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Post by Amy81 on May 17, 2006 11:37:18 GMT -6
Em sat in the dark, waiting. Her patience was wearing thin, for the shuttle seemed to have been forgotten as it sat on the landing strip. After risking the flight to the battlestar while the great warship was in the midst of battle, that no one was attending to the shuttle upon landing struck Em as odd.
She activated her com, and after hesitating a micron she keyed in the code for her contact within the Society. Ship to ship she never would have tried such a call, but within the battlestar she knew the call would be brief and untraceable.
"Speak" came a voice over the com. Low. A man's voice. Em swallowed. Sometimes it was a female voice, sometimes a man. This voice she could not place as being familiar at all. But the Society took precautions, so this wasn't all that unusual.
"I'm here" Em replied. She didn't need to identify herself for her com code verified who she was.
"How?" the voice asked. "Shuttle traffic is suspended."
"Cargo shuttle" Em stated as briefly as possible.
"Proceed to the starboard side of the landing bay. The security man will have your credentials. Then proceed to Boleman's quarters." The line then immediately went dead.
Boleman... the Widow's protector...
Em put the com away. Is anyone going to open this shuttle? Almost on cue Em heard banging on the outer wall of the shuttle. Someone was at the side entrance, and Em tucked herself in tighter to avoid detection as the door opened a crack and light began streaming in....
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Post by Brie on May 17, 2006 13:52:54 GMT -6
Pierce thought he would go insane, waiting for news on his child. If he asked too many questions his supremacy might be doubted. Sometimes it was tough to be a god! Dr. Whatshisname wouldn’t question him, he had made that mistake once already. No doubt about it, fear was one of Pierce’s favorite allies. “Doctor!” Pierce called at last.
Dr. Whatshisname came rushing in. “What is it, Master? Are you feeling alright?”
“I’m sorry to scare you, my son,” Pierce answered. “I'm feeling stronger by the micron. I was just wondering, is there any news on the medtech and my child?”
“The shuttle pilot refused to fly into the middle of the battle,” the doctor replied.
“Was that the only shuttle to the Callisto?” Pierce asked
“There was a cargo shuttle, but I don’t see how...”
“She’ll have found a way,” Pierce mumbled, more to himself than to the doctor. “She has disappointed me twice already, she won’t do it again.”
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Post by Amy81 on May 18, 2006 6:57:18 GMT -6
The door was open all the way now, the bright light jarring Em's senses and blinding her. How long had see been in the cargo hold anyway? When she could see again she risked a peek and couldn't see anyone by the side entrance. All the activity seemed to be at the rear of the shuttle.
Em stood slowly, her muscles stiff and achy. She took cautious steps toward the door, squeezing between boxes and crates. The crewmen unloading the shuttle made increasingly louder noises as they worked, and the floor shook occasionally as heavy equipment and supplies were taken out.
Gotta go now. My cover will be gone soon...
Em stepped out through the side door and down the plank to the deck. She wanted to hurry to the starboard side as instructed, but she had no sense of direction. Where the shuttle was parked she couldn't see through to either end of the bay. Thinking quickly, she walked around the shuttle, intending to run into the off-loading crewmen. Best to just act like I belong here....
She walked up to a crew chief who had his back to her, checking things off on a clipboard. "Excuse me" she said, flashing a smile and as bewildered a look as she could manage.
The chief turned around, stiffening as he saw her. "M'am? You don't belong out here."
Em flashed the smile again. Charming and disarming, the old one-two punch. "Tell me about it. Since my flight is on hold I wanted to look around, but I'm afraid I'm lost. Can you direct me to the starboard side of the bay?"
"Yes M'am" he replied, relaxing a little. Pretty lady. If I had the time I'd show her around myself... "That way" he said, pointing. Then he pointed up along the wall. "Take the elevator to level five, you can see everything from the observation deck. Safer for you too."
"Thank you so much" Em said sweetly, putting a hand on the man's chest for a moment.
The chief grinned and tipped his hardhat. "Not a problem, M'am. Anytime." He checked his chrono. "I go on break at three. I'll be up there then if you'd like someone to show you around a little..."
"Why thank you. I just might take you up on that. No telling how long I'm stuck here, and I just don't know where my head's at today." She smiled again, but as she turned away her expression turned grim and full of purpose. Idiot. They're all the same. Every last one.
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Post by Amy81 on May 19, 2006 5:47:51 GMT -6
There were three blackshirts near the exit as Em walked across the bay. She was unsure of which one to approach, but one of the three made steady eye contact with her, then turned and walked through the doorway. Em followed microns later, looked down the corridor, and saw the man again. He nodded, and she walked up to him.
He said nothing, just giving her some papers.
"Boleman's quarters?" she asked, stuffing the papers into her coat pocket.
The man gave her directions. "Got a message for you."
"Oh?" Em said. These missions always filled her with excitement, but also with a sense of dread for so much was at stake. For the cause, but also for herself personally. Her heart pounded as she waited for the message.
"Don't fail this time. Twice was two too many."
"I didn't--" Em started to say, then stopped. This man was just a messenger. It would be a waste of time trying to convince him of anything. Plus, anything she did say could and probably would be reported back, and most likely used against her. "Understood" she said at last.
She continued on, and the security guard went back the way he came. Em felt uneasy. On the agroship she felt more secure, more in control. Here, she felt exposed, her fate out of her hands. Still she pressed on, and found herself at Boleman's doorway.
Keeping her hand steady, she knocked on the door...
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Post by Brie on May 19, 2006 18:52:58 GMT -6
“The contractions are less than eleven centons apart,” Boleman told Kyla is if she didn’t already know. “I’m contacting Bkj.”
“Fine,” Kyla conceded.
As Boleman reached for his comm there was a knock on the door. “Frack!” he said louder than he had intended. “Who could that be?”
“Opportunity, maybe?”
Boleman wasn’t in a joking mood. “Hold on,” he yelled, returning his comm to its place. He approached the door and looked through the peephole. "Who the frack are you?" he screamed, staring at the unfamiliar woman.
"Boleman!" Kyla scolded. "Once the baby is born, you're going to have to watch your language..."
"I'm the midwife," Em replied. She hoped that he could hear her, she didn't want to scream and call attention to herself, but she was still on the other side of a closed door.
"Oh," Boleman replied. It took him a few microns to turn off the security system and get the door opened. "Sorry about that. Please come in."
Em stepped into the room and approached Kyla. "How are you feeling, Honey?" It wasn't the type nickname that she would normally use but she didn't want them to know that she was on a mission.
"I'm doing okay," Kyla answered.
"The contractions are just over ten centons apart," Boleman added.
Em looked at Boleman, trying to not let her hatred show. She turned back towards Kyla and stared at her swollen stomach. To be in the presence of her Master's son..."So what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'Honey'."
"I'm Ky...Kammy," Kyla answered. “What's your name?”
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Post by Brie on May 23, 2006 7:51:54 GMT -6
Comeek sat on his bed, eyes closed, legs tucked under him. Something must be up he thought to himself. It’s been too quiet. SOMETHING must be happening. He took a deep breath, trying to reach deep down inside himself. He relaxed as he exhaled. He repeated the exercise several times. Master, what do you need me to do?
Be patient, my son. Comeek heard Pierce’s voice as clearly as if he were whispering in his ear. Keep practicing reaching out to me, and work on making yourself stronger. When I need you, you will know. You need to be ready. And don’t worry, Logan is still one of us. I needed her on the outside. In the end you will both be rewarded with each other and even more and I promise you, my son, it will be worth it. There is no one that I would trust more to raise my child.
Comeek opened his eyes, convinced that what he had just heard was real. Thank you, Master, he thought, his heart filled with joy. Logan was still faithful, she would someday be his, and they would raise the child together.
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Post by Brie on Jun 2, 2006 13:02:45 GMT -6
"It won't be too much longer now," Em said. She concentrated deeply on the task at hand, everything rested on this child. "Do you want your grandfather in here when the child is born, or would you like for him to come back? Some women feel strongly about these things."
"He's not my grandfather," Kyla replied, reaching out for Boleman's hand. "He's my husband." Boleman looked surprised but didn't say anything. He wondered if Kyla had said that for just the midwife's benefit, or did maybe he stand a chance? As he stared at Kyla's sweaty face all he saw was beauty. He stroked her hair with his free hand. It had been a long time since he had even noticed her blank eye. Maybe...just maybe, if they could get past the obvious age difference......a pain shot through his other hand. Kyla was squeezing harder than he ever thought would be possible for such a fragile child.
“This is it,” Em said. “With this contraction, Kammy, I want you to push with every ounce of strength.”
A couple of centons later a cry was heard. Em smiled, HIS son had been born. She had done well. “It’s a boy,” she said, forcing herself to give the small miracle to his mother.
“He’s perfect,” Kyla said, holding her baby for the first time.
“That he is,” Em agreed. She wrote down the official time of birth. “Do you know what you’re going to name him?” Possibilities ran through her mind. Pierce Junior was too much to ask, but he needed a strong name. Thor or Zeus, maybe, something befitting the child of a god.
“I’ve known that all along,” Kyla replied. She looked at Boleman, smiled, then stared again at the tiny child. There were tears in her eyes. “His name is Turner.”
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Post by Amy81 on Jun 3, 2006 18:29:01 GMT -6
Turner.
Turner?
TURNER!
The name was like ashes in Em's mouth. Pierce wasn't going to like this at all. Or would he? Would he find some sort of perverse pleasure in his child sharing a name with the husband of the Great Widow? Surely this child was destined for greatness. And by the end no one would remember that there'd ever been another with the same name....
That would be the way to sell it. If Em couldn't convince this Kammy to change her mind. Everything would have been perfect if it wasn't for this name she had chosen.
"Turner?" Em asked. "Are you sure?" Kammy and Boleman looked over at her, and she smoothly covered up her distaste in the choice. "I mean, such a beautiful, wonderful child. Surely there's a name more fitting for such a blessing as he...."
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Post by Brie on Jun 5, 2006 13:12:57 GMT -6
"It's the perfect name," Kyla argued, glancing at Boleman. She looked back towards the midwife. "I'll tell you why. You‘ve, no doubt, heard about the takeover attempt on the Agro Ship?"
"I heard something about it," Em replied, choosing her words carefully. "I don't really pay a whole lot of attention to the IFB, their reports tend to be full of errors."
"That's true," Kyla agreed, "but in the end they got this one right. Major Brie, who is the head of Gold Squadron here on the Callisto, helped to save the fleet from a madman. When I first found out I was pregnant I decided immediately to honor her for all that I've heard that she's done."
Em was boiling inside, but hid it well. "That doesn't explain why you'd name him 'Turner.' It's such a common sounding name."
"I found out that I was having a boy," Kyla explained. She could see Boleman 's glare out of the corner of her eye. "So I did a little bit of research. Major Brie had been sealed to Captain Turner, a fearless man decorated for bravery, a man who fought for the fleet, a man who lost his own life because he put the safety of others before himself. That's the type of man I want my son to grow up to be."
"But Mushylips," Boleman said, playing their fake sealing for all he could, “since we don’t know Major Brie maybe we should try to get in touch with her somehow and ask her if she would mind our naming our son after her late husband.”
“If she minds, then we’ll change it,” Kyla said. “But she won’t mind. Please,” she said to Em, “mark it on his birth certificate. Our son’s name is Turner.”
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Post by Brie on Jun 15, 2006 11:59:25 GMT -6
Em took the baby back and checked him all over. Ten fingers, ten toes, his father's eyes...he was the most exquisite child that she had ever seen. She flashed back momentarily to the first time she had seen Amy, what a homely child in comparison! But this child, Pierce Jr. as she would think of him, was perfect. She held back a tear, the future of the human race was in her arms.
"Is everything okay?" Kyla asked nervously.
"Everything is fine," Em replied. She swaddled the child and forced herself to give him back to his mother. "I just get emotional about babies."
"Thank you for all your help," Boleman said, subtly motioning towards the door. "I think we can take it from here."
"I'll file the report and his birth certificate with the Med Lab," Em said, taking the hint. "I'm sure that they'll send someone to check up on mother and son within the cycle. Until then, Kammy, take it easy, and let your husband wait on you hand and foot."
"Thanks again," Kyla replied, holding little Turner closely. Boleman saw the midwife out and then returned to Kyla's side. He had a strange look on his face. "What is it?" Kyla asked.
"I was just thinking......she never told us her name."
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