“I’m running up on the character limit for my message, so I want to tell you in the space I have left that I love you and I was proud when I received the news you were assigned to the Armstrong. I would have liked for you to have been with me here on the Aldrin, but I guess that is just not how things were supposed to be.
I also wanted to tell you that over the last two years, I’ve missed you terribly. I know I wasn’t there for most of your childhood and I missed you then, too. But, this has been different. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t been able to keep in touch because of the blackout. Anyway, I’ve been informed that video calls will be re-established for the officers and crew in the battle group soon. Full open communication is still not allowed. That is why this has to go through the sieve.”
“One final thing before I go. I found the attached file on an old memory card. It’s an old video of you that your mom sent me of your third birthday party. I don’t know how well you remember her, but this is exactly how I remember her. I never saw her again after this was taken. I don’t know if I ever told you that. I would like to believe she has been watching over the both of us since she’s been gone.”
“I love you Dawn Marie, with all my heart.”
“Dad.”
Russo smiled as she thought about the video.
She had to admit she remembered little about her mother. She could remember her voice more vividly than her face.
Russo opened the video and watched it again. She had lost count of how many times she had viewed it already.
It started off with a newly three-year-old Russo running around a fenced-in back yard with her playmates and cousins. She was a petite toddler with light skin, green eyes and short, curly black hair. Her cheeks were rosy and she seemed to be having the time of her life.
Russo remembered seeing this video when she was a teenager, but she didn’t remember anything about the event where it had been recorded. She fast-forwarded the video about two minutes and restarted the playback from that point. It was the first appearance of Russo’s mother.
She looked as different from the child as a parent could. She was tall and blonde with a bronzed complexion that was much darker than the milky white skin of her daughter.
She did share one feature with the toddler. When she picked up the pre-school Russo to enable the videographer to get a close-up shot of the both of them, her green eyes sparkled.
Russo froze the video and sat on the bunk, gazing at her mother, who, in less than a month from the time the video was taken, would be dead.
Russo closed the video and moved on to reread the response she sent to her father’s hyper-mail. She had tried to fill him in on as much as possible. She was sure the sieve would have blocked at least some of her description of Zunnuki and the situation there, but she still put as much in as she could.
“Dad,” the message said.
“I was so relieved to hear from you. The communications blackout had everyone here and back on Earth worried.”
“Unlike you guys, we have been in direct communication with Earth since we left. We went on alert as soon as we got close enough to planet IV to pick up radio chatter from the inhabitants, but we’re standing down at the moment.”
“I wish we could have been together on the Aldrin also, but I agree with you that this must be how things were meant to happen.”
“You’ll be happy to know I finished my pilot training just a month before the Aldrin broke orbit. I have enough hours now to rate in three different classes of sub light fighters and shuttles. I even rated in the new Shrike class of FTL transports.”
“I’ve been keeping up with my hand-to-hand and PT, just like I promised I would, even though this man’s military would have to be pretty much decimated to send a nerdy waif like me into combat. And, although you probably don’t want to hear this, being a fleeter and all, I’m glad I chose to become a marine.”
“I am settled in here on the Armstrong now and have been promoted from flight surgeon to bridge medical officer status. I take turns with Yu, Stiles, Feinberg and Chandra-Rao sitting in on staff meetings.”
“And, you heard correctly; the fourth planet is inhabited by a human civilization. They call themselves, ‘Zunnuki’. What are the odds of both battle groups finding humans in two different places?”
“There is something else I wanted to mention. I think you will be surprised. We found the expatriates. We are processing them for the return to Earth as we speak.”
“The greenhouse was still in orbit. You’d have thought they’d have emptied it and dropped it into the sun to keep us from finding them.”
“I was on the first inspection crew to board and it was scary. They were using the livestock cloning labs to create hybrids of all sorts. They created an army of human-cat hybrid slaves to use as soldiers to exterminate the Zunnuki.”
“The feline hybrids turned on the expatriates and gained self-determination a few years before we arrived. I don’t know all the details, because the official investigation into what occurred here is still ongoing and all parties involved have been tight-lipped about the whole affair.”
“I’ve gotten to know two of the feline soldiers quite well. One is named Morning Grass. She is one of my regen patients. The other is Teacher. He is Morning Grass’ mate.”
“I consider Morning Grass and Teacher my friends. Most of what I’ve learned about the felines and the expatriates has come from my conversations with them.”
“I love you, and I miss you, too. I can’t wait to be able to talk with you and catch up.”
“I hate to close by telling you I’m in another tight spot, but I don’t want you to learn about it from anyone else.”
“Morning Grass went through some sort of trauma at the hands of the expatriates; and it caused her some psychological distress. It resulted in her hallucinating and attacking one of the medics. She injured him permanently and she is facing prosecution for it. It was an isolated event, but she was categorized as a hostile combatant at the time and you know what that means.”
“After undergoing some therapy she is mentally stable and I succeeded in getting her reclassified. Since the cats are not native Zunnuki and were created from genetic material that originated on Earth, we gave them naturalized status and Morning Grass has been allowed to enlist in the CEF. But, because of the attack, she still faces disciplinary proceedings.”
“As you might have guessed, I’m partly at odds with the command over this and I apologize. I know I promised not to buck the system anymore. But, I also know you taught me to stand up for what I thought was right and I believe you would be disappointed in me if I backed down on this.”
“Attached to this e-mail is a file with all of the pertinent case history. If there is anything you could do to help me get the proceedings against Morning Grass dropped, or at least have any probation she might receive minimized, I would be grateful.”
“I watched the video, by the way. Mom was special, wasn’t she? Thank you for sending it to me. It meant a lot. Until we get a chance to speak, I’ll try to hyper-mail you weekly.”
“Love,”
“Dawn Marie.”
Before she turned off the tablet and lay back down, Russo opened one more message. She had read it a dozen times. She knew she would be as upset reading it this time as she was when she read it the first time, but couldn’t keep herself from it.
It was a message from her aunt telling Russo her ex-husband had remarried and his new wife was expecting their first child. It was short and to the point. It was only two paragraphs and, on the surface, rather dry reading. But, it elicited a flood of images that overwhelmed Russo and made her fight to keep from bursting into tears and lamenting once more, how unfair she felt life had been to her in the previous three years.
Colonel Stiles had been able to convince Russo that some things are just not within the control of humans. The wants and desires of others and the frailties of the human body, specifically. Stiles could not convince Russo,
however, that being unable to give the man she loved the child he wanted was not a reason to attempt to end her life.
“So what if your fallopian tubes had to be removed because of the damage done by the endometriosis,” Stiles told her. “We have the ability to harvest eggs for fertilization outside your body and implant them. This wasn’t your fault, Dawn Marie. He was going to leave you anyway. This was just an excuse.”
Russo had no problem accepting that Stiles was right on an intellectual level, but she couldn’t overcome the emotional compulsion to assign the blame to herself. She couldn’t stop wondering if she had shown enough love, patience or had even been there enough for him.
Her thoughts drifted to Morning Grass and Teacher. She deeply admired the love and dedication Teacher had for Morning Grass.
“Make sure you treat Teacher like fine china, Morning Grass,” she said aloud to herself, as if Morning Grass was there and could hear.
Russo put the tablet down and commanded the environmental computer to extinguish the lights in her cabin. She lay down once more and tried to sleep with her eyes now red and glistening wet.
Chapter 45
10-November-2409
The shuttle sat down in the small landing field just to the south of the Academy. Zheng emerged to see Emily waiting for him. He was still shaky and Emily quickly put her arm around his waist to steady him.
“I’ve got you, Grandpa,” Emily said.
She was having difficulty keeping her concern for him from showing. He looked frail. He certainly didn’t match the description of the gruff retired marine colonel that left for Ekkida less than two weeks previously. His skin was ashen and his eyes were sunken and dark.
“What have I gotten us into, Emily,” Zheng asked. His voice had been weakened from the incidental contact with the poison that killed Cozeremi. “I’d have never dreamt that anyone would kill to keep this quiet.”
“We don’t know why this happened yet, Grandpa,” Emily responded, trying to deflect Zheng’s concerns. “The investigation is barely started. For all we know this could have been some random act.”
“I would love to be able to accept that, Sweetheart,” Zheng replied. “But, I’m afraid I don’t believe that an act such as this could ever be truly random.”
He thought about the others he had involved in his quest and wondered how much danger they were in.
“You contacted Mahzarhi and Zora like I asked,” he inquired of his granddaughter.
“Of course, Grandpa,” Emily replied. “They’re safe. Their only concerns are for you.”
“The doctors tell me I will recover fully,” Zheng told her. “Apparently my refusal to use artificial sweetener in my coffee has finally paid off after all these years. With interest.”
Emily smiled. She was happy to see that Zheng hadn’t lost his sense of humor, dry as it was. She was still concerned about him, though. He looked terrible.
Part of it was the effects of the poison on his body and the rest was worry. The poisoning was still under investigation and it had yet to be determined if the poison was meant for Cozeremi, Zheng or the both of them.
It was also possible, just as Emily had suggested, that it was a random act and there was no specific target. But, that was highly unlikely. The packets of poison disguised as sweetener tablets were handed directly to Zheng. He had told few people, because he was unsure who he could trust, but he was almost certain he was the intended target.
Emily helped her grandfather climb into the front passenger seat of the ground transport she had requisitioned to get him back to his apartment in the faculty residence subdivision. They were both silent during the short drive, Zheng too deep in his ponderings to think of communicating and Emily not sure what to say.
When they reached Zheng’s apartment, Emily assisted Zheng up the stairs, through the front door and into a chair at his kitchen table. She ordered him to stay seated while she went back to the transport to retrieve his bags.
Upon her return, Emily was not surprised to find Zheng standing at the kitchen counter, filling his coffee pot with water and freshly ground Columbian beans; actually grown on Earth in Columbia. Once the coffee began to brew, Zheng sat back down and told Emily to have a seat at the table with him so the two could catch up.
“Have you fulfilled all of the requirements to graduate on time,” Zheng asked.
“Of course, Colonel,” Emily replied.
Zheng smiled. “Not that I was worried,” he said.
Emily smiled back at Zheng. Her expression then changed. She looked as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“Out with it, Cadet,” Zheng demanded.
“I’m going to miss you, Grandpa,” Emily told him. She was having trouble holding back her tears.
“That goes without saying,” Zheng quipped.
Emily smiled at him again. He returned the gesture.
“But, I don’t think that is the only thing on your mind,” Zheng postulated.
Emily looked at him as if she didn’t know where or how to begin the conversation.
“I suspect I will eventually find out what it is that’s bothering you,” Zheng told her. “Letting me in on it now will most likely make it easier on both of us…”
“It’s about graduation,” Emily replied. “Mom can’t make it. She just told me.”
“I can understand why you would be upset,” Zheng told her. “But, you knew with her on patrol along the silicoid frontier, she might not make it. I trust your father will be here?”
“Yes,” Emily replied. “He told me he wouldn’t miss it.”
She then added, quickly as if she hoped it would escape Zheng’s notice, “Grandma will be here, too.”
Zheng felt his gut start to burn. He knew in the back of his mind that Laurel would certainly be coming to Thosa for Emily’s graduation from the Academy, but he hadn’t really thought about it until Emily mentioned it out loud. “I survived the saurian wars and the silicoid invasions,” he said. “I think I can survive a visit by your grandmother.”
Emily didn’t laugh. She scowled at her grandfather.
“She’s going to be here for the whole week’s activities,” she informed him. “I expect you to behave.”
She sniffed and her eyes grew damp.
“Emily,” Zheng said. “I hope by this time you’d be certain of how much I love and respect you, and you would know for sure I wouldn’t do a damned thing to spoil your graduation.”
“Just so you’ll know,” Emily informed him, fighting to keep her composure. “She is going to be attending all of the dinners and luncheons and all of the special programs that week with Dad and me…”
“I understand completely, Sweetie,” Zheng replied. “But, I don’t know what it is about this that should be bothering you so much.”
Emily broke down and sobbed so violently it was difficult for Zheng to understand her completely.
“Since you split up, it’s as if Dad and I have been forced to choose between the two of you,” the upset cadet confessed. “Holidays and other special occasions are hard for me, Grandpa. I love you both and I’m tired of having to worry whether or not I’m giving you both an equal amount of time and attention. I want you both to be at all of the dinners and luncheons… and that other nonsense, too.”
All Zheng could think of to say was, “Of course, I’ll be there, Sweetie.”
As a faculty member, he’d be required to attend most of the functions anyway, but he now saw he would have to make a special attempt to appear at the rest.
“I wouldn’t miss a thing,” he told Emily. “Seeing you graduate and watching you receive all of the awards and accolades you’ve amassed over the last four years is important to me.”
Emily wiped her eyes and sniffled again. She blushed with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, Grandpa,” she said, trying to get her apology out between sobs. “I know I shouldn’t have worried, but I know how upset you are with Grandma. I didn’t mean to sna
p at you.”
“I can tell that this has been weighing on you,” Zheng said.
He stood up to check the coffee pot and then walked behind Emily’s chair. He bent over and gave her shoulders as strong a squeeze as he could manage with his weakened hands and placed a gentle peck on her cheek.
“You’ll see,” he assured her. “Many times, the things we dread the most are seldom life-threatening…”
He gave her another hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“...or, even as uncomfortable as we expect them to be, for that matter.”
Emily hadn’t stopped crying completely, yet, but her face brightened and her eyes were much drier.
Zheng walked back to the coffee maker just as it finished brewing the last cup. He pulled the pot and took it to the table to fill both cups he had set out.
“The milk in the refrigerator has been in there for over two weeks and has gone bad,” Zheng explained. “There is sugar, if you want some, though.”
He pushed the sugar bowl at the center of the table in her direction. She politely refused.
“I prefer it black,” she said. “When will you be back in class?”
“I plan on picking my classes back up from Colonel Nylyl in the morning,” Zheng answered.
He looked intently at his granddaughter, who was giving her coffee cup her nearly undivided attention. He was concerned for her well-being, but was afraid to say anything.
Emily had asked for an assignment in the digs and, even though she hadn’t been officially assigned, there was plenty of scuttlebutt that indicated there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that she would get her requested duty station. Zheng, Laurel and Mahzarhi all three had pulled whatever strings they could for her.
Before the events of the last month, Zheng would have been thrilled to find that Emily had been given duty with Mahzarhi in the derelict ship yards. It would have meant she was safely away from the silicoid frontier and any possibility of being injured or killed in a skirmish.
Chamberlain's Folly (The Terra Nova Chronicles) Page 42