Hello, my name is Malcolm.\u00a0 Five years of planning and hard work.\u00a0 I always knew there was a chance that the people funding the Wolfenheim Project would realize they were funding it and demand their money back.\u00a0 I even planned for it.\u00a0 I just never expected to actually have to use those plans.\u00a0 And they picked a rather inconvenient time to get a clue.\u00a0 Years of planning distilled into days and hours of action, all the time wondering if I even had hours at all.\u00a0 It was a bloody hectic time.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Malcolm gazed out at the yard complex and Normandy<\/em>, pieces of her still floating beside the ship.\u00a0 Ideas and plans flashed through Malcolm\u2019s mind as he tried to come to terms that they had to leave right bloody now<\/em> instead of by the end of the week.\u00a0 Normandy<\/em> wasn\u2019t ready.\u00a0 The colonists weren\u2019t ready.\u00a0 They couldn\u2019t leave.\u00a0 But they had<\/em> to.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have a single plan to cover this.<\/p>\n He turned back to Dawn, part of him wanting to ask her if she had any idea.\u00a0 But the stubborn streak that kept him from wanting to rely on anyone checked that inclination.\u00a0 He growled in annoyance and Dawn\u2019s grey eyes widened in response.\u00a0 And then it clicked.\u00a0 There was<\/em> a plan in place that could be abused into the shape he needed.<\/p>\n Malcolm snorted, and felt the plan coming into place in his mind.\u00a0 \u201cGet me to the shuttlebay,\u201d he ordered, his voice far more steady than the nerves under it.\u00a0 But as he considered the plan more and more, he knew it could work.<\/p>\n Dawn stood still for a second, studying him very closely.\u00a0 He returned her look and she nodded in grim approval.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re two minutes from the nearest shuttlebay,\u201d she said as she spun on her heals and stepped back into the corridor.\u00a0 A quick turn later, she disappeared down it at a far more rapid clip than the leisurely stroll they\u2019d taken earlier.<\/p>\n Malcolm followed her around the corner, leaving the view of Normandy<\/em> far behind, and immediately began to struggle to keep up with her avatar.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOrder all ships to recall their crews form the surface,\u201d he gasped between breaths.\u00a0 \u201cAnd round people up if they don\u2019t answer.\u00a0 We need everyone on the station yesterday<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Dawn chuckled as she led him through the warren of corridors cut through the formerly Shang warships that made up the outer ring of the Peloran yard complex.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll tell Captain Wyatt to do her best,\u201d she intoned with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cBut yesterday might be a bit hard,\u201d she added with a turn of her head and a wink.<\/p>\n Then she turned into another rabbit run, and Malcolm had to grab a handrail to keep him from skidding as he followed her.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if Charles is right, yesterday might be too late, too,\u201d Malcolm growled.\u00a0 The Peloran refits incorporated massive cybernetic control systems that removed the need for the large crews most Terran-built ships required, but if even a tithe of their crews were on liberty, there would be hundreds of men and women to round up.\u00a0 And they simply couldn\u2019t sail with so many gone.<\/p>\n \u201cAlan?\u201d Malcolm nearly shouted, making certain that the station\u2019s privacy filters would pass the words on its brain.<\/p>\n The station\u2019s cyber flickered into existence beside Malcolm an instant later, long holographic legs matching Malcolm\u2019s pace through the warrens of the former warship.\u00a0 Alan was one of the oldest cybers Malcolm had ever met, a member of the original Peloran Contact contingent.\u00a0 And unlike many cybers, he\u2019d never changed his appearance to a more Terran standard that many had.\u00a0 He still looked unambiguously Peloran<\/em>.<\/p>\n He was human of course, like every other major alien race that made Contact, but unlike the short, nearly childlike, Shang, the Peloran averaged an impressive two meters in height.\u00a0 Alan was tall and graceful, with long limbs that would have given him longer reach in a knife fight if he weren\u2019t a hologram.\u00a0 High cheekbones and a pronounced forehead shielded deep-set eyes from harsh light, while thick straight eyebrows redirected rain, snow, or other elemental attacks, which would probably be of use to his physical avatar.\u00a0 An angular jaw cut hard, determined lines in his face, and long hair stretched down to his neck, covering the slightly elongated, pointed ears of a race literally designed to be super soldiers by their long dead creators.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Mal?\u201d the cyber asked in perfect imitation of the calm voice that all Peloran must have practiced very carefully in order to replicate.\u00a0 Alan of course didn\u2019t have to practice at all.\u00a0 It was part of his code, and Malcolm actually felt it calming his nerves as well.\u00a0 Which was probably good now that he thought about it.\u00a0 The ability to sound and act calm no matter how chaotic the battle was a valuable trait in any soldier.\u00a0 And being able to spread that calm by mere presence would be in<\/em>valuable.<\/p>\n Malcolm sucked in a deep breath and willed the nerves away.\u00a0 \u201cDid you read Charles\u2019 message?\u201d he asked after letting the breath go, eyes on Alan.<\/p>\n Alan nodded with a no nonsense set to his jaw.\u00a0 \u201cHe copied it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 Malcolm followed Dawn around another corner, nearly bouncing off a bulkhead as he misjudged the width of the new corridor.\u00a0 He corrected, pushing off with one hand, and shot after her with his best ground-eating strides.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to expedite our launch window,\u201d he said with a glance to the station cyber.<\/p>\n Alan shook his head as his hologram kept up with Malcolm with what appeared to be no effort at all.\u00a0 Of course, he was the brain of the station.\u00a0 He knew where everything was.\u00a0 \u201cI will do my best,\u201d Alan answered, but his eyes looked troubled.\u00a0 \u201cMy resources are stretched though.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm let out a breath as he almost reached Dawn before she made another turn.\u00a0 \u201cEvery resource we put into this project will be wasted if Charles\u2019 family stops us,\u201d he muttered, grabbed a handrail, and swung himself around the corner to find a hatch opening before him.\u00a0 He smiled as he recognized the shuttlebay and shot through the hatch after Dawn with Alan in tow.\u00a0 Alan made displeased sounds beside him, but Charles only had eyes for the small shuttle waiting for him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m serious, Alan.\u00a0 Charles put a lot of work into this.\u00a0 So did I.\u00a0 So did Dawn.\u00a0 So did you<\/em>.\u00a0 It\u2019d be a real shame if it all came up to naught.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI Agree,\u201d Alan said, his voice filled with manifest unhappiness as Dawn disappeared into the shuttle.\u00a0 Malcolm slid to a stop at the foot of the ramp and turned to the face the cyber.\u00a0 Alan looked out at the stars visible through the energy screen holding the air in the bay for a moment that must have been an eternity to his cybernetic mind.\u00a0 \u201cVery well,\u201d he finally said, shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cThe Wolfenheim Project now has number one priority.\u00a0 I am reassigning resources now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Malcolm said with a nod and darted onto the shuttle.\u00a0 He slid to a stop, looking at the double row of seats on either side of the main aisle running nearly the entire length of the shuttle.\u00a0 It was a passenger shuttle, identical to those filling Wolfenheim.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m afraid I\u2019m going to have to take your shuttle too,\u201d he added to the holoform that had followed him in.<\/p>\n Alan chuckled, projecting wry amusement as the shuttle\u2019s hatch began to close.\u00a0 \u201cOf course you are.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet up here and strap in!\u201d Dawn ordered from the front of the ship.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Malcolm answered without hesitation and shot forward into the cockpit.\u00a0 A second later, he dropped into the copilot\u2019s seat and started snapping the five-point harness in place to secure him against extreme acceleration.<\/p>\n \u201cBetter,\u201d she said from the pilot\u2019s seat, eyebrows raised as she considered his progress.\u00a0 Finally she turned to Alan who was leaning into the cockpit with a far more deferential look.\u00a0 \u201cAm I clear to launch?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d Alan answered with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cBring her back in one piece and I think I can even forget to charge you rental fees.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care what the other girls say,\u201d Dawn said with a mischievous grin and placed her hands on the controls.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a dear.\u201d\u00a0 She flitted her fingers and they streaked out of the shuttlebay into space.<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Alan asked, a disappointed tone to his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cOops,\u201d Dawn whispered, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.\u00a0 She did a very good job of acting contrite when she wanted to.\u00a0 \u201cForget I said a thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Alan aimed a doubtful look at her.\u00a0 \u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm chuckled as the shuttle vibrated around them, but shook his head and got down to business.\u00a0 \u201cHow long before you can get us ready to launch?\u201d<\/p>\n Alan licked his lips and shrugged as he got back to business.\u00a0 \u201cMost of the ships are in finishing stages now.\u00a0 I can have them done today.\u00a0 Normandy<\/em> is still open to space, but we should be able to button her up and launch by morning.\u00a0 Hastings<\/em> will take longer.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm fought hard not to wince at the mention of that ship.\u00a0 A part of him almost wished he hadn\u2019t found her at all.\u00a0 Almost.\u00a0 \u201cWe may not have<\/em> longer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0 Alan sighed.\u00a0 \u201cBut we have had setbacks with her.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm did wince this time.\u00a0 All of the warships he\u2019d found for the mission were first generation gravtech, old enough that any modern navy had retired them decades ago.\u00a0 It had taken him years to find the handful he did, stored in mothballs or languishing in some planetary defense fleet.\u00a0 But Hastings<\/em> was by far the worst of them.\u00a0 The problem was, where they were going, he was going to need every stray hull he\u2019d found, which was why he\u2019d paid far more than he should have to bring the old wreck here.<\/p>\n \u201cJust\u2026do what you can.\u00a0 Please.\u201d\u00a0 Malcolm shook his head, not happy with the delay now that he knew Charles\u2019 family knew something was up.\u00a0 He wanted to be out before they thought to look his way.\u00a0 Assuming they hadn\u2019t already.<\/p>\n Alan smiled at him in understanding.\u00a0 \u201cI will do everything I can,\u201d the cyber answered, his tone serious.\u00a0 \u201cGood luck, Mal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Malcolm whispered and sucked in a long breath.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019m gonna need it.\u201d<\/p>\n Alan nodded again and his holoform flickered out of existence as the shuttle continued to accelerate away from the yard complex.\u00a0 Malcolm leaned back in his seat and looked at Dawn.<\/p>\n She smiled back at him.\u00a0 \u201cCourse laid in for New Earth.\u00a0 I even asked for a landing slot and a car.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell then.\u201d\u00a0 Malcolm chuckled at the fresh realization that sometimes she was better than he was at knowing what he\u2019d need.\u00a0 He\u2019d forgotten to think about the car.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose we should get going.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy your command,\u201d she intoned, ran her hands across the controls to swing the shuttle around towards New Earth, and then tapped one final command in.\u00a0 The shuttle\u2019s main engines came to full power, kicking them forward and away from the station.\u00a0 The acceleration slammed him back in his seat as the inertial compensators fought to catch up with the drive power, and Malcolm forced himself to breathe.\u00a0 Dawn wasn\u2019t worrying about fuel consumption, which considering the time constraints they were under now was a good thing.\u00a0 He could use a good, short trip.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Malcolm walked down the shuttle\u2019s ramp, hearing her hull popping as she radiated heat from their hypersonic reentry.\u00a0 New Earth\u2019s Landing Starport spread out around them, starships moving through the air above on nearly silent gravitic plating.\u00a0 Only minor bursts of flame from maneuvering thrusters sent them up or down, further up into the air, or down onto the starport.\u00a0 A massive freighter landed on a nearby landing pad, settling down onto her landing gear with a hydraulic hiss as they took the load.\u00a0 Beyond it, a freighter clawed for space, and he wondered if it was another of the ships preparing to take the weekly convoy to the fleets at Sunnydale.<\/p>\n He looked down as a limousine floated down towards the landing pad next to their shuttle, and Malcolm focused on it.\u00a0 A familiar face stuck his head out of the rear window and Malcolm stopped in surprise as he recognized the man that didn\u2019t look a day over fifty.\u00a0 The cue ball standing in for a head was new though.\u00a0 The Reverend John Parker had been Charles\u2019s steward when Malcolm and he were young.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t been a man of God back then, but he\u2019d been a nice old man.\u00a0 They\u2019d probably become too friendly, and maybe John had been too willing to let them have too much fun.\u00a0 For some reason though Charles\u2019 father fired the old man the better part of a century ago.\u00a0 And now he was a pastor on New Earth, probably putting some space between him and Mister Hurst.\u00a0 Malcolm had to admit he understood the idea.\u00a0 Mister Hurst had a real imposing temper.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, hello, Mal,\u201d John said with an amused expression and waved them over.<\/p>\n Malcolm snorted and approached the vehicle with a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Baldy.\u201d<\/p>\n John raised one hand in protest.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u00a0 New Earth summers get hot.\u00a0 It\u2019s purely a defense mechanism.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh.\u00a0 Right.\u00a0 The weather.\u201d\u00a0 Malcolm stopped by the limo, scanning for the car that was supposed to be picking them up.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t see anything, which made him suspicious of John\u2019s arrival.\u00a0 \u201cOf course<\/em> you\u2019re not losing your hair,\u201d he added in a sly tone, refusing to voice those suspicions.<\/p>\n \u201cYou still need to learn respect for your elders I see.\u201d\u00a0 John chuckled and opened the door.\u00a0 \u201cNow get in.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got places to go, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Dawn whispered and flowed into the limousine gracefully, bending down to step in before sliding over.\u00a0 She aimed a smile at Malcolm and patted the seat next to her.<\/p>\n Malcolm grumped as his suspicions were so quickly confirmed.\u00a0 Then he shrugged and slipped into the limo to take the offered seat, facing John as the door automatically shut.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I know where I<\/em> planned on going, but where are we<\/em> going?\u201d<\/p>\n John snorted as the limo shot up into the air.\u00a0 \u201cAlways so suspicious of helping hands.\u201d\u00a0 The pastor sighed and placed both hands up as if showing he had nothing at all hiding in his sleeves.\u00a0 And one could believe as much of that as one wanted.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I think we need to go talk to our mutual friends who don\u2019t like commlinks.\u00a0 Right?\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm froze for a split second, and turned to watch the landscape of Landing City flash by below and around them.\u00a0 As one of the oldest interstellar cities, Landing City incorporated many old, historic buildings of a dozen or so floors in height, which the limo flew over with ease.\u00a0 But newer gravtech towers less than a century old literally towered above the limo, gleaming flanks stretching up into the sky above him.\u00a0 Some of them weren\u2019t even proper buildings, floating in the air entirely on gravplating, anchored to the ground only for easy elevator access.<\/p>\n Malcolm wasn\u2019t certain which he liked better.\u00a0 He loved the charm of the historic districts, including the seaside boardwalk, but the towering business district were filled by an intense energy as New Earth struggled to match the ever-increasing demand for War supplies of all kinds.\u00a0 He took in a long breath, wondering what John knew, and leaned back in his seat as the beautiful buildings of Landing City passed by.\u00a0 Malcolm hadn\u2019t told anybody who he was coming to talk to.\u00a0 Even the people he was coming to talk to.\u00a0 And one never advertised that one was talking to them.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me?\u201d he asked, his tone as innocent as he could manage.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease.\u201d\u00a0 John aimed a paternal look at Malcolm.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t born yesterday. \u00a0And you never did get that innocent act down as well as you thought,\u201d he finished with a raised eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cFine.\u201d\u00a0 Malcolm shrugged and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou got me.\u00a0 But what\u2019s this about \u2018our\u2019 friends?\u00a0 I thought you found religion.\u201d<\/p>\n A hurt expression took over John\u2019s face and wide, sorrowful eyes gazed back at Malcolm.\u00a0 \u201cI found religion.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t lose my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Malcolm returned with a snort.\u00a0 \u201cSo why do you still deal with them?\u201d<\/p>\n John sighed and relaxed back in his seat.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Christ himself said that he came to walk with those who needed saving, not with those who were already righteous.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm actually laughed at the pious statement.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you really think these guys are open to hearing the Word of God?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d be surprised actually.\u201d\u00a0 John aimed a sobering look at him.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re not all cold blooded, hardened criminals.\u00a0 And some of them take the Confessional very<\/em> seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n The limo began to drop down towards the ground again, and Malcolm felt a scowl coming on.\u00a0 He knew the neighborhood.\u00a0 John really had known exactly where he was going.\u00a0 \u201cOne problem with that idea,\u201d he growled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re no Catholic priest.\u201d<\/p>\n John smiled as the limo slipped into the parking ramp, lights flooding on to fill the dim structure with light.\u00a0 \u201cBut I was one of them long before I met you.\u00a0 That makes up for a lot.\u00a0 Even if I became a heathen Protestant<\/em>,\u201d he finished with a chuckle.<\/p>\n Malcolm laughed and watched the limo prowling towards the end of the parking ramp.\u00a0 There\u2019d been a time he knew when the difference between Protestant and Catholic had been death.\u00a0 Literally.\u00a0 But that was centuries ago.\u00a0 After Contact, the differences between Catholics and Protestants had become\u2026suddenly very minor indeed.\u00a0 The limo came to a stop and the doors opened, letting in a breath of fresh morning air.<\/p>\n Malcolm slid out first and looked at the open door that led down into the bar.\u00a0 Dawn followed and stepped up behind him with John on her heels, and Malcolm shared a look with each of them before walking towards the opening.<\/p>\n An alarm blared as they approached and a guard stepped out of a nearby alcove, hand rising to stop them.\u00a0 He looked straight at Dawn.\u00a0 \u201cNo electronics in the club.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a cyber<\/em>, not electronics,\u201d Malcolm corrected with an upraised hand.<\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter.\u201d\u00a0 The guard shook his head, a mulish expression taking over his face.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t serve her kind here.\u201d<\/p>\n A hot anger flashed through Malcolm, and he glared at the guard.\u00a0 \u201cNow just you see here,\u201d he growled, but Dawn\u2019s hand touched his shoulder and he turned to look at her.\u00a0 She shook her head in a movement so slight that the guard probably hadn\u2019t even noticed.\u00a0 Malcolm suppressed a growl, but turned back to the guard in silence.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want any trouble,\u201d John said in a calm tone, arms raised in a pacifying gesture.\u00a0 \u201cSo why don\u2019t you go tell Mikey that Johnny and Mal are here to see him,\u201d John continued, putting only the slightest of emphasis on the first name.<\/p>\n The guard\u2019s eyes widened at the name, and John continued to simply smile at him.\u00a0 Nobody used that name casually, unless of course they could<\/em> use it casually.\u00a0 Because if they couldn\u2019t and they did anyways, they never did a second time.<\/p>\n \u201cGo on,\u201d John whispered, waving his hand towards the door.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t want to keep Mikey waiting, do you?\u201d he added, and despite the casual words, his tone left no question as to whether or not it was an order.<\/p>\n The guard practically scampered off down the stairs, obviously not wanting to get between anyone who thought they could call his boss that name and said boss without someone who had a lot more seniority to take the flak for him.\u00a0 The man disappeared into the heart of the club at the bottom of the stairs and Malcolm grunted in approval.<\/p>\n John sighed and gave him a long look.\u00a0 \u201cYou really need to learn diplomacy.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm glanced at Dawn and she cocked her head to the side, obviously waiting for his response.\u00a0 \u201cNot sure I want to deal diplomatically with idiots like that.\u201d\u00a0 She frowned at him and he stared right back at her for several seconds, making it clear that he wasn\u2019t about to back down from that point.\u00a0 Then he turned back to John, fresh determination to get his suspicions answered filling him.\u00a0 \u201cSo, what are you really doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d John asked, his eyes opening wide in an innocent expression that didn\u2019t fool Malcolm for an instant.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t be here just to see an old friend off to the stars one last time?\u201d John added in a plaintive tone.<\/p>\n Malcolm\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 They weren\u2019t officially scheduled to launch for at least a few more days.\u00a0 John knew far more than anyone outside the Wolfenheim Project was supposed to know.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n John cleared his throat and waved a hand in a dismissive gesture.\u00a0 \u201cOh, nothing really.\u201d\u00a0 John sobered when he saw Malcolm\u2019s raised eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cFine.\u00a0 The courier that arrived earlier today had a message for you, right?\u00a0 That\u2019s why you\u2019re down here?\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm sighed and nodded.\u00a0 He supposed it wouldn\u2019t do any good to deny that fact at the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I figured,\u201d John continued, his tone serious.\u00a0 \u201cCharles sent me a message too.\u00a0 He said it might be best if I get off planet before certain people we all know come by with ill intent aimed at my person,\u201d John chuckled then.\u00a0 \u201cNot that I\u2019d have any idea as to why anyone would want to do anything to a simple Man of God of course,\u201d he added with a wink.<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Malcolm returned in a doubtful tone and rolled his eyes at John.\u00a0 \u201cSo you know nothing at all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot a blessed thing.\u201d\u00a0 John winked, and then gave Malcolm a helpful smile.\u00a0 \u201cBut if you and Charles are conspiring here, and I know you are, it comes to mind that there may be others who would be\u2026unhappy to find out what you\u2019ve been doing.\u00a0 Or maybe that they had some role in contributing to what you\u2019ve been doing, even if they had no idea.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm grunted.\u00a0 He should have known that John at least would know enough about everyone involved to connect the dots even without being on the inside.\u00a0 \u201cSo I suppose you want in on the project?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if this is as big as I think it is, I don\u2019t want to be close to Earth when Charles\u2019 father finds out,\u201d he said, his tone very serious again.\u00a0 Then he smiled.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, you need all the adult supervision you can get.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm snorted, but before he could respond the sound of feet on the stairs caught his attention.\u00a0 An old man walked up into his view, grey hair and a wrinkled face telling the tale of a man that had lived nearly a century in one of the hardest businesses of all, even before<\/em> Contact.\u00a0 Several guards moved in his wake, scanning for threats, followed by the single guard they\u2019d met already, moving gingerly as if afraid someone would take his head off.<\/p>\n \u201cJohnny.\u201d\u00a0 The soft but firm voice came from the old man as he walked up and hugged the pastor, in the way that declared someone a member of the family, whether or not they shared actual blood relation.<\/p>\n \u201cMikey,\u201d John answered, returning the old man\u2019s hug carefully.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Mal,\u201d old Mike Callahan said as he stepped over to hug him as well.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Old Man,\u201d Malcolm returned, hugging the frail old body back.\u00a0 As he pulled back, he saw a necklace twinkling in the dim light of the parking garage and focused on it.\u00a0 He recognized the face on the side of the coin facing him as Saint Connor, one of the Irish\u2019s favorite saints.\u00a0 The other side would be Murphy, Connor\u2019s twin brother, and fellow enemy of all evildoers.\u00a0 Malcolm smiled at the sight.\u00a0 Maybe John was right about the whole religion thing when it came to working with them.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd my dear Dawn,\u201d Callahan said as he opened his arms towards her.\u00a0 \u201cHow goes the mission?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s stubborn,\u201d she answered and stepped into the old man\u2019s arms.\u00a0 He kissed her on both cheeks, marking her as a trusted<\/em> member of the family for all to see.<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Callahan said with a smile and turned to the nervous guard.\u00a0 \u201cGet back to your post,\u201d he ordered and the man scampered away, obviously happy to still have all of his digits attached, and Callahan returned his attention to Malcolm.<\/p>\n \u201cCome in.\u00a0 Come in.\u00a0 If you came all this way, at this time of the morning, we must have something important to discuss,\u201d the old man asked as he turned to walk down the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cMight it have something to do with the courier boat that just came in from Sunnydale?\u201d he asked over his shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cAm I the last one to hear about that?\u201d Malcolm grumbled, but followed the man down.\u00a0 A red light began to blink on the cuff of his suit, telling him that they were in a jamming zone, designed to stop anybody from listening to them from a distance.\u00a0 It was safe for them to talk.<\/p>\n \u201cNot quite,\u201d Callahan said with an elaborate shrug.\u00a0 \u201cYou probably knew before I did in fact.\u00a0 But electronics are notoriously easy to hack.\u00a0 Hence our policy on them in this establishment.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm studied the old man for over a second before responding with a simple \u201cI see.\u201d\u00a0 Then he shook his head as another suspicion arose in his mind.\u00a0 \u201cIs that the only reason for your policy?\u201d<\/p>\n Callahan met his gaze with calm eyes and shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 I remember a time before AIs.\u00a0 Back when humans did far more of the work that maintains our civilization.\u00a0 We\u2019ve become soft and lazy because we can rely on electronics to do our jobs.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to look at Dawn.\u00a0 There was no malice in his eyes, but there was also no give in them.\u00a0 \u201cMy policy forces my people to use their own minds.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a smart man,\u201d Dawn whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI wish more of your people were as motivated.\u201d<\/p>\n Callahan\u2019s eyes narrowed and studied her carefully.\u00a0 \u201cDo you?\u00a0 Really?\u00a0 Or do you wish we would just roll over like the Peloran?\u201d<\/p>\n Dawn simply sighed and aimed a sad smile at Callahan.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2026is a very serious charge.\u201d<\/p>\n Callahan pursed his lips and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYes it is.\u00a0 But you\u2019ve become family.\u00a0 And sometimes family has to ask hard questions.\u201d<\/p>\n Dawn returned his look for a moment, and then smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t control them.\u00a0 They do what they want.\u00a0 But they were never meant to be another Race of Humanity.\u201d\u00a0 She sighed and looked away from them all.\u00a0 \u201cThe Albion genetically engineered them to be super soldiers who wanted nothing more than to live in peace.\u00a0 Tailored them to lack the wishes and dreams of other humans, so they would never consider rebelling.\u201d\u00a0 Dawn snorted and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cThe Albion gave them a purpose, and they embraced that as their entire meaning for being.\u00a0 When the Albion died, most of them found the nearest planet and started grooming trees like they were programmed to.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm actually recoiled at Dawn\u2019s frank description.\u00a0 The idea of programming human beings like that was wrong.\u00a0 It violated every concept of free will he\u2019d ever heard of.\u00a0 And he\u2019d never actually considered the Peloran to be victims of that before.\u00a0 They always seemed so calm and collected.\u00a0 Never victims of what Dawn made sound almost like mind rape.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did what we had to do,\u201d Dawn continued as Malcolm\u2019s mind raced through the idea.\u00a0 \u201cWe worked with the oh so very rare number of Peloran who had the\u2026drive that you take for granted and built a society they could all live in.\u00a0 We gave the rest of them the peace they craved, literally on a genetic level.\u00a0 Can you honestly tell me that you would want to live a life like that?\u00a0 To have life itself provided for you?\u00a0 To never see something and think that maybe you could do it better?\u00a0 To never have the drive to try<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome of us would love<\/em> a world like that,\u201d Callahan said in a hard tone, and Malcolm nodded in understanding of what the older man meant.<\/p>\n He\u2019d read a book as a kid about a man who invented a time machine and went far into the future.\u00a0 He found a world exactly like what Dawn described.\u00a0 And the people of that time had been helpless.\u00a0 They had no reason to fight, even to defend their lives.\u00a0 Since everything was free, nothing had value.\u00a0 None of the Peloran he\u2019d met acted like that, but there weren\u2019t many genetic Peloran in Terran space.\u00a0 Maybe she was right that they were simply the few who rose above the rest of their kind.<\/p>\n Dawn met Callahan\u2019s questioning gaze and answered it with a calm smile.\u00a0 \u201cAnd that is why we never choose to be the partners of such people.\u00a0 We will never do to you what the Albion did to the Peloran,\u201d she finished, her tone that of a woman making an unbreakable oath.<\/p>\n Malcolm considered her words, everything she\u2019d said in answer to Callahan\u2019s question, and wondered at the possibilities and ideas that they brought to mind.\u00a0 He looked into Dawn\u2019s wide-open eyes and saw her hesitation.\u00a0 She\u2019d never said anything like this before to him, and he\u2019d never once considered any of it.\u00a0 But now that he thought about it, he could see what she meant.<\/p>\n He saw the life he\u2019d live in over a century, and the life he\u2019d lived in the last five years.\u00a0 He\u2019d done so much more in the last five years than he\u2019d ever imagined doing.\u00a0 And he really had done it.\u00a0 He saw many of the times she\u2019d nagged him into doing it too.\u00a0 Well, maybe nagging was unfair.\u00a0 It just felt like it some mornings.\u00a0 But for the first time, he saw what she meant with that oath, and recognized what she was doing.\u00a0 He could live with that.\u00a0 He smiled, and she let out a long, relieved breath.<\/p>\n \u201cI see.\u201d\u00a0 Callahan\u2019s words pulled Malcolm\u2019s attention back to the older man as he started walking down the stairs again.\u00a0 \u201cThen it really would appear we have much business to discuss today,\u201d Old Man Michael Callahan added and guided them into the bar he\u2019d owned for nearly two hundred years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello, my name is Malcolm.\u00a0 Five years of planning and hard work.\u00a0 I always knew there was a chance that the people funding the Wolfenheim Project would realize they were funding it and demand their money back.\u00a0 I even planned[…]↓ Read the rest of this 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