacing their nanocytes with yours is just as risky since we have no way of being sure we won't end up right back in this situation or similar. Neither would be pleasant for Alexis and Gabriel.”
Bethany Anne closed her eyes for a long moment. Michael appeared beside her.
He wrapped his arm around her and tilted her chin up to kiss her eyelids one at a time. “This will work. It will not be easy for any of us, but Alexis and Gabriel will be stronger for the experience.”
Bethany Anne opened her eyes. “You mean the trauma they're going through?”
Michael inclined his head. “Some call it trauma, and that's fine. Others call it adversity. They strive to overcome it and use it to motivate themselves to higher goals. Both our children are cast from the second mold.”
Bethany Anne made a face and stomped on his big toe in frustration. “Dammit. Why are you always right about this stuff?”
Michael rested his head on hers. “When you've been alive
as long as I have...” He paused as a thought occurred to him. “Or likely sooner, since we are talking about you. You will watch the same things happen so many times that it will become second nature to see straight to the heart of the matter.”
Bethany Anne thought about that for a moment. “You mean accepting that this is the best course of action for Alexis and Gabriel?”
Michael’s fingers stroked her shoulder. “Yes, my love. Before it is too late.”
Bethany Anne pushed away from Michael and moved closer to the screen. “ADAM, what are the risks with this option?”
“Minimal,” ADAM confirmed. “One of the reasons I suggested this route is that the twins are likely to experience a period of unmanaged growth as a result of the overload, even if we stabilize their nanocytes.”
“So doing this is the logical choice. Okay, I agree. But don't take their whole childhood. They still have to have those experiences.”
“I understand,” ADAM replied. “If we set their growth to level out again at say, nineteen—”
“No,” Bethany Anne cut in. “That's too long. Five years sounded like more than enough time. You can set it to fourteen maximum. I want to keep the twins’ accelerated growth to a minimum.” She glanced at Michael to confirm.
Michael agreed. “That’s about where they are mentally. We can use that time to provide the life experiences children of that age need.”
“No problem,” ADAM agreed easily. “We can always get them back into the Vid-doc if it's not enough.” He did something that caused Alexis and Gabriel's Vid-docs to light up. “Okay, they're in the rejuvenation cycle. Tabitha will be waiting for them, so they aren't alone when the game begins.”
Bethany Anne’s shoulders dropped.
Michael didn't miss it. “Is something bothering you?”
Bethany Anne sighed. “I would rather be in there with Alexis and Gabriel, but I have to check on the QT2 base. I knew being a parent wouldn't be a cakewalk, but I didn't imagine the challenge would be being there for them.”
Michael finally tore himself away from the screen. “If you need me to create some time for you to spend with the children, just say so. I can visit the base and get Bart's report in person. You can hop straight into the Vid-doc and get them settled.”
Bethany Anne considered Michael's offer, then lifted on her toes and kissed him. “Thank you, my love. And check on how Giselle is doing with station management for me after you and the Admiral are done playing in the shipyard.”
“Of course.” Michael kissed her and left to arrange for transport to QT2.
Open Space, SSE Fleet
Loralei was entirely certain that this situation was going to suck for her, which was pretty standard in her experience so far.
She considered that she’d had what could only be described as an interesting life. Each time she sacrificed herself, she went knowing that there was a chance her backup would be lost or corrupted too badly to retrieve her.
If Loralei survived until the end of the war, she intended to compile an e-book about her part in the major plays. She already had the title.
Lessons on Being a Complete Badass.
Still, that was if she made it to the end, since dying was getting to be a habit for her. The shittiest part of her current situation was that she'd only just gotten a replacement for the body Bethany Anne had commandeered for ADAM.
The upside was that her sisters had been really jealous when she’d told them ADAM had trashed her body.
But she was digressing, and that wouldn't get the information she'd torn from the enemy EI's mind back to her Queen. She only had one-point-zero-five-eight seconds to act before the window during which her daughters could escape without detection closed.
However, she had a plan. She'd made multiple copies of the data, which she now gave to her daughters along with her backup.
They Gated out almost at once, and Loralei relaxed in the knowledge that at least one of her daughters would make it back to the drop with the location of another splinter world.
Loralei’s perception of time meant the last few tenths of a second were an eternity. Her self-destruct sequence completed as the swarm of drones swooped in on her ship.
She observed the reaction that blocked the cutoff which prevented her core from shifting into overdrive.
With most ships that wasn't a problem, but Loralei had disabled every redundancy and linked the self-destruct with her Gate drive for a bigger boom.
The final hundredth of a second passed unnoticed for her as the drones converged on the Loralei and loosed their redundant weapons.
It was already too late.
Loralei went out laughing as her death lit the void.
The explosion mushroomed from her location, causing concentric destruction waves to ripple outward as the few thousand closest drones followed suit.
Meanwhile, Loralei's daughters escaped to relative safety with their precious loads.
QT2 System, QBBS Helena, Command Center
Admiral Thomas wasn't entirely sure that naming the station after his mother-in-law was the best idea.
She might take it as a sign that they wanted her to live aboard full-time.
It wasn't that he didn't like Helena. She was actually pretty decent as mothers-in-law went, but her impending presence was driving his wife batshit crazy.
Giselle's easygoing manner had evaporated the moment she’d heard that her mother was even thinking of visiting.
He didn't want that pressure on his wife, not while she was settling in as station manager, and definitely not while they were adjusting to living in a construction zone out in the ass-end of space. He’d considered renaming the system Buttfuck Nowhere, but thankfully he’d realized funny and true were not synonymous in this instance and stuck with the original designation.
CEREBRO cut into his wandering train of thought, their voices interweaving to create a pleasant harmony. “Admiral, Michael is due to arrive shortly. We thought you might like time to check the shipyard before he gets here.”
Admiral Thomas got to his feet, grabbed his jacket, and headed to the elevator. “CEREBRO, are you reading my mind? Did you inform Giselle?”
“Of course,” CEREBRO replied, a variety of emotions inlaid in the simple confirmation. “Although I could have saved the effort since she had the station ready for inspection a few hours after we received word that Michael would be visiting.”
“My wife has the advantage of her part of the station being mostly completed,” Admiral Thomas qualified.
He shrugged and walked out of the first elevator, crossing to the elevator that would take him to the middle level of the station, where he could get a shuttle to the shipyard. “I’m a practical man, and I know my wife: when she wants to impress someone, she gets very specific about her choices.”
They rode the elevator down in silence. When the door opened he exited in something of a hurry and set a course for the one functioning transport station.
CEREBRO flitted along the speakers in the corridor, keeping the Admiral informed on the station goings-on. Once in the shuttle, they resumed their silence until they reached the partially-constructed shipyard.
The shipyard at this time looked like an upturned winter tree with its roots exposed. When it was complete, it would resemble something like a dumbbell held out to the side of the station.
As it was, the shipyard had been designed for immediate functionality, and many of the shining branches already bore fruit.
Admiral Thomas surveyed the hive of activity as CEREBRO brought the shuttle into the landing queue at the top end of the shipyard.
The landing queue moved somewhat slowly as the ships at the head of the line unloaded cargoes of building materials and the people to work with them. Apparently, Michael wasn’t worried about waiting for a little while in the line.
Wonderful. Now he could hassle a few others before meeting Michael.
The Admiral made his way through the site to search out the four-leg
ged Yollin Qui'nan.
He found the architect and site manager in her office, surrounded by schematics and reports on various ongoing projects around the shipyard.
Qui’nan danced around the holoprojections on her four legs, her mandibles working nonstop as she relayed her orders to the team leaders.
Admiral Thomas knocked lightly on the door to get her attention. Bethany Anne might have called informing him of this shipyard an apology for pulling the Izanami out of nowhere, but he didn’t see how tripling his workload was much of an apology.
Thank the stars for his wife, and for Qui’nan. The pragmatic solutions the Yollin architect offered to whatever problem he threw at her made the Admiral wonder if there was some deity he should also be thanking for the blessing of such competent females in his life.
It was Qui’nan who had suggested they begin the first phase of their shipbuilding efforts as soon as the skeleton of the shipyard was finished. As a consequence, he was in a position to surprise Michael with the news that the first consignment of superdreadnoughts would be ready much sooner than expected.
Qui’nan turned to add a note to one of the lists and finally noticed him. She swept the holoprojections to the side. “Greetings, Admiral. What can I do for you?” Straight to the point as always. Qui’nan had no time to waste chatting about frivolities.
Admiral Thomas entered the office. “Michael is on his way.”
Qui’nan inclined her head. “Yes, I know. It’s on the schedule. So?”
“So your progress reports on the fleet would be useful.”
She nodded again. “I’ll submit my reports at the end of the working day, same as always.”
Admiral Thomas shook his head. “Not today. I want the latest on everything. I’m going to need you to keep me updated on the priority projects while Michael is here.”
Qui’nan looked up from where she’d been eyeing the work the Admiral had disturbed. Her mandibles clicked together, “Are you trying to keep him distracted?”
Admiral Thomas nodded. “Hell, yes. Of course. I’m going to be tap dancing the whole time he’s here with my fingers crossed behind my back that he doesn’t order anything else.” He sighed and wiped his tired eyes with a hand. “Although, I suppose it could be worse.”
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