Hello, my name is Malcolm.\u00a0 I almost died in a fight when I was younger.\u00a0 Due to that, I spent the next century trying to avoid conflict.\u00a0 I became the man of value to everyone, the man who could find what you were looking for.\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 You too.\u00a0 In time, I convinced myself I didn\u2019t miss the thrill of fighting.\u00a0 Then The War came and I got to shoot a whole mess of Shang.\u00a0 That was all kinds of fun.\u00a0 Maybe one day I\u2019ll get to thank them for that.\u00a0 I promise to enjoy it immensely.<\/p>\n
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Malcolm scanned the displays as the small wing of fighters flew through space.\u00a0 Most showed crimson codes denoting major or lesser damage, the cost of the battle he\u2019d thrown them into.\u00a0 Almost all were drones, controlled by cybers linked to the single manned fighter commanding their squadron.\u00a0 One of the manned fighters signaled major damage to the one missile battery, the laser next to it, and the main engine above them.\u00a0 Of course manned wasn\u2019t entirely accurate.\u00a0 No one would ever mistake Jackie White for a man, but the appropriate gender neutral terms just sounded stupid.<\/p>\n
Malcolm quirked a smile at the thought and returned to scanning the displays.\u00a0 Several of the fighters sported engine damage that kept them from accelerating on their own, and tow cables connected them to their squadron mates.\u00a0 Other fighters had lost weapons, sensors, or even primary power plants.\u00a0 Fully half of the fighters he\u2019d assembled for this project were damaged, but they\u2019d kicked the Shang good.\u00a0 And they\u2019d saved an entire squadron of American destroyers doing it.\u00a0 That was cause for a good party, even if the redoubtable Commodore Murphy led the destroyers in question.<\/p>\n
\u201cPenny for your thoughts?\u201d Dawn asked.<\/p>\n
He pulled his eyes from the displays to look at her holographic form.\u00a0 The size of a girl\u2019s doll inside the cockpit, the fiery redhead sat atop the main console and peered at him with concerned eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWe just kicked ass,\u201d he said with a jaunty smile.\u00a0 \u201cI liked it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled.\u00a0 \u201cMe too,\u201d she whispered and the view on the main canopy shifted to show the forts defending Bosphorus.\u00a0 Malcolm\u2019s starfighters moved slowly by interplanetary standards, their fuel tanks running low after the fight, but they approached and passed through the forts in the blink of an eye before drifting on towards Bosphorus herself.\u00a0 \u201cMore importantly though, they<\/em> liked watching it.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm blinked at the thought, realizing he should have considered that already.\u00a0 \u201cHow so?\u201d he asked, his mind starting to calculate the possibilities.<\/p>\n Dawn smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, they\u2019re impressed that a bunch of century-old fighters just beat the Shang to within a centimeter of their lives.\u00a0 Jealous too.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm chuckled.\u00a0 The Peloran upgrades had given them serious teeth, but he\u2019d kept their original look for precisely that reaction.\u00a0 The jealousy confused him though \u201cWhy jealous?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey wanted to jump the Shang first,\u201d Dawn said with a wave towards one of her displays decrypted transmission.\u00a0 \u201cSeems the Shang have been getting pushy around here but the politicos are trying to hold onto neutrality.\u201d<\/p>\n He frowned at her.\u00a0 They\u2019d only been in system for less than an hour.\u00a0 How could she know all of that?\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s some pretty specific knowledge,\u201d he said in a suspicious tone.<\/p>\n Dawn\u2019s smile turned cherubic.\u00a0 \u201cWell, a friend of the family might have slipped me their encryption key.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm sighed and rubbed his forehead.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been a bad influence, haven\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHorrible,\u201d she answered, her tone bright and cheery.\u00a0 \u201cOf course you did balance that out by helping the people who came here to arrest you in front of a whole solar system full of witnesses.\u00a0 They rather like you now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait, they know that?\u201d Malcolm asked, momentarily lost again.<\/p>\n Dawn chuckled and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cShe broadcasted the warrant for our detention the moment she arrived in system, before the Shang jumped her.\u00a0 I doubt Bosphorus actually would have tried to arrest us.\u00a0 They are<\/em> neutral after all and we paid a pretty penny for resupply and safe passage,\u201d she said with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cBut everybody knows why she\u2019s here.\u00a0 And they know you know why.\u00a0 And they know that you helped her in spite of that.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm watched Bosphorus go by on the main canopy, passing from light to dark side.\u00a0 Lights of cities cast the pattern of human civilization across the world, and he was momentarily lost in the beauty of the moment.\u00a0 This world was untouched by The War raging throughout the rest of human space.\u00a0 He found himself torn between hoping that remained the same, and wishing the merchants of Constantinople would finally make a stand.\u00a0 \u201cSounds like they know a lot of things,\u201d he whispered in a wistful tone, eyes following the receding orb.<\/p>\n \u201cYup,\u201d Dawn said in a very pleased tone.\u00a0 \u201cAnd now they\u2019re just watching us fly our shapely derri\u00e8res right back out of their space because of that.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm laughed and rubbed his chin with one hand.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe your<\/em> shapely derri\u00e8re,\u201d he joked.\u00a0 \u201cBut I doubt they want to watch mine<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas that a compliment?\u201d Dawn asked, making a show of examining herself in a mirror that appeared in the air.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d he answered, waggling his eyebrows at her.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is so sweet,\u201d she said with a wave of one hand.\u00a0 \u201cBut don\u2019t sell your tail short.\u00a0 I have it on good authority that it is highly prized amongst certain demographics.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm snorted.\u00a0 \u201cBut I don\u2019t plan on going to prison anytime soon, so they are all out of luck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOooh,\u201d Dawn whispered with a wicked gleam in her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cNice one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be here all\u2026well\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Malcolm paused to check the displays.\u00a0 \u201cAll hour?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope not.\u201d\u00a0 At Malcolm\u2019s look, she assumed an innocent expression.\u00a0 \u201cThey might get their boarding shuttles online by then.\u201d<\/p>\n Intrigued, Malcolm gave her another questioning look.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, all right,\u201d she said after a few seconds and a shake of her head.\u00a0 \u201cThey are trying to maintain neutrality, so there\u2019s this cover story about a virus in the inertial compensators of all the customs shuttles.\u201d\u00a0 Dawn aimed a forlorn look at him.\u00a0 \u201cBosphorus Control has informed Murphy that even though they would love<\/em> to help her with her warrant, the shuttles are totally unsafe to fly until that is fixed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI bet that makes her happy,\u201d Malcolm noted with a chuckle.<\/p>\n \u201cSurprisingly, she seems very understanding,\u201d Dawn said with a shrug.<\/p>\n Malcolm paused to take that in for a moment.\u00a0 Murphy was probably playing politics and not wanting to offend Bosphorus.\u00a0 People who offended them usually lived to regret that.\u00a0 Still, her reaction impressed him.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s good at this.\u201d<\/p>\n Dawn aimed a sly smile at him.\u00a0 \u201cIt does<\/em> feel good to know that they sent someone actually good enough to be worthy of catching you doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm chuckled and cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but I\u2019d be just as happy not getting caught.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, of course,\u201d Dawn returned and raised one finger.\u00a0 \u201cNot getting caught is the foremost plan in my mind too.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm nodded, but his eyes moved to the displays showing the receding planet.\u00a0 He frowned as a thought came to mind.\u00a0 \u201cIs there really a virus?\u201d<\/p>\n Dawn gave him a very earnest smile.\u00a0 \u201cImplanting a virus would be a hostile act on a neutral party, which I would have nothing to do with.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Malcolm said with a quirk of his lip.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think you could pass along my thanks to all the people who had absolutely nothing at all to do with this?\u201d he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.<\/p>\n Dawn cocked her head to the side at his tone.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I might have some contacts who might know how to contact the individuals who first reported<\/em> the presence of the virus,\u201d she answered, her tone betraying not a care in the world.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Malcolm said, trying to control another round of chuckles.<\/p>\n Dawn nodded towards him, her posture that of a perfectly attentive secretary.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m here to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf only,\u201d Malcolm whispered under his breath.<\/p>\n She narrowed her eyes at him.\u00a0 \u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing,\u201d he answered quickly, and met her gaze with nervous eyes.\u00a0 Would she be offended by his slip, thinking he meant something he didn\u2019t?\u00a0 Not that he had any idea what he meant by it to begin with, which just made it all the more confusing.<\/p>\n Dawn examined him for several seconds before waving one finger at him in a threatening gesture.\u00a0 \u201cYou remember that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ma\u2019am,\u201d he said with complete sincerity.<\/p>\n \u201cBetter,\u201d she returned, a crooked smile betraying amusement.<\/p>\n Then she waved a hand at another display and Malcolm eagerly focused on it.\u00a0 The massive bulk of Wolfenheim<\/em> dominated the display, an ungainly ship with massive cargo sections held together by an exposed exoskeleton of girders.\u00a0 Engine pods the size of frigates glowed as they vented heat from the recent full burn.\u00a0 A smaller ship held station off her port bow, looking almost as ramshackle and hard luck as the colony ship.\u00a0 That didn\u2019t fool Malcolm though.\u00a0 The Privateer<\/em> was designed to look like a cargo transport, but he\u2019d seen the stats on her weapons and was supremely impressed.\u00a0 That ship could take on modern destroyers alone and probably survive.<\/p>\n The destroyers and frigates arrayed around those ships in a globular formation were smooth and rounded by comparison, built in the century-old style of the first American gravtech starships.\u00a0 Only Normandy<\/em> approached the colony ship\u2019s size, her shape as elegant as the other warships.\u00a0 Broad and flat, with massive engines dominating her rear superstructure, her rounded bow betrayed the menace of a warship.\u00a0 Large cylinders ran along the port and starboard sides of the carrier, rounded in the front and narrowing to points behind the main engine section.<\/p>\n As he watched, the central parts of the cylinders began to move.\u00a0 They slid out a few meters to reveal massive hinges tens of meters wide and he could almost hear the clanging as they came to a stop.\u00a0 Then they cracked open, and a puff of atmosphere escaped in the form of tiny flash-frozen crystals, reflecting glints of light as they spun away.\u00a0 The cylinders continued to open wide like clamshells, revealing Normandy\u2019s<\/em> primary weapon.\u00a0 The dozens of cradles designed to hold Blackhawk starfighters looked like a tiny peace of heaven to one Malcolm McDonnell.<\/p>\n Thrusters flared throughout the fighter formation, and engines came to life as they slowed to match speed with the much larger carrier.\u00a0 Tow cables holding disable fighters vibrated with the tension of holding them in place, but the cybers performing the maneuvers knew exactly how much they could push.\u00a0 Malcolm just relaxed back in his seat as Dawn finally detached tow cables from the fighters she commanded, spun them around, and backed them into their cradles on small puffs of maneuvering thruster.<\/p>\n A cradle locked around his fighter with several small clangs, and a final jerk brought them to a halt.\u00a0 He scanned to either side, watching the last of the wounded fighters limping into position for their cradles to close around them as well.\u00a0 And then the massive clamshell bay swung shut to block off the Pleiades Cluster\u2019s light.\u00a0 The bay doors boomed as they hit, the vibration flowing through the cradle and into his seat.\u00a0 The doors pulled back into the ship, another clang reverberated through his fighter, and all was silent for a moment.<\/p>\n Then the steady thrum of Normandy\u2019s<\/em> engines returned and he looked at Dawn.\u00a0 She just smiled, confirming that they were accelerating away from Bosphorus.\u00a0 That was good.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to spend any more time in system than necessary.\u00a0 Murphy and the Shang made things far too complicated for him to want to be anywhere near.\u00a0 It seemed a certain Captain Olivia Wyatt thought the same thing.\u00a0 He would have to thank her for that initiative.<\/p>\n A light turned from red to green and he examined it.\u00a0 Air pressure.\u00a0 Excellent.\u00a0 With no more warning, the canopy retracted back into the fighter\u2019s body and fresh air flowed into him.\u00a0 It had the stale quality that all ship air did, but it was better than the recycled air inside his cockpit.\u00a0 Happy with the improvement, he unlatched his five-point harness and waited for it to retract into his command chair.<\/p>\n That done, Malcolm pulled himself to his feet in time to see a gantry lock into place beside his fighter.\u00a0 Dawn smiled once more and walked directly onto the gantry, hologram growing to full size by the time she left the fighter.\u00a0 He scrambled up after her, pulling on a handrail to steady himself, and scanned the hangar bay.<\/p>\n Stretching out more than a football field length in either direction, it was full of damaged fighters and crewmembers already scrambling to begin repairing them.\u00a0 He could see six empty cradles in the bay, but even they were busy as small carts or the crew began moving spare parts.\u00a0 Even the undamaged fighters had been through the ringer of weapons fire that left them covered in scorch marks and carbon scoring.\u00a0 And the smell of things burning wafted over him.\u00a0 The hiss of firefighting foam caught his attention for a moment, but Dawn just shook her head to tell him that everything was under control.<\/p>\n One gantry over, two figures in flight jackets left their damaged fighter behind and jogged towards him, sporting colors bright enough to blind a bat.\u00a0 The man whose real name could not possibly have been John Anderson was a hulking specimen of humanity from the Kingdom of Hawaii who loved honest-to-God Hawaiian shirts.\u00a0 Today\u2019s example peaking out from under the flight jacket was an eye assaulting combination of numerous shades of red.\u00a0 The tiny cyber walking behind him wore a simple black shirt under her jacket, but her hair complemented the Hawaiian shirt with bright reds and blues of its own.<\/p>\n \u201cNot bad for a first rodeo,\u201d Anderson boomed with a voice so deep it had to come from somewhere under the deck.\u00a0 Then he slugged Malcolm in the shoulder.\u00a0 It was a playful slug.\u00a0 If it hadn\u2019t been, he\u2019d have already flown into the nearest bulkhead.\u00a0 Malcolm knew that, but bloody hell it hurt.<\/p>\n He tried not to wince in pain, and smiled back at the man who towered over him.\u00a0 \u201cThanks,\u201d he said through gritted teeth and meant every word of it.\u00a0 It was actually high praise and he knew it.\u00a0 He just wished it could come with a less painful accompaniment.\u00a0 And that of course was another compliment of sorts.\u00a0 Anderson was a powerful giant that had to use more control than even other ageless individuals.\u00a0 The fact that he\u2019d hit Malcolm hard enough to hurt meant he\u2019d earned the man\u2019s respect.\u00a0 Once again, he wished that respect could be broadcast with a little less pain.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll make a proper pilot out of you yet,\u201d the big Hawaiian boomed in amusement, wrapped one arm larger than most peoples\u2019 legs around Malcolm, and very gently ushered him towards the hangar bay exit.\u00a0 It was gentle because it didn\u2019t hurt.\u00a0 But Malcolm knew from experience that trying to go any other way would be about as effective as arguing with a boulder.\u00a0 Anderson was truly the unstoppable force, and minor things like bulkheads and armored hatches needed to learn to stay out of his way.<\/p>\n Lucky for Malcolm, Dawn came to his rescue.\u00a0 Unluckily for him, it was only after she shared an amused smile with the other cyber.\u00a0 But she finally did step her hologram up to the hulking man.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she began in an earnest tone, \u201cbut Captain Wyatt has requested Mal\u2019s presence on the bridge.\u00a0 We should hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n At the captain\u2019s name, Anderson looked down at Malcolm and began to laugh.\u00a0 Malcolm imagined that ancient gods would have envied the thundering expression of amusement powerful enough to shake him in his boots.\u00a0 And then Anderson punched him in the other shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we\u2019d best not keep her waiting then,\u201d the giant bellowed into the pain-filled silence and pushed Malcolm forward.<\/p>\n Somehow he kept his feet under him as he ran into the lift doors.\u00a0 They opened to revealed Dawn\u2019s true physical avatar waiting for him, and he had one split second to see her smile before she stepped smoothly out of the way.\u00a0 The lift walls stopped him, expelling most of the air from his lungs in the course of their work.\u00a0 He just stayed there for a bit, trying to breathe, as the lift doors closed and it began to move.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are you?\u201d Dawn asked and stepped close enough he could feel her presence.<\/p>\n \u201cOw,\u201d he answered and pushed himself away from the lift wall.\u00a0 To his amazement, both arms still worked, despite the dull throb in them.\u00a0 He worked them around, feeling twinges of pain, but nothing ripped.\u00a0 He\u2019d survived.<\/p>\n \u201cHe can be a bit exuberant,\u201d Dawn said in amused tones.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think?\u201d he asked with a glare.\u00a0 Her simple smile, mere centimeters away, robbed his glare of any strength it might have had.\u00a0 He turned away to look at the lift doors and laughed.\u00a0 He\u2019d survived a run in with an exuberant John Anderson.\u00a0 And they were finally on the last leg of their trip to the Pleiades Cluster.\u00a0 This was a truly amazing day.<\/p>\n Dawn leaned against the wall beside him, still close enough he could feel the way the energy in the small area flowed around her.\u00a0 With nothing else to watch or examine, he realized just how intensely aware he was of everything around him.\u00a0 The colors in the lift\u2019s control display appeared sharper and more in focus.\u00a0 He could see the imperfections in the machined weld lines linking plates.\u00a0 Everything seemed more alive.\u00a0 He was still running on adrenalin, and he liked it.<\/p>\n The lift came to a stop, the doors slid open to either side, and he stepped onto Normandy\u2019s bridge, Dawn following mere centimeters behind.\u00a0 Her presence was impossible to miss as she stepped up beside him.\u00a0 But even following her every move, he was acutely aware of the uniformed crew on the bridge.\u00a0 Every single one wore a white duty uniform he\u2019d acquired from surplus stores over the years, and they held their attention on their displays.\u00a0 Only one looked up as he walked in, and his eyes snapped to follow her progress.<\/p>\n \u201cMalcolm,\u201d Captain Olivia Wyatt said, her eyes examining him.<\/p>\n Malcolm aimed a broad smile at her and let his adrenalin speak for him.\u00a0 \u201cYou wanted me?\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia shook her head but smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI requested your presence,\u201d she corrected.<\/p>\n \u201cPotato, potato,\u201d Malcolm repeated the age-old saying with a wave of one hand.<\/p>\n Olivia sighed and shared a long look with Dawn.\u00a0 \u201cAre you suffering from an adrenalin high?\u201d she finally asked him.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m not suffering at all.\u201d\u00a0 He shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m enjoying it immensely.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia shook her head again.\u00a0 \u201cSo I\u2019m not going to talk you out of flying again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma\u2019am,\u201d Malcolm said with gusto.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know it\u2019s dangerous, right?\u201d she asked, her tone full of caution.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ma\u2019am,\u201d he answered, looking straight ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you remember to wear your helmet?\u201d she asked with a glare.<\/p>\n Malcolm blinked, realizing he\u2019d never thought about that.\u00a0 But his flight jacket could deploy a helmet from the collar at need, so he supposed he could say he had.\u00a0 He opened his mouth to answer, but realized he was too late.<\/p>\n Olivia sighed and he saw her mouth one word out of the corner of his eye.\u00a0 Men.<\/p>\n Dawn nodded in sympathy.<\/p>\n \u201cHey you two,\u201d Malcolm said in a commanding tone.\u00a0 \u201cNo deriding me behind my back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe would never do that,\u201d Olivia said in a dry tone.<\/p>\n \u201cRight in front of you is another matter entirely,\u201d Dawn added without a perceivable pause.<\/p>\n Malcolm chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cJust wanted to make sure we were on the same page.\u201d<\/p>\n Dawn shook her head in mock sorrow.\u00a0 \u201cNot even the same book.\u00a0 We\u2019re reading Gone with the Wind and you\u2019re reading John Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, yeah,\u201d Malcolm said with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a good story.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia brought a hand up to rub her forehead.\u00a0 \u201cI swear you two argue more and more each day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t argue,\u201d Malcolm protested, but Olivia just raised an eyebrow at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe practice verbal sparring,\u201d Dawn clarified with a helpful smile and Olivia turned the eyebrow on her.\u00a0 Dawn met the eyebrow with total aplomb, and no sign of retreat.<\/p>\n Olivia finally shook her head and muttered something about deserving each other.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?\u201d Malcolm asked, wondering if he\u2019d heard right.<\/p>\n Olivia turned back to him with one of those expressions that suggested he shouldn\u2019t ask that again.\u00a0 \u201cI was wondering if you\u2019d like to watch as we dive into the Pleiades Cluster.\u201d<\/p>\n That certainly wasn\u2019t what she\u2019d said, but Malcolm wasn\u2019t about to challenge that look.\u00a0 So instead he aimed a gregarious smile her way.\u00a0 \u201cWhy, I would love to.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia nodded, congratulating him on his wise choice.\u00a0 \u201cThen if you\u2019d like to stand back there,\u201d she said, waving towards the rear of the bridge with a hand gesture that took the request out of the words.<\/p>\n Malcolm followed her order without protest, walked back, and leaned against the bridge\u2019s rear bulkhead.\u00a0 A quick glance at Dawn showed her amusement with the whole situation, and then he turned back to watch Olivia moving amongst her bridge crew.\u00a0 At each station she paused to verify the systems it controlled were operating, and whispered a word or two to the man or woman before going on.\u00a0 She finished her rounds in minutes, and gave the bridge another long look.<\/p>\n Once assured that nothing was going to fall apart in the next minute, Olivia walked back and leaned against the bulkhead next to him.\u00a0 After a few seconds of scanning the bridge again, she leaned in close enough to override his mind with the smell of her last shampoo.\u00a0 Strawberry.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, that was a good speech out there,\u201d she said very quietly.<\/p>\n Malcolm blinked as he pulled his mental attention from Olivia showering to speeches he\u2019d made.\u00a0 For a moment, his mind drew a complete blank.\u00a0 Then it made the connection and he glanced at Dawn who just smiled at him.\u00a0 It had been a secure communication channel between him and Murphy, and he didn\u2019t like that anybody else had been listening in.<\/p>\n Olivia pursed her lips and examined him.\u00a0 \u201cDoes it bother you that I was listening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, no,\u201d he answered, not wanting to say that his senior captain had no business listening in on fleet business.\u00a0 But as he said it, he felt the untruth.\u00a0 It shouldn\u2019t bother him, but it did, and he didn\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n Olivia crossed her arms, obviously not buying his evasion, but she didn\u2019t call him on it.\u00a0 \u201cSo what\u2019s her story?\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm let out a long breath, wishing he could answer her.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he said with a shrug.\u00a0 Olivia arched a disbelieving eyebrow at him.\u00a0 \u201cHonest,\u201d he protested.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight.\u201d\u00a0 Olivia bore into his eyes for several seconds, and he felt like she was scanning his deepest secrets.\u00a0 It was bloody intimidating.\u00a0 \u201cSo you never met her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we both grew up with the Hurst family.\u201d\u00a0 Olivia cocked her head to the side in interest.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a large family,\u201d Malcolm explained.\u00a0 \u201cLots of branches that have business interests everywhere humanity has been.\u201d\u00a0 At her skeptical look, he shrugged again.\u00a0 \u201cHonest.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know of a single major colony that doesn\u2019t have at least one person representing the family.\u00a0 Often that\u2019s someone who isn\u2019t really part of the family but was raised from childhood with them.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia nodded in comprehension, and he saw something click into place behind her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cSo that\u2019s where you come in?\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm spread his arms out wide and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cGot it in one.\u201d\u00a0 Then he shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cShe came in like that too I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou guess<\/em>?\u201d Olivia asked, her tone skeptical.<\/p>\n Malcolm cleared his throat, acutely aware of how guilty that made him sound.\u00a0 But he didn\u2019t have anything to feel guilty about.\u00a0 \u201cShe was younger than me by a lot.\u00a0 Years.\u201d\u00a0 Olivia raised an eyebrow and he cleared his throat again.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a lot to a kid!\u201d he protested and she relented.\u00a0 \u201cSo anyways, I don\u2019t remember her.\u00a0 She was young enough, we didn\u2019t hang out.\u201d\u00a0 Olivia didn\u2019t speak, obviously picking up on the point that he wasn\u2019t telling her everything, and he cleared his throat one more time.\u00a0 If he didn\u2019t stop that, she would know<\/em> he was guilty of something.\u00a0 \u201cHer sister<\/em> was another matter,\u201d he finally admitted.<\/p>\n Olivia scowled at him.\u00a0 \u201cOh.\u00a0 You know you could have said that right away,\u201d she noted, her tone stringent.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm cleared his throat again, then sighed.\u00a0 Now she really did<\/em> know he was guilty of something.\u00a0 \u201cI was stupid,\u201d he declared without reservation.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course you were,\u201d she said and he glowered at her.\u00a0 She gave him the eyebrow again and he released his glare.\u00a0 She was right.\u00a0 He had<\/em> been stupid.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened?\u201d she repeated.<\/p>\n Malcolm shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cIn what had to have been a moment of total and complete insanity, I dumped her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHad to have been?\u201d Olivia asked, her expression doubtful.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a century ago,\u201d Malcolm tried to explain.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t remember everything I did back then.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia crossed her arms.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, a girl could ask that you at least remember why you dumped her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Malcolm answered and let out a long breath.\u00a0 \u201cI was drunk.\u00a0 I honestly don\u2019t remember what happened,\u201d he explained, meeting her gaze without reservation.\u00a0 \u201cAll I know is that I dumped her and she never spoke to me again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now her younger sister is chasing you?\u201d Olivia asked in pointed tone.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Malcolm whispered.\u00a0 \u201cAnd not in the happy funtime way,\u201d he joke.<\/p>\n Olivia frowned at him.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure you don\u2019t know her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Malcolm said in exasperation.\u00a0 \u201cScout\u2019s honor.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia pursed her lips and met his gaze for several seconds.\u00a0 \u201cSay her name.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm blinked, then frowned at the request.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust do it,\u201d Olivia snapped.<\/p>\n \u201cCaroline!\u201d he hissed in instant response to her order.<\/p>\n Olivia sighed and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 Say it like you\u2019re talking to her, please?\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm sighed.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t refuse when she asked that way.\u00a0 Besides, if he did, she\u2019d think he had something to hide.\u00a0 He cleared his throat, shut his eyes, and brought the face that had charged into a Shang fleet back to his mind\u2019s eye.\u00a0 \u201cCaroline\u201d he whispered, wondering once again what had possessed her to do that.\u00a0 When he opened his eyes, Olivia and Dawn were sharing an intense look.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d he asked, feeling defensive.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia just smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cCan you say her sister\u2019s name like that?\u201d\u00a0 He frowned again and she waved a hand to dismiss his objection.\u00a0 \u201cPlease,\u201d she whispered and he relented.<\/p>\n Malcolm rubbed his temple.\u00a0 The last time he\u2019d seen her, she wouldn\u2019t even acknowledge his presence.\u00a0 He wondered again what he\u2019d done that night.\u00a0 \u201cDana,\u201d he said, his voice filled with a sad finality.\u00a0 There was nothing he could do now after all.\u00a0 He shifted his gaze back to see shock on Olivia\u2019s face.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDana?\u201d she hissed, her voice unnaturally high.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d he answered in confusion.<\/p>\n Olivia licked her lips and shook her head to clear it.\u00a0 \u201cYou dated Dana Murphy<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Malcolm answered slowly, her reaction filling him with concern.<\/p>\n Olivia\u2019s gaze turned very, very hard.\u00a0 \u201cAdmiral<\/em> Dana Murphy?\u201d<\/p>\n A shiver ran down Malcolm\u2019s spine and he turned to Dawn in a wordless question.\u00a0 She cocked her head to the side, signaling that she was running through her databases.\u00a0 Finally she shrugged, obviously coming up blank.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Malcolm returned to Olivia.<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d the captain returned with a sigh.\u00a0 \u201cIf it\u2019s one thing you two didn\u2019t break into, you had to choose the military personnel databases.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm opened his mouth to protest that it wasn\u2019t the only thing they\u2019d declined to break into, but stopped at a warning look from Dawn.\u00a0 She was right.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t help him at the moment.<\/p>\n The byplay was not lost on Olivia though, and she looked back and forth between the two like they were guilty children.\u00a0 \u201cDo you have a picture of her?\u201d she finally asked.<\/p>\n Malcolm nodded towards Dawn and she smiled.\u00a0 A holo of a young Dana Murphy from his high school yearbook hovered into being in the air between him and Olivia and her eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn it,\u201d she swore and shook her head.\u00a0 After a few seconds, she let out a long breath and gave him a look that demanded an answer.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened between you two?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Malcolm repeated with complete sincerity.\u00a0 \u201cI would tell you if I did, but just don\u2019t remember,\u201d he finished with a shrug.<\/p>\n Olivia pursed her lips, her eyes boring into his again.\u00a0 After several seconds, she sucked in a long breath and nodded firmly.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I think we can assume that she remembers.\u00a0 Now she\u2019s an admiral and I\u2019ll give you one guess who sent her sister on this little mission,\u201d she finished in a pointed tone.<\/p>\n Malcolm shook his head, wondering if she was right.\u00a0 No, she probably was<\/em> right.\u00a0 This wasn\u2019t just about money.\u00a0 It was personal, and this fleet was in danger now because of that.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d\u00a0 It was all he could say to her.<\/p>\n Olivia nodded in acceptance.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll release all the information I have on them to you.\u00a0 You study up on everything you have on her family.\u00a0 And you get ready to talk your way out of her gun sights the next time we meet, because we will<\/em> meet again.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm licked his lips in worry.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if I can\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia\u2019s jaw set and he saw the starship captain in her staring at the displays.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want to fight anyone with the courage to charge a Shang task force like that.\u00a0 Especially not one of our own.\u201d\u00a0 She met his gaze, her eyes pleading.\u00a0 \u201cPlease talk yourself out of her gun sights again.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm felt a lump in his throat and cleared it.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll do my best,\u201d he promised.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d she whispered, leaned back against the bulkhead again, and watched the bridge flow around them.\u00a0 Her shoulders shifted with her new attention, and he smiled at the sight of his senior captain surveying the world she commanded.\u00a0 A minute later, her shoulders shifted again and she leaned in close to him.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, a part of me always thought you were doing this because you like to thumb your nose at authority.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm shrugged and gave her a jaunty smile, doing his best to lighten the mood.\u00a0 \u201cWell, maybe I do.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia eyed him carefully.\u00a0 \u201cDo you truly believe what you told her about this mission? \u00a0About the aliens?\u00a0 Are we just some\u2026random colony?\u00a0 Or is this really something bigger to you?\u201d<\/p>\n He met her gaze, wondering what she would think.\u00a0 Would she think him crazy if he admitted the truth?\u00a0 Would she agree with him?\u00a0 The uncertainty warred within him for what felt like an eternity, as he considered how to answer.\u00a0 He could crack a joke about things said at the heat of the moment.\u00a0 He could say that no mere colony mission could ever meet such grand ideals.\u00a0 He was the guy that found the little things people wanted.\u00a0 A random colony in the far reaches of space was the best he could expect.\u00a0 But Charles wanted something more.\u00a0 Malcolm did too, and she deserved to know that.\u00a0 He smiled and met her gaze.\u00a0 \u201cI told her the God\u2019s honest truth.\u00a0 Scout\u2019s honor.\u201d<\/p>\n Olivia turned back to her displays.\u00a0 \u201cGood,\u201d she said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cI can live with that.\u201d<\/p>\n Malcolm let out a long relieved breath and remained next to Olivia as Normandy<\/em> and her charges accelerated away from Bosphorus.\u00a0 The lights of the Pleiades Cluster filled the sky ahead of them, pulsing with the promise of new vistas.\u00a0 New stars.\u00a0 New worlds, far beyond The War that waged throughout the stars they\u2019d left behind.\u00a0 Malcolm licked his lips, wondering if he truly had what it took to lead everyone into the unknown like that.<\/p>\n He glanced over at Dawn to see her smiling at him.\u00a0 The cyber gave him a knowing look followed by the slightest of nods.<\/p>\n Malcolm pulled in a long breath, reassured by that small motion, and glanced at Olivia again.\u00a0 He\u2019d found good people for this mission.\u00a0 Olivia turned a questioning look at him and he answered with a simple nod.\u00a0 He had no doubt in her ability to keep them moving.\u00a0 She seemed to read that faith in his action and turned back to the Pleiades Cluster, her shoulders set.<\/p>\n In that moment, Malcolm McDonnell, scion of an ancient and powerful family, realized that this place was the one place he wanted to be.\u00a0 Earth was no longer his home.\u00a0 New Earth never had been, but for a time he\u2019d thought it could be.\u00a0 Now he knew he\u2019d been wrong.\u00a0 This was his home.\u00a0 Normandy<\/em>.\u00a0 The Wolfenheim Project.\u00a0 He belonged here.<\/p>\n He was still standing there when the mass of colorful stars making up the Pleiades Cluster disappeared.\u00a0 A moment later, hyperspace churned around them, a giant whirlpool of energy created by the sucking gravities of over one thousand stars.\u00a0 A river of energy flowed into the maelstrom from the giant star behind them, and the fleet began to slide down into the rabbit hole it represented.\u00a0 They had a very important date on the other side of the Pleiades Cluster, and he could not wait to get there.<\/p>\n Malcolm smiled.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello, my name is Malcolm.\u00a0 I almost died in a fight when I was younger.\u00a0 Due to that, I spent the next century trying to avoid conflict.\u00a0 I became the man of value to everyone, the man who could find[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2309-wolfenheim-rising-earc","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-malcolm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2410"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2410\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2412,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2410\/revisions\/2412"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}