Fic: Altered Trajectory (cont.)
May. 4th, 2010 04:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalCan't believe it took me two weeks to pound out this little bit.
They were escorted to a suite of rooms that occupied the top two levels of one of the massive towers. In the foyer Rufus pulled off his sunglasses as the light was now at vulpine normal levels. From the hallway a male a human voice called out, “One minute, mate!” A moment later Lance Freeman, formerly Marine Lt. Freeman of the United System Forces, entered, buttoning up a fresh shirt. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he saw Rufus, Hazel and Admiral Gisko waiting for him. “Rufus! Fancy seeing you again.” He cocked his head, “No, wait, you’re Rufus, the one from our universe.”
“Unfortunately, yes. You’re not the only one wishing my brother could handle this visit,” Rufus admitted. He held out his prosthetic hand, which to Lance’s credit he shook without hesitation. “How are you and the boys doing?”
“Bored to tears mostly. Can’t go back to Earth yet until the Galapagos open up diplomatic relations and all the books and vids they’ve got that I can read are leftover from when they shut down Earth’s Internet five hundred years back.” Lance looked at him curiously. “Unless that’s about to change?”
“Not by choice,” Admiral Gisko said. “I will let Lord Ru Ofanius explain his view of the situation to you, and I will brief you myself later.”
“Fair enough.” Admiral Gisko took her leave, while Lance waved them into the suite’s common area. The furniture matched the cabin on the Galapagos ship, handmade and comfortable looking. The walls were whitewashed stone, gentled by colorful tapestries that hung from them, stitched in abstract patterns. “Sit down, sit down, and introduce me to your sheila.”
“Haz Elin Swiftfoot,” Hazel said, holding out her hand to him before sitting down. “I’m Rufus’, er…”
“Partner,” Rufus interceded. “Don’t worry, dear, someday someone will think of a name for it.” He looked around the room. There was a spiral staircase leading to an upper level and doors leading to a wide terrace outside, but there was no sign of either Terinu or his human friend Matthew. “Speaking of partners, where are the boys?”
“They’re both over at the Gene Mage’s lab, helping him do whatever is he’s doing to put the Ferin back together. Who knows what that is, the old devil has sworn ‘em both to secrecy.” Lance leaned forward in his seat, hands clasped in his lap. “So what’s going on anyway?”
“Quite a bit.” Rufus once again gave a summary of the current situation, remembering this time to include the actions of Lance’s cousin, Commander Blake, and her attempt to muzzle him during his testimony to the Farmer Lords Council.
Lance looked faintly sick. “You could have died, mate!”
“Two or three times over,” Rufus agreed. “Once during my actual heart attack, once on the operating table or even from complications when I was recovering.”
“Bet she didn’t apologize either.”
“Well even if she was so inclined the Council of Farmer Lords didn’t give her much chance, given their rush to shove her off our planet.”
“Sorry.” Lance rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. “She wasn’t always like that y’know. Trying live up to her da’s expectations got her all twisted around somehow.”
“Well I imagine after that last fiasco she’s safely out of the picture, so I refuse to worry about her. What I’m more interested in is how we can protect the galapagos in general.”
“They haven’t exactly been waving their TOE’s at me, I’m afraid, so I can’t give you any idea on their military strength. Can tell you one thing though, there aren’t as many about as the size of this city might let on.”
“Why’s that?” Rufus asked.
“I’ve gone on walkabouts to look around. It’s built for more people than they have right now. Most of the sectors are sealed up, waiting for someone to move it. Plenty of room to expand when they’re able to, but it hasn’t happened yet.”
“Told you,” Hazel said smugly.
“I fear you’re both right,” Rufus said. “But what can we do? If the Vulpine government enters a separate treaty arrangement to protect them from the humans, then we would be in violation of the GSA charter.”
“That’s a tricky one, mate. Best thing I can think of is sending a recording of the testimony you gave to the other major governments, just so everyone can know the truth.”
“Tempting, but it’s entirely possible that will just turn everyone against the humans. I want the Galapagos to survive yes. I’d like to find a solution that’s better than starting a civil war that might end with the Ardies picking the pieces.” Rufus sighed. “I do loathe getting involved in politics.”
“You and me both, mate.”
They heard the suite’s entry door open and Matt Townsend’s voice call, “Mr. Freeman, we’re back!”
“Hey boys, we’ve got visitors!” Lance greeted, standing up from the couch. Rufus and Hazel joined him a moment later as Matt entered, his friend Terinu in tow. Quite literally, a silver chain leash running from Matt’s hand to a collar around his best friend’s throat.
TBC
* * *
Yes, Matt has a perfectly good reason for doing that. Evil grin
They were escorted to a suite of rooms that occupied the top two levels of one of the massive towers. In the foyer Rufus pulled off his sunglasses as the light was now at vulpine normal levels. From the hallway a male a human voice called out, “One minute, mate!” A moment later Lance Freeman, formerly Marine Lt. Freeman of the United System Forces, entered, buttoning up a fresh shirt. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he saw Rufus, Hazel and Admiral Gisko waiting for him. “Rufus! Fancy seeing you again.” He cocked his head, “No, wait, you’re Rufus, the one from our universe.”
“Unfortunately, yes. You’re not the only one wishing my brother could handle this visit,” Rufus admitted. He held out his prosthetic hand, which to Lance’s credit he shook without hesitation. “How are you and the boys doing?”
“Bored to tears mostly. Can’t go back to Earth yet until the Galapagos open up diplomatic relations and all the books and vids they’ve got that I can read are leftover from when they shut down Earth’s Internet five hundred years back.” Lance looked at him curiously. “Unless that’s about to change?”
“Not by choice,” Admiral Gisko said. “I will let Lord Ru Ofanius explain his view of the situation to you, and I will brief you myself later.”
“Fair enough.” Admiral Gisko took her leave, while Lance waved them into the suite’s common area. The furniture matched the cabin on the Galapagos ship, handmade and comfortable looking. The walls were whitewashed stone, gentled by colorful tapestries that hung from them, stitched in abstract patterns. “Sit down, sit down, and introduce me to your sheila.”
“Haz Elin Swiftfoot,” Hazel said, holding out her hand to him before sitting down. “I’m Rufus’, er…”
“Partner,” Rufus interceded. “Don’t worry, dear, someday someone will think of a name for it.” He looked around the room. There was a spiral staircase leading to an upper level and doors leading to a wide terrace outside, but there was no sign of either Terinu or his human friend Matthew. “Speaking of partners, where are the boys?”
“They’re both over at the Gene Mage’s lab, helping him do whatever is he’s doing to put the Ferin back together. Who knows what that is, the old devil has sworn ‘em both to secrecy.” Lance leaned forward in his seat, hands clasped in his lap. “So what’s going on anyway?”
“Quite a bit.” Rufus once again gave a summary of the current situation, remembering this time to include the actions of Lance’s cousin, Commander Blake, and her attempt to muzzle him during his testimony to the Farmer Lords Council.
Lance looked faintly sick. “You could have died, mate!”
“Two or three times over,” Rufus agreed. “Once during my actual heart attack, once on the operating table or even from complications when I was recovering.”
“Bet she didn’t apologize either.”
“Well even if she was so inclined the Council of Farmer Lords didn’t give her much chance, given their rush to shove her off our planet.”
“Sorry.” Lance rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. “She wasn’t always like that y’know. Trying live up to her da’s expectations got her all twisted around somehow.”
“Well I imagine after that last fiasco she’s safely out of the picture, so I refuse to worry about her. What I’m more interested in is how we can protect the galapagos in general.”
“They haven’t exactly been waving their TOE’s at me, I’m afraid, so I can’t give you any idea on their military strength. Can tell you one thing though, there aren’t as many about as the size of this city might let on.”
“Why’s that?” Rufus asked.
“I’ve gone on walkabouts to look around. It’s built for more people than they have right now. Most of the sectors are sealed up, waiting for someone to move it. Plenty of room to expand when they’re able to, but it hasn’t happened yet.”
“Told you,” Hazel said smugly.
“I fear you’re both right,” Rufus said. “But what can we do? If the Vulpine government enters a separate treaty arrangement to protect them from the humans, then we would be in violation of the GSA charter.”
“That’s a tricky one, mate. Best thing I can think of is sending a recording of the testimony you gave to the other major governments, just so everyone can know the truth.”
“Tempting, but it’s entirely possible that will just turn everyone against the humans. I want the Galapagos to survive yes. I’d like to find a solution that’s better than starting a civil war that might end with the Ardies picking the pieces.” Rufus sighed. “I do loathe getting involved in politics.”
“You and me both, mate.”
They heard the suite’s entry door open and Matt Townsend’s voice call, “Mr. Freeman, we’re back!”
“Hey boys, we’ve got visitors!” Lance greeted, standing up from the couch. Rufus and Hazel joined him a moment later as Matt entered, his friend Terinu in tow. Quite literally, a silver chain leash running from Matt’s hand to a collar around his best friend’s throat.
TBC
* * *
Yes, Matt has a perfectly good reason for doing that. Evil grin
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no subject
Date: 2010-05-05 01:28 pm (UTC)