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“Mylea,” The qQueen walked into Mylea’s office, “Have you heard?”
“About Lamile,” Mylea asked, she was in the process of closing up her desk to go meet Lamile. David had called her to let her know what was going on.
“Yes,” The Qqueen replied. “Want company?”
Mylea hesitated. While she wouldn’t have minded the young woman’s company, she wanted to have some private time with her wayward daughter. She hadn’t seen her in over a month and she knew that with what else was going on that she maywould not really get a chance to spend much time with her over the next few weeks.
“Your highness,” Mylea said, “if it’s all right with you, I think I would like to see her by myself.”
The Queen nodded, and said, “If she is done with her charges, and you wouldn’t mind, I would like to meet with her and you at 20 today. I know I know, but after I complete spend the few minutes on that unpleasant business; I would like to spend a few pleasant minutes with two people who I think a lot of.”
“Okay, your majesty we’ll be there.!” Mylea said as her driver and protective agent came in. “Ready to go in a second Tony.”
The mounted patrolman nodded and tried to become part of the wall as the qQueen left the office.
Mylea was tempted to have her driver take all the way here to where the kids were; but thought better of it. She was where the kids would be shortly and if she waited for them where she was she would be out of the way of the people who were helping them. She didn’t want to be a problem. She watched as the news media began to arrive at the staging point. As they got out of the cruiser where they had parked in a restaurant’s parking lot, Tony pointed to a column of smoke. “That may be getting worse XO.”
“I know,” Mylea said then spoke to the cars expert system, “Computer, tune to the fire network and the group that is fighting the fire just outside of Trenaport on the north side by the sea.”
“Wild Land Fire Control to Trenaport dispatch,” A voice called over the communicator as the expert system found what Mylea wanted, “I need additional units at the Wanderer Fire.”
”We’ll dispatch another full alarm.” The Trenaport dispatcher called back.
“Wild Land fire control this is Chief 1.” Janet Able’s voice came over the communicatorradio, “You are ordered to go defensive only. We’re sending you more bull dozers, and other brush clearing equipment. Do not try to save homes. Just keep the fire from cutting the main road.”
“Chief 1 we copy! dDefensive only. Save the road and nothing else.” A The voice calledsaid. That did it for Mylea.
“Tony! Get me there!” Mylea said, “I want to be where those kids are. Number 12,” She addressed the cruisers expert system, “give me flight ops.”
“This is Fflight Ops, XO.” The AI controlling air ops called,
“Stand by Flight Ops, XO to Chief 1" Mylea ordered.
“Go Mylea,” Janet returned, her head floating in the holo of the com set to look at Mylea.
“I’m going to order the alert birds in to pick up those kids. Do you want to load it with fire fighters or something?”
“Yes,” Janet exclaimed, “Tell them to hold for a FireBots battalion. They’re on the base we just need to get them to the birds.”
“Janet can they be air deployed.” Mylea asked having never seen a FireBot one of them before.
“They can be orbital deployed.” Janet responded.
“Good I’ll be forward with the kids. I will go no further than the rear end of the kid’s column. I got to make sure they are safe.”
“Understand XO,” Janet said knowing if her daughter was in harm’s way, she wouldn’t be as calm or as collected as Mylea was appearing to be. It was one thing to watch other’s children be in harm’s way it was different when it was your own.
“XO, flight ops. General Langtree already has the bots moving. ETA to you is less than fifteen minutes. I am launching the alert bird off the Mercy. They’ll air deploy a medic team and be ready for a combat evacuation.” A human voice said.
“XO copy all. Tony. Move your ass!” She yelled at her driver as she slammed the door on the cruiser. The police cruiser roared out of the parking lot and down the road. Tony brought the siren and lights on and soon found himself having to slow down as two hover cycle cops fell in with therm. If he hadn’t he would have ran over them. They made it to the kid’s column in less than fifteen minutes. Just in time to see the landing craft come screaming in at tree top level and vomit twenty firefighting robots onto the fire. They were tracked vehicles with old fashioned bulldozer blades, and digging equipment. They also were equipped with presser and tractor beams to pull and push other stuff out of their way. There was a small tank of fire retardant and high expansion foam, as well as some small lasers to start back fires. They were designed to either put down a fire or make a fire break. They had been very effective in fighting wild land fires. They were supervised by two human operators who were on the last two vehicles out of the landing craft.
Their first order of business once on the ground was to form up on either side of the road and then engage their blades and move into the fire. Although the fire hadn’t reached the road yet, the fire team leader commanded the FireBots to drop their blades and tear the ground up between the fire and the road. They knocked down small trees, and left an ugly scar on the ground. When they were finished they had grubbed out everything to a depth of six inches for two hundred feet on either side of the road for several hundred yards down along it. They coated the ground with fire retardant. As they finished their first pass the team leader came up to where Mylea was standing.
“Good afternoon Chief!” The young woman said, “FireBot Bat 3 at your service!”
“That was impressive.” Mylea said as another landing craft came in, landing in the middle of the road. She was watching the kids troop by and had yet to lay eyes on her daughter. She wondered where she was.
“Just a day’s work for us,” The woman said, “I think we can keep this thing from spreading at least long enough to get those kids out of here.”
“Thank you Bat 3.” Mylea said as the woman climbed back up on a FireBot and started to ride back into the fire.
“Mom,” Mylea heard Lamile’s voice. She turned and saw Lamile carrying a small child in her arms. “What are you doing here?”
“Just keeping an eye on my troops,” Mylea said. It wasn’t too far from the truth.
“Yeah right,” Lamile was nearly drowned out by another landing crafttransport landing. A couple of militia men jumped out even before the front ramp was fully on the ground. They got the ramp ready for the kids to board. A third landing craft landed and began getting ready to load the children.
“Alan,” Lamile yelled. “Lieutenant, get them aboard. I need a head count no one lifts until I get a full count.” She looked up and saw an IRS landing craft, “Wanderer to IRS”
“Go ahead Wanderer” A voice called in her ear bug.
“I need a slow low pass on our line of march! I want you to verify that there isn’t anyone on the road after us.” Lamile called.
“Aye Wanderer sweep being made.” The pilot called.
“Wanderer this is Mercy 2 we have an empty bay. Can we be of assistance.” a second voice called.
“Lieutenant we got enough lift on the ground?” Lamile asked as her mother watched in awe as her daughter handled the situation. Her baby was certainly no longer a baby.
“Affirmative major,” The Black Guardsman returned, “almost too much.”
”Mercy 2 we have enough lift on the ground. See if the FireBots can use your help.” Lamile said releasing the landing craft to the fire department.
“Major,” The Lieutenant called. “We are short two souls.”
“Who?” Lamile replied panicky.
“Well if you got aboard the LC we would be full up.” the man answered taking the child from her arms.
“Okay,” Lamil
e said walking with her mother to the landing craft. “Mom I got to go with the kids.”
“I know.” Mylea replied she was torn between, going with them and going back to the palace in the end run she knew that Lamile had to finish her self-appointed task by herself. “I know. Take care of your people. I’ll see you at Serenity in couple of hours. Climb into something suitable for court. We got an appointment with the Queen at 20. I will meet you at the palace.”
“You’re not mad” Lamile had to ask.
“Uh we’ll talk about that.” Mylea replied. She had gotten over her anger weeks ago. “Just get your people to safety.”
“Okay Mom,” Lamile said hugged her mother and ran up the ramp to the landing craft’s cargo bay looking around one last time before disappearing inside.
When the landing craft had taken off Mylea called over the com system, “XO to all forces at the fire. Good job! XO is clear and in route back to EVAC. XO out”
“Okay XO! I have you departing the Wanderer Burn.” A voice called.
Mylea walked over to her staff car and told Tony to get her backhome. As they left the area she saw five trucks pull up loaded to the gills with people all carrying shovels, picks, saws, and other wild land firefighting equipment. They were followed by a couple of fire trucks. The FireBots had done their job of fire suppression; but the human crew would over haul and make sure the fire was contained. By going defensive they knew they would lose some homes; but they had to keep the road open for a while longer.
Every Last Mother's Child Page 154