United (The United Trilogy Book 1)

by Wheeler, Jaci

  “Oh right, yes. Miles, this is Rosaline a.k.a. Roz. Roz, this is Miles, the Engineer I was telling you about yesterday.” I shook Mile’s hand and was offered a beautiful smile along with his hand shake.

  “Hello Rosaline. It is lovely to meet you, congratulations by the way; everyone is most excited with your arrival.”

  Before I could utter a response Wes piped in, “That’s because she brought me!” Wes said with a huge cocky grin on his face.

  “That’s it, who are you and what have you done with my best friend? You sir have gotten awfully cheeky since we arrived!”

  “Aww, but I thought you liked it when I told jokes Roz.”

  “Hmm, yes, perhaps but let’s keep it to a once a week minimum huh?” At his nod I burst out laughing. “My goodness Wes I’m only kidding. It’s nice to see you broadening your horizons and adding a little humor.”

  “You just missed the announcement Roz,” Wes informed me.

  “What announcement was that?” I asked even though I was pretty sure I already knew the answer to that question.

  “The announcement naming you new President of course. We are supposed to welcome you and be at your beck and call or some such nonsense! You have to promise me Roz, that this won’t go to your head.” I honestly couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. It took me sixteen years to finally figure this boy out and now he decides to go and get a sense of humor on me!

  “Of course not, I will always have you to keep me grounded. Anyway, I’m starving so I need to grab something to eat, are you boys sticking around?”

  “As much as I’d love to stick around and get to know you better I must head back and finish something in the lab. Wes, you are welcome to stay if you want to catch up.” I could tell instantly that Wes was dying to get back to the lab as well, but I could also see him calculating how bad of a friend he would be if he left me here alone so I decided to put him out of his misery.

  “Actually I really was just going to grab a quick bite and then I have a ton of people and way too many departments to meet before the end of the week. Would you mind terribly if we waited until tonight to catch up?”

  Just as I knew it would his face lit up. “Oh of course not; I understand you are going to be very busy, don’t worry about me I’ll be fine!” He hopped up and grabbed his tray to leave. “See you tonight.” He yelled over his shoulder and took off. This caught Miles completely by surprise one that he just left so fast, and two, he was leaving to “go be with miles” while Miles was still in fact here.

  “Well you better go catch up to him, Wes waits for no one.”

  “Yes, duly noted! It was a pleasure meeting you Roz.” And Miles was off to find Wes.

  My stomach chose that moment in time to remind me it’d been hours since I last fed it, and I was more than happy to comply. I chose a pasta dish that smelled and looked amazing, a side salad and a few bread sticks. The lunch crowd had died down, so I sat down at the table Wes vacated and ate as quickly as I could. I needed to find my office and get settled if I was going to get anything done today. Once I met all my direct staff, then I would take on the departments one at a time. I figured I’d start at the place that made it happen, the Career center and then go from there. I must admit I was dying to meet Natasha Starr. After quickly eating, I made my way back up to Annabelle’s floor and found Aspen in her office. The door was open so I stood in the door way and said “knock, knock.”

  Aspen was sitting at her desk typing something into her computer. Without looking up she said “no one is home.” and kept typing.

  I smiled to myself. “Well that’s really too bad, I wonder who I will give this chocolate crescent to?” I said trying to keep a straight face.

  She shot up and her hands reached out in front of her, “ooooo gimme, gimme. I absolutely love chocolate crescents and I had to skip lunch today, you are an angel!”

  I frowned, “I’m sorry, if I would have known that, I would have brought you a sandwich or something to go along with it. I can run down and be right back.”

  “Oh stop Rosaline; you will do nothing of the sort. This is just perfect, thank you very much.”

  “Well make sure you get seconds at dinner then to make up for it.”

  “How about one dinner and two desserts, does that count?”

  “Oh yes, I love the way you think!” I shot her a wink, and took a seat across from her.

  She went back to typing and concentrating hard on a file in front of her. “Sorry, this should only take a second and then I should be finished up here enough to take you on a quick tour, but I won’t be able to stay. Will you be alright introducing yourself around and finding everything ok?”

  She looked a little guilty for not being able to help more which I waved off with a hand. “Of course I’ll be fine, I’m going to be running a country, if I can’t find the people who are here to help me then I am in the wrong job. Just give me instructions on where I need to go and you won’t even need to leave.”

  Aspen brushed back my idea with a hand flick of her own. “First off I need to stretch my legs; I’ve been at it all morning. Second I am under strict orders to take you directly to your office and I don’t want to be sacked!” I scoffed at the idea of Annabelle firing anyone. Aspen ignored me, hit a few buttons and then stood up. “There, I think I’m finished for now, picking up her treat she started walking to the door. "Give me one sec ok." She took out her phone and called Annabelle to let her know she was leaving for a few minutes. Once that was done she slipped the phone into her pocked and took off toward the PVE. “Whew, as much as I love you girl ever since you showed up my job has me slammed!”

  Oh, I didn’t even think of that. Being that the Council was the only ones who actually knew anything I’m guessing most of the paper work and everything fell on Aspen to take care of. Which made me a bit curious, “Did you have to sign a confidentiality report?”

  She laughed, “In blood.” Laughing, I took a moment to enjoy myself. This really was turning out to be much easier than I thought.

  We made our way to my new office, stopping a few times for Aspen to show me where the good coffee carts were (not that I drink it) but they might have chocolate milk so it might come in handy one day. As we waited for Aspen to get her Caramel Mocha I realized just how much I was in the dark about how everything works around here. I’m not sure what I was expecting, maybe a “things you need to know about the Ministry 101 class” or something, which would be extremely helpful, but until then I’m guessing I’ll just have to depend on the brains of the people around me. Aspen is the perfect place to start.

  “So do you also help out with things for other members of the Council or do you work strictly for Annabelle?” I asked out of curiosity.

  Aspen looked at me like I must have fallen and hit my head or something. “Roz, you know that you are the only one who even knows who the members are right?” Um, no I didn’t know this. But how is that possible? She must have read the confusion on my face because she answered my unasked question.

  “In order for the Council to stay as neutral as possible and get everything done they need to without intrusion and without outside influence, no one is actually aware of their individual identities. Annabelle, being the rep, is the only known Council member. I am her assistant yes, and I do whatever needs to be done as far as scheduling meetings and setting up appointments and what not, but when it comes to anything to do with the “Council”, even I don’t know who the others are.” Well that is a lot to take in. No wonder they were so weird about the confidentiality thing. But Aspen was wrong on one account; I’m not the only person who knows their identities. Whatever it was that Natasha had said to get her a meeting with them must have been very good. If Aspen wasn’t aware that Natasha met with more than just Annabelle I wasn’t going to be the one to enlighten her.

  "This was stated in bold on the contract you signed Roz!"

  Oops, note to self, read everything you sign. I gave her a sheepish smile.


  “Interesting,” I said, not sure of what else I could say. I understand the need for the secrecy, but it seemed to be just a tad bit over kill if you ask me; nobody did so I will keep it to myself. The thought came to me. “What about Masters? Surely the head of the ministry of defense has met them?”

  Aspen was already shaking her head. “Nope, not even him. He gets his orders and reports directly from the President; you. He sends the Council a weekly update through the system. If there is something emergent he would meet with Annabelle.” In my daze I hadn’t realized she had already gotten her coffee and handed me chocolate milk. We’re already walking away from the cart and heading towards my new office.

  “You might want to mention an introduction to all things presidential video to Annabelle. It would certainly be beneficial.” Aspen laughed and put her arm around my shoulder. “It’s OK honey, I know it’s overwhelming. I’m sure all the former Presidents felt the same way. You just fake it till you make it and ask questions whenever you need to.” This didn’t seem very efficient to me, but I can understand why they can’t put most things in writing or spare the time to sit me down to train me in depth; still, there has got to be a better way. In all my musings I completely blanked out and just then I realized that I was standing in front of a group of people looking at me expectantly. Aspen giggled and I turned beat red. Great, what a wonderful first impression I’m making.

  Aspen cleared her throat and nudged me forward. “Everyone, this is President Thatcher. Please make her feel welcome and help her to get the lay of the land.” Turning to me she said “Roz, I’d like you to meet Judy Mitchell, she is going to be your personal assistant. Anything you need, just ask her. She will set up all your appointments and will keep your schedule.”

  Judy stepped forward offering me her hand to shake. She was in her late 50’s, and reminded me of a grand-mother figure. She was round and soft looking. Her grey hair was pulled back in an efficient bun. Her soft brown eyes were glowing with excitement and she has a wide welcoming smile. “Hello Miss, it is very nice to meet you. Anything at all you need I am at your service.” Yes, very welcoming, if not a tad bit too formal. I’m sure with time everyone will come to relax around me.

  “It’s wonderful to meet you Judy, and please call me Roz.” This seemed to make her completely uncomfortable and I could see the confusion on everyone’s face as they began to shift their feet. Interesting, I’m guessing President Vaughn wasn’t the informal type, well new President, new rules. They will learn.

  “Well if you are comfortable I shall leave you in Judy’s capable hands. She will introduce you around.” With that Aspen was off.

  “If you will follow me Miss I would love to show you around.” With a nod I followed closely behind. The office was very spacious. There was a large open room with a few nice chairs that Judy tells me is the waiting area. The office is in a circle. All of the outer offices surround the waiting area are in a circle as well giving everything a unified open feel to it. I like it instantly. We walk through the waiting area and she starts with the office on the far end. Introducing me to all the staff that works for me and telling me their responsibilities. I will never remember everyone’s names. Most of the people are much older, ages ranging from 40-60 years old. I try not to let my age make me feel inferior but I can only imagine how they feel working for a teenager. I meet an older man named Bob who seems to be the most unimpressed with me. He is just as polite as everyone else but you can see unimpressed all over his face. I stop and look directly in his eyes, showing no fear is going to be important. Annabelle’s words come back to me. If I want people to be confident in my abilities I need to exude confidence.

  “Hello Bob, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m looking forward to learning all I can from you and I’m looking forward to building our working relationship.” I could tell that I caught him off guard, but there is going to be a lot of work to do in order to earn his respect. Luckily we quickly moved on. I met a very sweet woman named Marybeth and several others whom I instantly forget their names.

  We start to reach the end of the offices when an older gentleman comes out to meet us. “Well hello Rosaline. I’m so very happy to meet you, my name is George.”

  I took his out stretched hand and immediately wanted to hug him. Of course I held back, but he was just so warm and open and welcoming. Between him and Judy I’m sure I will be fine. “Hello George, it’s so nice to meet you as well. Please, call me Roz.”

  This earned a hardy chuckle from George, “Ah, Roz is it? Yes, that fits you well. I’m not sure how well it is going to go over with all the old geezers here who have to stand on ceremony otherwise they’ll fall over.” Ha! This guy is awesome! We are going to get along well!

  I chuckle at his antics. “Yes, well I suppose we will have to show those old geezers a thing or two shall we.”

  His eyes light up with mischief, “oh that we shall young Roz. I’m getting the look from Judy so I suppose I should let you get on with the tour. Please, if you need anything you just come and find old George.” He kisses my hand and goes back into his office.

  I turn back to Judy and notice her disapproving look. “Oh that man, he can’t help himself!” I’m not exactly sure how to take her statement but I smile anyway and follow her into my office.

  “Here we are, if you would like any changes to be made please let Tina know. She is in charge of all the interior designs in the building and would be happy to change it to suit you.” Just setting foot inside I could already see it was gorgeous. I could tell Tina had already made a few adjustments to make it more feminine for me. “It’s perfect Judy, absolutely beautiful! Please tell Tina she did a wonderful job.” Judy smiled wide and told me she would. I took a few moments to take in my surroundings. The office was huge. One whole wall was top to bottom windows. They were adorned with sheer lace curtains that were tied back with yellow ribbons to let the sun filter in. There was a huge oak desk off to the side with two vases of fresh cut flowers on either side of the desk. There was a large seating area with a pale yellow couch and three pale yellow overstuffed chairs. I could just sleep here, it looked so inviting! In front of my desk were two oak chairs with pale yellow cushions with small white flowers. Judy took a seat in one of those chairs and motioned to the large chair behind the desk. “You should try it out, see how it feels.”

  I sat down and couldn’t help the huge grin that was taking over my face. “This is wonderful Judy, everything is perfect, thank you so much.”

  Judy chuckled softly, “well if you are this easy to please all of the time we should get along perfect.” She said. “Now, let’s get down to business shall we? Everything has been left for you in your computer here. She motioned to my desk. I didn’t see anything there so I looked at her and saw her wide smile. “There is a control panel you must bring up by using your hand print Miss. Put your hand on the desk right there and let it scan you into the system.” I did as she instructed and instantly a hologram bluish computer came to life in front of me. It was like the system in the Council and was a bit overwhelming. Judy seemed to follow my thoughts and added, “It will take a while to get used to, but it will be very helpful to you. It will open only for you and it is also voice activated. Anything you need you can request and it is at your fingertips. If you bring up the security screens you can command them to show you any department you’d like and instantly you can see what is happening in that department. “WOW!” I couldn’t seem to form any other words at the moment. This technology was amazing and would be a huge help while trying to keep track of everything. “Yes, it is rather impressive. It was President Vaughn’s early brain child.” She said this looking rather sad.

  “I’m sure you were very close to him, I’m sorry this must be a hard transition for you as well.” I can’t imagine how hard this is going to be on her. She has been with Vaughn for the last 20 years and used to how he does everything; now she is being handed a sixteen year old who knows close to nothing about running a count
ry. I resisted the urge to apologize to her, and my confidence was slipping by the moment.

  “Everything happens for a reason dear. I’ve had a very good career here and the Ministry has seen many changes throughout those years. I’m looking forward to the next 20 years and I’m very excited to see what you bring to the table. You are going to be great Miss Thatcher.”

  I was close to tears and trying to hold it together at least until I was alone. “Thank you Judy, I’m going to try my best, thank you in advance for your patience.” She smiled at this.

  “Well, let’s get to work shall we? As I said anything you need to access is at your fingertips. Use this week to get to know your surroundings and staff. Anything you need let us know and we will help you. You aren’t the only new one, the interns arrived this morning. George is in charge of interns and will be training them and will be working side by side with a young lady who will become your right hand.”

  Just then George walked in with Molly in tow. “Molly!” I shouted! She ran to me and gave me a huge hug.

  “I can’t believe it Roz, this is so amazing! We are going to be working together, how awesome is this?” it was refreshing to have Molly’s enthusiasm. I didn’t realize just how much I missed my friend until she was standing in front of me.

  George stepped up, “Molly is going to be in charge as Director of project management. I held this position with President Vaughn, and it will be going to Molly. Until we have her fully trained the three of us will be working together. Every time a new President is brought in a new Project director must be brought in as well. I will be here as long as you need me, to answer any questions Molly may have, but other than that you two will run the show. Molly has already been debriefed on her Job position but please allow me to explain it to you.”

  The four of us took a seat in the seating area with Molly and I next to each other on the couch and George and Judy taking the chairs. George began, “You see Roz, you are going to be the idea genius. Anything you can dream up that will make for a better future is your job. It is up to our brilliant Molly here to make that dream happen. So in a way you are the dreamer and the planner. Molly is the one that finds a way to make it work. She will be doing all the research and working with the departments to make it happen. In a way she is going to be your go between.”