Chapter One #2
Cort is surprised at Alder’s dual residence. “You have a house at Rescue?”
Justice laughs. “He’s been splitting time up there for months, Boss.”
Cort shakes his head. “Huh. There’s always something happening up there but I thought you were flying over.”
“No time to travel every day. I virtual all meet I can. Boss Anchor, Racks help to me at new lab to Rescue.” The new lab surprises Cort too.
I smile. “Did you find new metal and better ways to charge?”
He nods. “Boss Anchor order material I never see, show to me over-sea supply. I have meet to ABSZ IT then Alpha, Pres Cort. You add question to list?”
“I’ll add anything I need answers for. Before you go, where’s the ship meet and why do you need a week?” Cort is easy with it but has a million questions.
Alder drops his chair down and lifts his little backpack.
“Robot meet. Pres Jordan plan meet I give demonstrate. I need Boss Hud learn schedule, preference, work I do he can talk. I send chemical strand to Boss Copper, Pres Zeke. Later, Preses. Zeus, Protect.” He runs out with the Protector K9 following.
Cort tries hiding his surprise. Justice laughs.
Falcon shakes his head. We all do the same things and have become very predictable.
“He’s ready today, Boss. I can send him to Bravo. A day with Tats should clue him in to Alder movements and rationale.” I throw out.
“He has a robot meet?” Cort asks.
I smile. “Yeah. They’re making more affordable service-oriented robots that BI will sell. BSC North has dinner cruise ships that use their robots now. They’re working great. The California Club has a guy that runs a cruise and saw a video showing the Prince’s ship.”
He nods clamping down his questions and looks at Falcon.
“Get Tats scheduled or shadowing with Hud. Alder has the house on the ABSZ for him, make sure Stan knows he’s going to hit up there.
You’ll need a team for him out of BSC area.
Find out where the meet is and have two full teams ready, one based out of Sentinel, the other Bravo.
For the robot meet, get him in a Club to sleep.
I’ll get Ranger readied for aerial to follow wherever he goes and Brinks to coordinate for Jordan. ”
I smile at Justice. Alder isn’t sleeping at a Club.
Falcon isn’t laughing but he wants to. “Roger, Boss. I’ll meet you for lunch.” He walks out and Cort follows. “Get him to Bravo today, Zeke. Thanks, Brothers.” Falcon knows he’s stopping a million questions from Cort. I love the Brother.
I smile right out when the door closes. Cort isn’t surprised by much. He’s always clued in to Alder’s movements. “He’s surprised?”
Justice stands. “Yeah. Girard does fine with Alder. This works well.”
I saw it too. “Yeah. Do you need anything from me and did you see the cruise?” Visions came in waves last night but that one can’t be allowed, I think as I walk to the door with him.
“I did. They’ll be safe,” he says aloud, then throws directly to me so it’s not on a camera or picked up on audio. ‘Teller is getting it to Citiali to cover our asses just in case.’
This is good and relieves me. He nods again so I push him away. “Go to work.”
He opens the door but is gone when I go through.
Fuckin’ Brothers need to cover their disappearances better than that.
I guess Alder is going on a cruise. I send it to Mucimi since Justice has Citiali on it, we’ll need help wherever we can get it for this one.
At least we’re not planning another Club for an unprepared Brother.
Cort is rough with the Protectors he finds.
He wants them all as Presidents. Some day we’ll run out of reasons for Clubs.
I smile, then we’re looking for hobbies according to Alder.
§*§*§
Honor Rising
Sophia Michadeau
Asa has me biting the tip of my tongue so I keep the blank look on my face.
The little VP is funny and too smart for these mere mortal Brothers.
The gunner doesn’t know Asa at all, telling me he isn’t well versed in his new Club.
Donna is the Commander of the air base here, she’s going to love this one.
I watch and commit everything the hoser says for her.
We meet at the Club a couple times a week and tonight is a ‘show’ night for us.
“You not Badass?” Asa growls out, which I‘ve never heard, or at least not the month I’ve been on his detail. I have seen the little Badass arm cross and glare.
The hoser freezes. “I got the app but don’t have a sponsor.”
Asa’s head swings from side to side. “You volunteer to me for sponsor?”
Now the jerk smiles. “They said I’d meet Brothers who can sponsor on the outreach jobs. I picked you for outreach.”
Asa puts a hand up to stop more from the gunner and looks at me. “He no see more than him. No vision to more, no understand to more not always more. I no give work to dumbass.”
I lift my head to nod just as Asa’s face changes to surprise in a split second as he’s snatched up by the pissed and clueless gunner.
My body moves automatically. The gunner is on the side of me so my knee comes up and foot slams down and sideways on his knee.
Asa shoots him with the laser as he pushes off the worthless jerk that’s on his way down to the ground with a high-pitched yell.
The quick yell and sudden silence, caused by the seizure-like tremors Asa shot into him, draw attention, but my thought is on my package.
My arm reaches to catch Asa before he lands on top of the vibrating gunner. “Good job, Brother.”
He holds on to me, but I don’t waste time and set him down, bending low to scan his face, then arm. “You okay?”
“Yeah, thanks, Boss Sophie.”
“What happened?” Seth draws my eyes up but Asa still has his hand on my arm so I don’t stand.
“Dumbass come to get sponsor. No vision to future, argue to me like I kid not know basic human instinct.”
Seth has a Brother just coming up the trail behind us secure the gunner.
“I disabled him. He grabbed Asa, Boss.”
He focuses on me, then right back on Asa. “He put hands on you, Brother?”
Asa nods and pats my arm. “Boss Sophie move fast. I shoot she catch me.”
I nod a confirmation for Seth. We don’t do reports here if higher officers are with us.
“Good job, Sophie. Why’d he put hands on Asa?”
I guess he needs the details. I don’t get the reading and why they don’t know some things but know others.
Seth smiles. “Different types of readers get different information.”
Righty. He got that perfectly. “He was making an argument for how new technology is better for everything and will get us living on the moon or mars faster. He did that by explaining it to Asa as if he’s five.
Asa asked if he was an Honor Brother, getting the answer that he showed today because he needed a sponsor and Asa was the outreach to get that.
Asa said he had no vision and he wouldn’t give him work. The gunner grabbed him.”
He stops me with another nod. “I got it. Thanks.”
I didn’t have anything else to say so I turn back to Asa. “Your arm okay?”
The little Badass smiles like a Badass angel with his mohawk and earring. “I good to go. We have meet at Rescue, no time to whine.” He points at the whining gunner.
I smile at the little VP. “Nope. Let’s finish this and get to Rescue.”
“You staying at Rescue or back here tonight?” Seth asks Asa.
“Rescue I meet Boss Anchor for circuit board, bring to Alpha meet, then Bravo for night. Pres Kristos have it.” The little VP knows his shit and is always prepared before he makes any moves.
Seth nods. “Send this to Alder. I’ll get with VP to let Donna know what happened. He’s out as soon as they drop him at the gate.”
Asa nods and let’s my arm go so I stand. I think for Seth and hope he reads it, ‘I’ll stay close later and see if he has a bruise or mark.’
Seth’s head turns right to Asa. “Mucimi is going to meet you at the pool later. He’s got Akai and Alta working on something.”
“He say to you?” Asa asks.
Seth nods. “He jumped in my head; he must need something.”
Asa nods and starts walking so I follow. “Boss Mucimi work to hide kitchen help. Pres Alder say find mask.”
Seth looks back at me. It’s a whole robot-human interaction thing that will take longer than we have to explain, but he doesn’t ask, he nods, so he must have read it.
I follow the silent pair back to the lot thinking I should stay in Bravo tonight. Mucimi is a healer Protector and Seth did all that in a weird way that left me a flag. Asa must need that.
A little powwow goes on before everyone is settled. I stand back and let them do their update, or replay or whatever they’re doing in their little circle. While they’re busy, I send a chat to Donna about tonight and give her a heads-up on the gunner.
We finally get on the bikes and fly up the hill and through the Honor gate like we’re being chased.
Asa learned to ride from Falcon and I can attest that he’s a nut on a bike.
I just have to keep up with the little VP that learned more than my simulator, ride and shoot lessons here and defensive at Phoenix from Freedom.
It was a good hike and climb but the dipshit gunner has us running behind.
Seth follows us to the air base side and checks his phone before he looks at me. “Can you stay with Asa tonight, they need coverage, a six to ten shift?”
I nod. “I made plans to stay at Bravo. I’m on Asa tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Alder has a new Lead coming on. They’re putting teams together for a big meet coming up.”
“Boss Sophie good Lead. I tell Pres Alder.” The little VP walks away.
I lift my shoulders at Seth’s look. “I guess that’s it.”
He heads to the building and I follow Asa to the pad on the side.
§*§*§
Alpha Rising
Sophia
He doesn’t talk much so it’s a silent walk at Rescue then flight where he’s typing in the air.
Alpha is a quick chopper ride and the time crunch has us jogging to the second floor where a huge dog with a robot leg is waiting.