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Q:
JAVA servlets - open message popup
I want to user HttpServletResponse object to compose a response that will tell the browser client to open a popup with some message - how can i do that?
A:
Every Servlet response is basically an Http doc/snippet. So you could return a call to a javascript function that will be executed on the client side. The function can be passed in that Servlet response or it can be pre-included in the .js file.
just an example:
//servlet code
PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();
response.setContentType("text/html");
out.println("<script type=\"text/javascript\">");
out.println("alert('deadbeef');");
out.println("</script>");
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
428 F.2d 888
In the Matter of the Complaint of UNTERWESER REEDEREI, GMBH.ZAPATA OFF-SHORE COMPANY, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.M/S BREMEN and Unterweser Reederei GMBH, Defendants-Appellants.
No. 27497.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
June 19, 1970.
David C. Kerr, Jack C. Rinard, Tampa, Fla., Faiis, Ellis, Cutrone, Gilmore & Lautenschlaeger, J. Y. Gilmore, Jr., Warren Faris, New Orleans, La., for defendants-appellants.
Dewey R. Villareal, Jr., Tampa, Fla., James K. Nance, Houston, Tax., for plaintiff-appellee.
Before WISDOM, GEWIN and AINSWORTH, Circuit Judges.
GEWIN, Circuit Judge:
1
Unterweser Reederei, GMBH (Unterweser), seeks review of an order of the district court denying a stay of the limitation action Unterweser had filed in that court and enjoining Unterweser from proceeding further with litigation concerning the same subject matter in an English court. The limitation action was brought after Zapata Off-Shore Company (Zapata) filed a complaint in admiralty against Unterweser and its tug Bremen.
2
Unterweser, a German corporation, contracted with Zapata, a Delaware corporation, with its principal place of business in Houston, Texas, to tow Zapata's drilling barge Chaparral1 from Venice, Louisiana to Ravenna, Italy. The towage contract contained a forum selection clause providing that any dispute must be litigated before the High Court of Justice in London, England. On 5 January 1968, the Unterweser tug Bremen2 departed Venice, Louisiana with the Chaparral in tow. During the morning of 9 January 1968, the Chaparral sufferred a casualty while proceeding in the Gulf of Mexico. Pursuant to instructions from Zapata, Bremen made for Tampa Bay, the nearest port. Promptly upon arrival, Bremen was arrested by a United States Marshal and her master served with a copy of Zapata's complaint seeking $3,500,000 in damages from Bremen and Unterweser.3
3
Unterweser filed a motion praying in the alternative that the district court (1) dismiss for want of jurisdiction, (2) decline jurisdiction on the basis of forum non conveniens, or (3) stay further prosecution of the action.4 Unterweser subsequently instituted an action against Zapata in the High Court of Justice in London, claiming moneys due under the towage contract and damages for breach of contract. Zapata was served with the summons of that court; it appeared and moved that the English court dismiss its process. The High Court of Justice denied Zapata's motion holding that it had jurisdiction of the action. This determination was affirmed by the English Court of Appeal which held the forum selection provision of the contract to be reasonable and found no circumstances which would require it to deny enforcement of the agreement.
4
Before the English Court of Appeal had rendered the above decision, Unterweser filed a complaint in the district court seeking exoneration or limitation of liability arising from the casualty.5 Consequently the district court entered the usual injunction restraining claimants from proceeding outside the limitation court regarding the events of 9 January 1968. Zapata filed its claim in the limitation proceedings asserting the same cause of action as in its original action. Unterweser filed objection to Zapata's claim and counterclaimed against Zapata alleging the same claims embodied in its English action plus an additional salvage claim.
5
Zapata moved for an injunction restraining Unterweser from litigating further in the High Court of Justice. Unterweser moved to stay its own limitation proceeding pending a determination of Unterweser's suit in the English court. The district court denied the requested stay and enjoined Unterweser from proceeding in any other court regarding the same matter prior to a determination of the limitation action.6 Unterweser appeals from these orders, and we affirm.
6
* We shall first comment on the power of the district court to restrain Unterweser from proceeding with its action in England. A court of equity has the traditional power to enjoin parties, properly before it, from litigating in another court. This power has been exercised where the foreign litigation would: (1) frustrate a policy of the forum issuing the injunction; (2) be vexatious or oppressive; (3) threaten the issuing court's in rem or quasi in rem jurisdiction; or (4) where the proceedings prejudice other equitable considerations.7 We must now determine whether this traditional power of the Chancellor appertains to a district court sitting in a limitation proceeding.
7
Prior to the decision below there has been scant judicial discussion of the power of an admiralty court to enjoin a party bringing a limitation action from contemporaneous litigation in foreign courts. Our research has added little of significance to the authority cited by the district court. The principal decision on the question was rendered by the Second Circuit in The Salvore.8 In that case, the owners of cargo damaged while on board the Salvore brought a libel in the district court. The Salvore's owner sued the cargo claimants in an Italian court for abuse of process, and subsequently brought a limitation proceeding in the district court. On a motion by the cargo claimants, the district court held that it was without power to stay the limitation proceeding or to compel the shipowner to discontinue its Italian suit. In reversing, the Second Circuit relied on the Supreme Court's description of a limitation proceeding as 'the administration of equity in an admiralty court; look(ing) to a complete and just resolution of a many cornered controversy.'9 It stated:
8
The limitation proceeding was an appeal to a court of admiralty, which is a court of equity, * * * and the appellee (shipowner), seeking equity, should willingly do equity. * * * It must be willing to bring in all the controversies in the limitation proceedings, for it has invoked the court's aid.10
9
In A. C. Dodge, Inc. v. J. M. Carras, Inc.,11 the Second Circuit relied on its Salvore decision in affirming an order of the district court dissolving an injunction entered against claimants in the shipowner's limitation proceeding, and providing that it would be reinstituted only if the shipowner obtained a stay of an action which it was simultaneously pursuing in another federal court. Unterweser seeks to distinguish these cases on the ground that neither involved an injunction of the sort issued in the present case. In Salvore and Dodge, the courts sought to coerce the shipowner by conditioning the continuance of the injunction, that restrained claimants from litigating outside the limitation court, on voluntary forebearance of the shipowner's foreign action. We find no implication in these cases which would influence us to hold that district courts are impotent to accomplish directly what these courts sought to effect circuitously. To the contrary, the court in Salvore expressly stated:
10
The court first securing jurisdiction has the authority and power of enjoining the parties to the litigation from proceeding in another jurisdiction. And the court has an undoubted authority to control all persons and things within its own territorial limits.12
11
Unterweser emphasizes the third case of the trilogy cited in the district court's opinion, Petition of A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi.13 There the district court refused to enjoin litigation in an English court by a shipowner participating in a limitation proceeding before the district court. Though there is indication in the opinion that the Mowinckels court felt itself limited to the type of order fashioned in Salvore and approved in Dodge, we agree with the position of the district court below that Mowinckels was based on a determination that any restraint of the shipowner was improper under the attendant circumstances.
12
Since the district court entered its orders below, Mowinckels has been affirmed by the Second Circuit.14 The opinion on appeal supports the interpretation given Mowinckels by the district court in the instant case. Citing Salvore and Dodge with approval, the Second Circuit stated:
13
There can be no question * * * that one purpose of the Limitation Act is a concursus or concourse of claimants, and that in an appropriate situation the court may have power to enjoin persons within its jurisdiction with respect to their activities abroad.15
14
The opinion makes it clear that the district court's action was based on the equitable considerations of that case, and implies no general limitation on a district court's equitable powers in a limitation action.
15
Concededly, the lower court could have restrained Mowinckels' continuance of its collision action in the English courts. But it declined to do so. We can find no fault in this decision. Under the circumstances of this case the lower court's decision was an appropriate exercise of its discretion.16
16
Unterweser also draws our attention to the proposition, quoted by the district court in Mowinckels from British Transport Commission v. United States,17 that:
17
'No compulsion could be exerted on foreign claimants to file claims' and * * * 'an injunction against suits being filed in foreign jurisdictions would be ineffective unless comity required its recogition.'18
18
This practical observation is not pertinent to the present situation. Unterweser is not merely a potential claimant outside the jurisdiction of the district court; it is a party which has invoked, albeit reluctantly, that very jurisdiction. Though a domestic court has no power to restrain the courts of a foreign nation, it has admitted power to deal with litigants properly before it. An exercise of the latter power is not the assumption of the former.19 With both Unterweser and substantial amounts of its assets before the district court, it need not resort to comity to enforce its order.
19
Unterweser also seeks to distinguish the foregoing authorities since none of these cases involved a forum selection clause. We are of the opinion that this clause is only relevant in determining whether the district court properly refused to stay the limitation proceeding, and, on the facts of this case, does not affect the power of the district court to grant injunctive relief. The implications of the forum clause will be considered in the next section of this opinion. For the moment we conclude that Unterweser's petition for limitation subjects it to the full equitable powers of the district court.20 In a proper case, these include the power to enjoin a petitioning shipowner from litigating in a foreign forum. As this court observed in Guillot v. Cenac Towing Co.,21 'In the Admiralty the Chancellor now goes to sea and has adequate equitable reserves.'
II
20
Unterweser contends that the district court erred in refusing to stay the limitation action pending a determination of its English suit. It urges that the stay was required by the forum selection clause of the towage contract, which provides: 'Any dispute arising must be treated before the London Court of Justice.'
21
At this point it is helpful to pare two questions that are not involved in this appeal. The district court had jurisdiction of the limitation action. We do not understand Unterweser to seriously contend that this jursdiction was defeated by the presence of the forum clause.22 Neither are we asked to determine whether Zapata has breached the towage contract by filing the libel in the district court. The question we must decide is whether the district court was obliged to decline to exercise admitted jurisdiction under the facts of the present case.
22
In Carbon Black Export, Inc. v. The SS Monrosa,23 this court reversed an order of the district court declining jurisdiction of a libel filed by a cargo shipper. The district court, relying on Wm. H. Muller & Co. v. Swedish American Line, Ltd.,24 had upheld a forum selection clause contained in the bills of lading designating Genoa, Italy as the exclusive situs for legal proceedings,25 finding that the libellant had not shown the clause to be unreasonable. This court held that the forum clause did not apply to in rem proceedings. In holding that the district court erroneously declined in personam jurisdiction over the shipowner, this court stated:
23
In essence, the motion (to decline jurisdiction) was based upon Clause 27 as buttressed by the doctrine of forum non conveniens. Any consideration of such a question starts with the universally accepted rule that agreements in advance of controversy whose object is to oust the jurisdiction of the courts are contrary to public policy and will not be enforced.26
24
This court professed no comment on the Second Circuit's decision in Muller distinguishing it on its facts. The Supreme Court granted certiorari to resolve an indicated conflict between Carbon Black and Muller.27 In SS Monrosa v. Carbon Black Export, Inc.,28 the Court dismissed the writ as improvidently granted though it approved this court's interpretation of the forum clause as having no application to in rem actions. Any remaining antagonism between the two opinions was relieved when Muller was overruled by the Second Circuit sitting en banc in Indussa Corp. v. SS Ranborg.29
25
In Insurance Co. of North America v. N.V. Stoomvaart-Maatschappij,30 the district court was requested to decline jurisdiction on the basis of a forum clause which was more broadly drawn than the clause in Carbon Black and analogous to the provision in the instant contract.31 In denying the request the court stated:
26
Here the jurisdictional provision involved in Clause 22 refers to 'Any action,' obviously referring to both in personam and in rem actions. Nevertheless, the Fifth Circuit's holding in Carbon Black is applicable and such an attempt to oust the Court of its jurisdiction in advance will be stricken herewith as being contrary to public policy and unenforceable.32
27
As one commentator has reluctantly observed, the Carbon Black decision, 'At the very least * * * stands for the proposition that a choice of forum clause will not be enforced unless the selected state would provide a more convenient forum than the state in which suit is brought.'33 We conclude that the forum selection clause, in and of itself, did not compel the district court to stay proceedings in the limitation action so that the parties might litigate in England pursuant to its provisions.
28
It was within the sound discretion of the district court to decline jurisdiction on the basis of forum non conveniens.34 But apart from the forum selection clause itself the circumstances supported a retention and determination by the district court.35 Though the towage contract envisioned a long voyage with potentional exposure to the jurisdiction of numerous states, the flotilla never escaped the Fifth Circuit's mare nostrum, and the casualty occurred in close proximity to the district court. A considerable number of potential witnesses, including Zapata's crewmen who were aboard the Chaparral, reside in the gulf cost area of the United States. Preparations for the voyage were made in this area, and, after the casualty, inspection of the damage and repair work was conducted there. The testimony of Bremen's crewmen, residing in Germany, is available by way of depositions already taken in the proceedings. The only other nation having significant contacts with, or interest in, the controversy is Germany.36 England's only relationship is the designation of her courts in the forum clause.
29
Zapata, the only claimant in the limitation action, is a United States citizen. The discretion of the district court to remand the case to a foreign forum was consequently limited.37 This is especially true since, as the court noted, there are indications that Zapata's substantive rights will be materially affected if the dispute is litigated in an English court. The towage contract contained the following exculpatory provisions:
30
1. * * * Urag (Unterweser), their masters and crews, are not responsible for defaults and/or errors in the navigation of the tow. 2.(b) Damages suffered by the towed object (Chaparral) are in any case for account of its owners.
31
These provisions are apparently contrary to public policy and unenforceable in American courts.38 However, according to the affidavit of F. D. Bateson, Zapata's English maritime law expert, these clauses would be held prima facie valid and enforceable by an English court.39 The district court was entitled to consider that remanding Zapata to a foreign forum, with no practical contact with the controversy, could raise a bar to recovery by a United States citizen which its own convenient courts would not countenance.
32
Moreover, it is doubtful that Unterweser would benefit even if we ignored Carbon Black and somehow resurrected the Muller rule. The minority of jurisdictions which recognize forum selection provisions, as prima facie valid, deny enforcement where the clause is shown to be unreasonable.40 One commentator, advocating this position, elaborated on the question of reasonableness:
33
Effect should be denied the clause if there is reason to believe that the courts of the selected state would deal unfairly with the plaintiff or would deny him relief to which he was entitled, Likewise, effect should be denied the clause if the selected state is a seriously inconvenient one for the trial of the action, as might be true in a situation where the occurrence sued upon took place in a distant place from which, if the trial were to be held in the selected state, it would be necessary to transport large numbers of witnesses.41
34
On the facts of the present case the district court did not choose to disturb the original choice of forum.42 We do not feel it abused its discretion in this regard.
III
35
Having declined to stay the limitation action, we feel it was proper for the district court to restrain Unterweser from proceeding in any other court. The Supreme Court, regarding limitation proceedings, has stated:
36
This court has by its rules and decisions given the statute a very broad and equitable construction for the purpose of carrying out its purpose, and for facilitating a settlement of the whole controversy over such losses as are comprehended within it, and that all the ease with which right can be adjusted in equity is intended to be given to the proceeding.43
37
Unlike the situation faced by the district court in Petition of A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels,44 the instant case involves only two contestants, both of whom are properly before a court of competent jurisdiction. It was within the court's discretion to determine, as it did, that allowing simultaneous prosecution of the same action in a foreign forum thousands of miles away would result in 'inequitable hardship' and 'tend to frustrate and delay the speedy and efficient determination of the cause.'45 On the facts of the present case, we find no abuse of that discretion.
38
In accordance with the foregoing, the order of the district court is affirmed.
39
WISDOM, Circuit Judge (dissenting).
40
'Problems arising in a court call for a perceptive awareness not only of what courts are for but of what a legislature is for and sometimes also of what an administrative agency is for and of what matters can best be left to private decision.' H. Hart & A. Sacks, The Legal Process iii (tent. ed. 1958).
41
In this case we deal with an agreement made between two responsible corporations involved in an international transaction. This transaction was no run-of-the-mine project. The subject of the contract was the towing of a six million dollar self-elevating oil drilling barge from the Mississippi to the Adriatic. Unterweser, the tower, is a corporation organized and domiciled in Germany. Zapata, owner of the rig, is a Delaware corporation domiciled in Texas. Zapata solicited bids from several towing companies before engaging Unterweser. Zapata then requested Unterweser to furnish a written contract for its perusal. Unterweser, which generally inserts a provision for German jurisdiction and application of German law, specified an English forum and English law as a reasonable compromise with an American firm in a transaction requiring an oil rig to traverse the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Adriatic. After reviewing the suggested contract, Zapata made several changes in the document before executing it. Presumably Zapata could have rejected the contract outright and accepted one of the other bids. Yet the Court holds that these corporations of diverse nationalities, performing a contract in the vicinity of many jurisdictions, could not effectively agree on which forum they would use to regulate their relationship and settle their disputes (probably the best method of ensuring a correct application of the governing law. Reese, The Contractual Forum: Situation in the United States, 13 Am.J.Comp.L. 187, 189 (1964)). Inevitably such a holding poses a serious disability to certainty in the ever-growing international trade. Where contract relations permit advance planning in transnational contracts, 'there are evident advantages in such certainty, in avoiding later jurisdictional disputes. Transnational commercial activities would thereby be facilitated'. H. Steiner & D. Vagts, Transnational Legal Problems 727 (1968).1
42
If Carbon Black Export, Inc. v. The SS Monrosa, 5 Cir. 1958, 254 F.2d 297, cert. dismissed, 1959, 359 U.S. 180, 79 S.Ct. 710, 3 L.Ed.2d 723, requires the result the Court reaches here, then I believe that case is outmoded. The Carbon Black Court2 believed 'the universally accepted rule' to be that forum agreements are unenforceable. I cannot tell whether the majority here reads Carbon Black at its broadest, that forum agreements are necessarily 'contrary to public policy and will not be enforced', 254 F.2d at 301, or at its narrowest, 'that a choice of forum clause will not be enforced unless the selected state would provide a more convenient forum than the state in which suit is brought'. Reese at 192.3 Believing as I do that Carbon Black's rule is erroneous both historically and analytically, however, I must reject both the broad and the narrow formulations as unsatisfactory.4
43
I think the rule should be 'outright recognition of the parties' autonomy * * * if tempered by the court's continuing power to refuse effect to 'unreasonable' prorogation (choice of forum) agreements, and subject to specific legislation limiting access to the courts of the forum'. A. Ehrenzweig, Conflict of Laws 41, at 153 (1962). Or, as the Restatement puts it, 'the parties' agreement as to the place of the action cannot oust a state of judicial jurisdiction, but such an agreement will be given effect unless it is unfair or unreasonable'. Restatement (Second) of Conflict of Laws 80 (Proposed Off. Draft, 1967).5
I.
44
The courts' distaste for forum clauses has usually been linked to a supposed longstanding judicial antipathy to arbitration agreements. Ehrenzweig 41, at 148. Most judges and commentators have attributed this attitude to 'the contests of the different Courts in ancient times for extent of jurisdiction, all of them being opposed to anything that would altogether deprive every one of them of jurisdiction'. Scott v. Avery, 5 H.L.Cas. 811, 853, 40 Rev.R. 392, 413 (1856) (Lord Campbell). But more recently scholars have demonstrated that the supposed antagonism to arbitration agreements was not so entrenched and that its apparent cause, the desire for fees, was erroneously ascribed. 6A A. Corbin, Contracts 1433, at 391-95 (1962); Ehrenzweig 42, at 153 & n. 26; Sayre, Development of Commercial Arbitration Law, 37 Yale L.J. 595 (1928).6 Instead, until the Statute of Fines and Penalties, 8 & 9 Wm. III (1687), made the remedy impractical, courts consistently enforced arbitration agreements through the vehicle of penal bonds. With this remedy gone, pressure mounted to make arbitration agreements irrevocable. The courts resisted not on account of the fees involved, but because 'arbitration proceedings were not regulated and the parties' only effective protection against an unfair or insufficient hearing by the arbitrators was in revoking the submission before the award was given'. Sayre at 605.7 Not until the nineteenth century was the revocability of arbitration agreements simply premised on the courts' opposition to 'ouster' from their jurisdiction. Ehrenzweig 42, at 155.8 And then legislative action both in England and in the United States encouraged the courts to take a more benevolent view of such agreements.9
45
The strength of this misconception, however, seems to have contributed to American courts' generally negative attitude toward forum clauses. Home Insurance Company of New York v. Morse, 1874, 20 Wall. (87 U.S.) 445, 22 L.Ed. 365, 368, concluded that the authorities showed 'agreements in advance to oust the courts of jurisdiction conferred by law (to be) illegal and void'. The Court quoted at length from Scott v. Avery and from Mr. Justice Story's Commentaries on Equity Jurisprudence (670) that
46
where the stipulation, though not against the policy of the law, yet is an effort to devest the ordinary jurisdiction of the common tribunals of justice, such as an agreement in case of dispute to refer the same to arbitration, a court of equity will not any more than a court of law interfere to enforce the agreement * * *.10
47
In truth, however, courts had not uniformly disfavored forum clauses. Decisions enforcing the parties' designation of a forum date back to 1796. Gienar v. Meyer, 126 Eng.Rep. 728 (C.P. 1796) (Dutch seaman suing Dutch seamaster for wages in English court; held, ship's articles specifying the code of Rotterdam and the courts of Holland were enforceable). They continue through the nineteenth century despite the fear of 'ouster'. Indeed, the example of arbitration influenced the English courts to deal kindly with forum clauses. Law v. Garrett, 8 Ch.D. 26 (C.A.1878), for example, spoke in terms of arbitration in a case involving the stipulation of a Russian court in St. Petersburg. Lord Justice Baggallay observed that the court entirely agreed with Willesford v. Watson, L.R. 8 Ch. 473 (1870), that where 'parties choose to determine for themselves that they will have a forum of their own selection instead of resorting to the ordinary Courts, a prima facie duty is cast upon the Courts to act upon such arrangement'. 8 Ch.D. 26, 37. The agreement did not 'oust' the court of jurisdiction, but did give it discretion to stay the proceedings. The English courts have continued to follow the principle of Law v. Garrett.11 Today their rule appears to be enforcement of a forum clause unless the particular case militates against it. The Vestris, 43 Lloyd's List L.R. 86 (Adm.Div.1932). '(A) forum selection agreement will, prima facie, be respected; the burden of proof lies upon the party resisting the application for a stay, and he must convince the court that a stay should be granted.' Cowen & Mendes da Costa, The Contractual Forum: Situation in England & the British Commonwealth, 13 Am.J.Comp.L. 179, 186 (1964).
48
American courts, however, have generally retained their hostility to forum agreements. If the law is to be applied simply by tallying up the number of precedents that have not been overruled, then the majority opinion here is undoubtedly correct.12 But important incursions have been made. In 1949, Judge Learned Hand observed:
49
In truth, I do not believe that, today at least, there is an absolute taboo against such contracts at all; in the words of the Restatement (of Contracts 558, they are invalid only when unreasonable. * * * What remains of the doctrine is apparently no more than a general hostility, which can be overcome, but which nevertheless does persist.
50
Krenger v. Pennsylvania Railroad, 2 Cir. 1949, 174 F.2d 556, 561 (concurring opinion). In 1951, the Second Circuit enforced a forum clause specifying Norwegian courts. Cerro De Pasco Copper Corporation v. Knut Knutsen, 2 Cir. 1951, 187 F.2d 990.13 And in 1955 it went one step farther in destroying the hostility, holding in Wm. H. Muller & Company v. Swedish American Lines Ltd., 2 Cir. 1955, 224 F.2d 806, cert. denied, 1955, 350 U.S. 903, 76 S.Ct. 182, 100 L.Ed. 793, that courts should enforce a forum clause in an international contract unless it was unreasonable or prohibited by statute.14 I must disagree with the majority's conclusion that Indussa Corporation v. S.S. Ranborg, 2 Cir. 1967, 377 F.2d 200,15 overrules this part of Muller. Indussa's decision not to enforce a forum clause derived from its view that the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 46 U.S.C. 1300-1315, where applicable, prohibited such clauses. COGSA did apply to Muller (as it did to Carbon Black) and for that reason Muller was overruled. 'The Muller court leaned too heavily on general principles of contract law and gave insufficient effect to the enactments of Congress governing bills of lading. * * *' 377 F.2d at 202. Where COGSA does not apply as in this case, I believe Muller's 'general principles of contract law' still lead to Muller's result.16
51
In 1965, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court enforced a forum clause between two American parties specifying New York courts. The Pennsylvania court started with the proposition that private bargaining could not change statutory rules of jurisdiction or venue.
52
However, we do not agree with these cases to the extent that they hold that an agreement between the parties, purporting to determine the forum where future disputes between them should be litigated, is per se invalid and without legal effect. The modern and correct rule is that, while private parties may not by contract prevent a court from asserting its jurisdiction or change the rules of venue, nevertheless, a court in which venue is proper and which has jurisdiction should decline to proceed with the cause when the parties have freely agreed that litigation shall be conducted in another forum and where such agreement is not unreasonable at the time of litigation.
53
Central Contracting Company v. C. E. Yonugdahl & Company, 1965, 418 Pa. 122, 209 A.2d 810, 816.
54
The Third Circuit, confronted with the same forum clause the next year, concluded that
55
both federal and state courts have increasingly in recent years recognized the same principle which the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has now adopted. It is becoming more widely recongnized that for reasons of business or convenience the parties may have bargained that all litigation arising out of their complex activity under a contract shall be drawn into one jurisdiction. So long as there is nothing unreasonable in such a provision there is no basis for viewing it as an affront to the judicial power, which must be stricken down. On the contrary, it should be respected as the responsible expression of the intention of the parties so long as there is no proof that its provisions will put one of the parties to an unreasonable disadvantage and thereby subvert the interests of justice.
56
Central Contracting Company v. Maryland Casualty Company, 3 Cir. 1966, 367 F.2d 341, 344-345.17
57
This very cursory review indicates that an unqualified judicial opposition to forum and arbitration clauses has at best only weak historical antecedents. Neither arbitration nor forum clauses were the subject of such opprobrium as has popularly been supposed. Concern there was, but not a universal rule that such clauses were void. And despite American courts' general disregard of forum clauses, significant dissenting views have been registered.18
II.
58
A search for policies to buttress the wholesale invalidation of forum clauses is likewise unsuccessful. Chief Justice Shaw of Massachusetts tried to formulate the arguments in 1856, recognizing then that history afforded 'no authority upon which to determine the case'. Nute v. Hamilton Mutual Insurance Company, 72 Mass. (6 Gray) 174, 185 (1856). He reasoned first that
59
the rules to determine in what courts and counties actions may be brought are fixed, upon considerations of general convenience and expediency, by general law; to allow them to be changed by the agreement of parties would disturb the symmetry of the law, and interfere with such convenience.
60
Id. at 184. This symmetry and convenience argument bears doubtful relevance to the intrastate venue problems involved in Nute.19 On the international scene, it is simply inapplicable. Reese at 188. No general law fixes venue among the nations and states, only individual jurisdiction rules and happenstance. Convenience and expedience can more successfully be served by duly considered forum agreements fairly bargained for and enforceable.
61
Shaw's second concern was that forum contracts might be induced by considerations tending to bring the administration of justice into disrepute; such as the greater or less intelligence and impartiality of judges, the greater or less integrity and capacity of juries, the influence, more or less, arising from the personal, social or political standing of parties in one or another county.
62
Id. at 184. To the extent this argument is a real concern, it appears less pertinent to an international context than to intrastate venue problems where parties might more easily exert influence on local adjudicators. If it is a problem, however, wholesale prohibition of forum clauses is an excessive response. An inquiry that takes this factor into account where it arises would adequately meet that concern. The best comment about Shaw's policy arguments is his own: 'these considerations are not of much weight' and 'no great reliance' deserves to be placed upon them. Id. at 184.
63
The greatest inconvenience to the Massachusetts Chief Justice's mind was
64
requiring courts and juries to apply different rules of law to different cases, in the conduct of suits, in matters relating merely to the remedy, according to the stipulation of parties in framing and diversifying their contracts in regard to remedies.
65
Id. Of course consistent enforcement of a forum stipulation need not produce confusion. Shaw's real objection was rooted in his belief that the parties to a contract could not make terms with regard to their remedy; that was a matter only the courts could decide. Id. at 180-181. Although the distinction between substantive rights and remedies may well exist, the breadth of the principle as Shaw saw it has been subjected to serious challenge, Ehrenzweig 41, at 149,20 and in the case of arbitration statutes, overruled.
66
Generally, all stipulations made by parties for the government of their conduct, or the control of their rights, in the trial of a cause, or the conduct of a litigation, are enforced by the courts. * * * It is not true that parties cannot enter into stipulations which in some sense will bind and control the action of the courts. They do not literally control the power of the courts except as such power is in all cases circumscribed by the necessity which obliges every court to apply the proper rules of law to the facts of every case, and to exercise its powers according to established principles.
67
In re New York, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company, 1885, 98 N.Y. 447, 453. It may be that some questions of remedy are less amenable to private settlement than are questions of primary rights and obligations. But the specific question still unanswered is whether forum clauses are thus an inappropriate subject for private ordering.
68
This Court was no more successful in marshalling arguments to support its conclusion in Carbon Black. We simply relied on authority as characterized by Corpus Juris Secundum and American Jurisprudence to opine that forum agreements are 'contrary to public policy'. That of course 'is the conclusion to be proved rather than proof for the conclusion'. Ehrenzweig, 41, at 149. Our apparent concern that such agreements attempted to 'oust' us of jurisdiction was ill-considered. The majority here correctly points out that jurisdiction is not an issue. The question is whether a court possessing jurisdiction should for good and sufficient reasons decline to exercise it. But since the bogey of jurisdictional ouster infuses so much of the opposition to forum clauses and since it infuses the Carbon Black rule to which the Court pays obeisance today, it is necessary to lay it to rest. There are various ways to do so. For example, 'if the agreement is enforced, it cannot truly be said that jurisdiction has been conferred or ousted by the parties. Jurisdiction is exercised or withheld only by force of the law that gives effect to the parties' agreement'. Perillo, Selection Forum Agreements in Western Europe, 13 Am.J.Comp.L. 162 (1964); accord, In re New York, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company, 1885, 98 N.Y. 449, 453. If that formulation does not persuade the fearful we can follow the example of the Netherlands. There 'the courts recognize that the parties have no power to modify the rules of jurisdiction. Nevertheless, the courts refuse to participate in a breach of contract. Consequently, they refuse to take cognizance of a case in violation of the parties' agreement'. Perillo at 165; accord, Racecourse Betting Control Board v. Secretary for Air, (1944) 1 Ch. 114, 126 (C.A.1943).
69
In summarizing the English view, Lord Denning couches it in these terms:
70
I do say that the English courts are in charge of their own proceedings: and one of the rules they apply is that a stipulation that all disputes should be judged by the tribunals of a particular country is not absolutely binding. It is a matter to which they will normally give effect, but it is subject to the overriding principle that no one by his private stipulation can oust these courts of their jurisdiction in a matter that properly belongs to them.
71
The Fehmarn, (1958) 1 Weekly L.R. 159, 161-62 (C.A.1957). Finally a federal judge has concluded:
72
With the proposition (that the parties cannot oust a court of jurisdiction) there can be no quarrel. However, the very fact that it is so well established tends to reduce its value, since parties to an exclusive forum arrangement are unlikely to intend a purpose which they must realize cannot be achieved. Therefore, in drafting their agreement they would normally mean not to deprive some courts of jurisdiction but to express their desire that these courts relinquish jurisdiction in deference to what was at least originally the belief that suits could be better or more conveniently tried someplace else.
73
Geiger v. Keilani, E.D.Mich.1967, 270 F.Supp. 761, 765 (Freeman, C.J.)21
74
I cannot believe that jurisdictional ouster is a real issue. We are willing to dismiss a suit of which we have jurisdiction if it is between aliens.22 And federal courts have not been chary of 'losing jurisdiction' in other areas. In habeas corpus cases from state courts, federal courts decline to exercise jurisdiction until a prisoner has exhausted state remedies. The exhaustion doctrine, now codified, 28 U.S.C. 2254 was characterized not as a jurisdictional bar, but as an argument of comity-- to decline, in favor of state courts, jurisdiction that we possessed. Fay v. Noia, 1963, 372 U.S. 391, 418, 83 S.Ct. 822, 9 L.Ed.2d 837, 856-857. The absention doctrine is similar. 'Abstention allows a federal court whose jurisdiction has been properly invoked to postpone decision, pending trial in a state court, when the result might turn on issues of state law.' Note, Federal-- Question Abstention: Justice Frankfurther's Doctrine in an Activist Era, 80 Harv.L.Rev. 604 (1967).23 The doctrine of forum non conveniens has also allowed a court with jurisdiction of a suit to refuse to hear the controversy where a more convenient forum is available. Gulf Oil Corporation v. Gilbert, 1947, 330 U.S. 501, 67 S.Ct. 839, 91 L.Ed. 1055. If in all these cases we can recognize that other policies militate against the formal notion that once we have jurisdiction we must exercise it, surely we can undertake the task which Carbon Black neglected, of weighing the arguments against forum clauses. It is time to lose our fixation with the ancient notion of physical power-- that because a tort occurs with in this Court's 'mare nostrum' we would be derelict not to decide the case.24
III.
75
What does emerge from the history, the cases, and the commentary is a legitimate concern for the bargaining conditions in which the forum agreement was made and the quality of the remedy available to the parties if the agreement is enforced. These two concerns encompass several relevant factors that have been isolated. (1) Did the parties freely and intelligently enter their agreement? In contracts of adhesion, where one party possessed overweening bargaining power or where there was no opportunity to negotiate the terms, and of course where fraud has occurred, courts are unwilling to deny a plaintiff his forum on the basis of the contractual stipulation.25 (2) Would the stipulated forum in rendering its decision transgress an important public policy of the present forum? In cases of bankruptcy, divorce, successions, real rights, and regulation of public authorities, for example, courts cannot remit the dispute to a foreign forum lest a foreign court render a decree conflicting with our ordering of these affairs.26 And in cases where objectionable activity within our jurisdiction would be encouraged by the foreign court's decree, we would reach a similar result. Cf. The Kensington, 1902, 183 U.S. 263, 22 S.Ct. 102, 46 L.Ed. 190. (3) Will the designated forum adjudicate the parties' dispute? A court may postpone declining jurisdiction until it is sure the foreign court will hear the dispute and provide a remedy. See, e.g., Swift & Company Packers v. Compania Colombiana, 1950, 339 U.S. 684, 697-698, 70 S.Ct. 861, 94 L.Ed. 1206, 1215. (4) Is the designated forum seriously inconvenient for the trial of the action? Since we recognize in the doctrine of forum non conveniens that a jurisdictionally selected forum should sometimes give way to another in the face of strong arguments of convenience, it would be anomalous to ignore those considerations where the parties have selected a forum without the benefit of hindsight.
76
This list is not exhaustive but is exemplary of relevant considerations. But since these concerns can be isolated and since forum clauses can provide such a clear benefit of certainty in international trade, we should be satisfied to apply these concerns to individual cases rather than reject all forum agreements. The burden of proof should be on the party objecting to the designated forum to support his objections. Maryland Casualty, 367 F.2d at 345; Youngdahl, 209 A.2d at 816. The fourth factor in particular must not become just another label for the doctrine of forum non conveniens. It is essential to remember that the parties expressed in their agreement the judgment that on balance a particular forum was most convenient for trial of their disputes.27 The burden should rest upon the party objecting to that forum to show a significant balance of greater inconvenience in litigating in the designated forum.
77
The majority has intimated that the forum clause at issue here would fail to qualify even under this more charitable approach, and holds that the factors in this case justify the district court's discretionary refusal to disturb the plaintiff's choice of forum. If the test I advocate is the correct one, however, there was no proper exercise of discretion by the district court. That court's memorandum order demonstrates that it invalidated the forum clause under Carbon Black and then, ignoring the forum clause, declined to dismiss on a forum non conveniens theory.28 The district court's conclusion, apart from the authority of Carbon Black, was that 'the balance of conveniences here is not strongly in favor of Defendant and Plaintiff's choice of Forum should not be disturbed'. A proper approach to a forum clause should reverse that burden. It is a truism that we do not observe an exercise of discretion that was misled by an erroneous view of the law. And to dispel any notion that this forum clause was unreasonable as a matter of law, I canvass the factors I have suggested.
78
(1) Zapata has neither presented evidence of nor alleged fraud or undue bargaining power in the agreement. Unterweser was only one of several companies bidding on the project. No evidence contradicts its Managing Director's affidavit that it specified English courts 'in an effort to meet Zapata Off-Shore Company half way'. Zapata's Vice President has declared by affidavit that no specific negotiations concerning the forum clause took place. But this was not simply a form contract with boilerplate language that Zapata had no power to alter. The towing of an oil rig across the Atlantic was a new business. Zapata did make alterations to the contract submitted by Unterweser. The forum clause could hardly be ignored. It is the final sentence of the agreement, immediately preceding the date and the parties' signatures. Perhaps more evidence could be accumulated, but under this evidence Zapata has not met the burden of showing that it was pressured into the forum stipulation.
79
(2) I conclude that the English courts would provide an adequate remedy and would contravene no important American public policy. In dealing with forum non conveniens, the majority intimates that the district court's discretion to decline jurisdiction was limited because Zapata is an American citizen and the English courts would violate our public policy. The towage contract provided:
80
1. * * *
81
Urag (Unterweser), their masters and crews are not responsible for defaults and/or errors in the navigation of the tow.
82
2. * * *
83
b) Damages suffered by the towed object are in any case for account of its Owners.
84
On the premise that the English courts would apply English law rather than American in this situation and upon the affidavit of Zapata's English law expert that English courts will enforce the contract, the majority concludes that our policy against enforcing exculpatory clauses might be violated if the controversy proceeded to England.
85
Of course if Zapata had chosen to abide by the contractual stipulation of forum the case would have proceeded in England and we would have had no opportunity to enforce this public policy. But beyond that, we should be careful not to over-emphasize the strength of the policy. According to Bisso v. Inland Waterways Corporation, 1955, 349 U.S. 85, 91, 75 S.Ct. 629, 99 L.Ed. 911, 918,29 two concerns underlie the rejection of exculpatory agreements: that they may beproduced by overweening bargaining power; and that they do not sufficiently discourage negligence. Bisso applied these concerns to towage contracts in admiralty jurisdiction. Yet when we sit in diversity we will enforce an exculpatory clause in favor of a railroad. Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Company v. Tennessee Corporation, 5 Cir. 1970, 421 F.2d 970. Neither there nor in the case of insurance contracts do the dangers strike us as so serious that federal courts cannot enforce the state law. The question here is whether the fact that a towage contract is involved and the fact that we are sitting in admiralty require us to outlaw a forum that might enforce exculpatory clauses. I believe the policy is not so strong. Bisso depends less on the questions of public policy involved than on the long line of authority which it believed established a federal rule barring enforcement of such contracts.30 Although the question has been settled by the Supreme Court for federal courts, we would unduly extend its scope in refusing to enforce a forum clause simply because a foreign forum may enforce an exculpatory clause. Here the conduct in question is that of a foreign party occurring in international waters outside our jurisdiction. The evidence disputes any notion of overreaching in the contractual agreement. And for all we know, the uncertainties and dangers in the new field of transoceanic towage of oil rigs were so great that the tower was unwilling to take financial responsibility for the risks, and the parties thus allocated responsibility for the voyage to the tow.31 It is equally possible that the contract price took this factor into account. I conclude that we should not invalidate the forum selection clause here unless we are firmly convinced that we would thereby significantly encourage negligent conduct within the boundaries of the United States.32 At the very least, before excluding the forum clause, we should remand to the district court for compilation of a record dealing with the economic relationships in this industry and the consequences of enforcing forum clauses in this international context.
86
Zapata's American citizenship may very well be an argument in some cases for refusing to decline jurisdiction on the basis of forum non conveniens.33 Swift & Company Packers v. Compania Colombiana, 1950, 339 U.S. 684, 70 S.Ct. 861, 94 L.Ed. 1206, decided on forum non conveniens principles (no forum clause was mentioned) that it would not deny an American citizen his American forum primarily because there was no assurance that the defendant would appear with adequate security in the foreign court. Here, of course, Unterweser and Zapata have already joined argument in the English courts, the English courts have ruled that they have jurisdiction, and Unterweser has offered to post the same security that is available to Zapata here. The Supreme Court in Swift, moreover, expressly declined to decide the 'abstract question whether United States admiralty courts may decline jurisdiction over libels brought by United States citizens'. 339 U.S. at 697, 70 S.Ct. at 869, 94 L.Ed. at 1215. In this case we deal with a situation where Zapata voluntarily and specifically surrendered in the contract its right to proceed in American courts. See Cerro De Pasco Copper Corp. v. Knut Knutsen, 2 Cir. 1951, 187 F.2d 990, 991 (Swift 'inapposite' in context of a forum clause). A proper solicitation for the interests of American citizens may militate in favor of enforcing these clauses. Otherwise, Americans who wish to contract with foreign nationals and who are willing to accept a forum clause will have difficulty in convincing the foreign party that he can rely on the agreement.34
87
(3) The availability of the English forum is certain. Soon after Zapata brought its action in the district court, Unterweser moved that court to decline jurisdiction and initiated proceedings for breach of contract and moneys due in the High Court of Justice, London, England, as the forum provision directs. Zapata appeared in the London court and moved to dismiss the summons on three grounds: that the English court was not a convenient forum; that proceedings between the parties were underway in the United States; and that the writ had been improperly served. The High Court of Justice ruled that it had jurisdiction, that the summons had been properly served, and that the action should proceed. Zapata appealed. The English Court of Appeal affirmed, holding that the forum provision was reasonable and that Zapata had made no showing which would compel the Court to refuse to enforce the agreement.35 Thus, the English courts have ruled that they will hear the controversy. Furthermore, when Unterweser advised The district court that it had initiated the action in England, it offered to keep available all the security given in the initial action-- $3,500,000-- to satisfy any relief Zapata might obtain in London.
88
(4) The majority concludes that factors of convenience do not justify dismissing the action. But the majority treats the question under the doctrine of forum non conveniens the standard for which is that the plaintiff's choice of forum 'should rarely be disturbed' unless 'the balance is strongly in favor' of the defendant. Gulf Oil Corporation v. Gilbert, 1947, 330 U.S. 501, 67 S.Ct. 839, 91 L.Ed. 1055. I submit that when a forum clause is involved our standard should be not to disturb the contractual choice of forum unless 'the forum chosen by the parties would be a seriously inconvenient one for the trial of the particular action'. Restatement (Second) of Conflict of Laws 80, Comment, supra note 5. From this perspective I conclude that factors of convenience do not justify refusing the motion to decline jurisdiction.
89
The majority considers the following factors relevant: the casualty occurred close to the Fifth Circuit and the district court; a 'considerable number' of witnesses live on the Gulf Coast; preparations for the voyage, inspection of the damage and repair work were performed here; depositions of the Bremen's crewmen are available; and there are no contacts with the English forum. Thus, they agree with the district court, which concluded that a 'great majority, if not all, of the witnesses are or were in the United States, including an alleged forty potential witnesses residing permanently here.' But this observation appears to ignore the fact that most of Unterweser's witnesses reside in Germany-- the twenty-three crew members of the Bremen, Von Aswegen, Managing Director of Unterweser, personnel from the builders of the Bremen and the independent contractors who outfitted the vessel, individuals with companies for whom Bremen has previously towed. It is true that depositions of the German crew members are available because Zapata obtained them immediately after filing its libel. But if, as is likely, Zapata's witnesses are its crewmen (on the Chaparral) and Unterweser's witnesses are its crewmen (on the Bremen), the inference from that observation is that Zapata should have live witnesses at trial while Unterweser relies on depositions. Presumably depositions of the American witnesses could be taken for an English trial, or both sides could face the same difficulty of transporting their witnesses. Although the voyage began here and the casualty occurred nearby, the tug was built in Germany and had its home port in Bremen. As the High Court of Justice observed, 'There is probably a balance of numbers in favor of the Americans, but not, as I am inclined to think, a very heavy balance'. The fact that no contacts exist with the English forum is not determinative. That forum was chosen as a logical compromise should a dispute arise.36 The English court has the advantage of dividing the inconveniences between the disputants. An English-speaking court with common law traditions is probably more amenable to American plaintiffs than the German courts with which there are 'contacts'. Finally, the English court may very well have been chosen for the law it would apply. That factor may have enabled Zapata to obtain the low bid from Unterweser. I conclude, therefore, that Zapata has not justified disturbing the contractual choice of forum.
90
For all these reasons, I believe we should overrule Carbon Black and remand this case to give the district court an opportunity to find the relevant facts and exercise its discretion in light of the 'modern and correct rule'.37 If the district court should properly have declined to exercise its jurisdiction, then of course it should not have enjoined the London action. Given the majority's conclusion that the district court properly retained jurisdiction, however, I do not disagree with its analysis that the injunction was then proper.
1
A self elevating drilling barge, 180 feet in length and 205 feet in breadth, of 4750 gross tons
2
A deepsea tug, 178 feet in length, 40 feet in beam, of 1200 gross tons and 7500 horsepower. Bremen was built and registered in Germany and manned by a crew of 23
3
Bremen was released from arrest on 26 January 1968, after Unterweser had furnished a letter of undertaking in the amount of $3,500,000
4
This motion was denied by the district court on 29 July 1968, after Unterweser had filed its limitation action. Unterweser sought to have this order certified in order to take an immediate appeal pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1292(b). The district court refused to certify the order, finding that the question had been mooted by the filing of Unterweser's limitation action and the consequent stay of Zapata's original action
5
See 46 U.S.C. 185 et seq
6
In re Unterweser Reederei, GMBH, 296 F.Supp. 733 (M.D.Fla.1969)
7
7 J. Moore, Federal Practice 65.19 (2d ed. 1953)
8
36 F.2d 712 (2d Cir. 1929)
9
Id. at 713, quoting Hartford Acci. & Indemn. Co. v. Southern P. Co., 273 U.S. 207, 216, 47 S.Ct. 357, 71 L.Ed. 612 (1927)
10
36 F.2d at 713. An analogous proposition is embodied in the decision of this court in Beal v. Waltz, 309 F.2d 721 (5th Cir. 1962). There, this court upheld the district court's refusal to modify its injunction to allow the shipowner to plead a favorable state court judgment as res judicata in the limitation proceedings he had filed in the district court. This court stated:
There was no equity in the position of appellant. He could not successfully claim the right in the Federal limitation proceeding to restrain claimant in the state court suit, and still obtain the advantage of the litigation there * * *. 309 F.2d at 724.
11
218 F.2d 911 (2d Cir. 1955). This case arose from a collision in the Delaware River. Appellant shipowner filed a limitation petition in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The owner of the other vessel involved in the collision moved that the court dissolve its prior injunction because appellant was prosecuting a libel against it in Federal District Court in Maryland
12
36 F.2d at 714
13
268 F.Supp. 682 (S.D.N.Y.1967). The complex litigation involved in this case arose from a collision off the coast of France. Many of the claims were being litigated in England, and cargo claimants were proceeding with actions against both vessels in French courts. As the court below properly observed, the Mowinckels case was influenced by the fact that no one court could obtain control of the entire litigation arising from the collision
14
Petition of Bloomfield S.S. Co., 422 F.2d 728 (2d Cir. 1970)
15
Id
16
Id
17
354 U.S. 129, 142, 77 S.Ct. 1103, 1 L.Ed.2d 1234 (1957)
18
268 F.Supp. at 690. Also see In re Bloomfield S.S. Co., 227 F.Supp. 615 (E.D.La.1964), aff'd sub nom., Bloomfield S.S. Co. v. Haight, 363 F.2d 872 (5th Cir. 1966), cert. denied, 386 U.S. 913, 87 S.Ct. 864, 17 L.Ed.2d 785 (1967)
19
Steelman v. All Continent Corp., 301 U.S. 278, 57 S.Ct. 705, 81 L.Ed. 1085 (1937); 7 J. Moore, supra note 4
20
Petition of A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, 268 F.Supp. 682, 689-690 (S.D.N.Y.1967). See British Transp. Comm'n v. United States, 354 U.S. 129, 77 S.Ct. 1103 (1957)
21
366 F.2d 898, 904 (5th Cir. 1966)
22
See 6A A. Corbin, Contracts 1445 (1962). Also see note 35 infra
23
254 F.2d 297 (5th Cir. 1958), cert. dismissed, 359 U.S. 180, 79 S.Ct. 710, 3 L.Ed.2d 723 rehearing denied 359 U.S. 999, 79 S.Ct. 1115, 3 L.Ed.2d 986 (1959)
24
224 F.2d 806 (2d Cir. 1955). In a cargo consignee's libel against the carrier, the Second Circuit held that a forum clause contained in the bill of lading should be respected unless shown to be unreasonable. See note 29 infra
25
The forum clause in Carbon Black provided:
Clause 27-- Also, that no legal proceedings may be brought against the Captain or ship owners or their agents in respect to any loss of or damage to any goods herein specified, except in Genoa, it being understood and agreed that every other Tribunal in the place or places where the goods were shipped or landed is incompetent, notwithstanding that the ship may be legally represented there.
26
254 F.2d at 300-301. The position of this court in Carbon Black reflects what is apparently the majority view regarding forum selection clauses. Annot., 56 A.L.R.2d 300 (1957); 1 E. Benedict, Admiralty 22a (6th ed. 1940, Supp. 1968)
27
358 U.S. 809, 79 S.Ct. 43, 3 L.Ed.2d 54 (1958)
28
359 U.S. 180, 79 S.Ct. 710 (1959)
29
377 F.2d 200 (2d Cir. 1967). The Indussa Court held that Muller was inconsistent with the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 46 U.S.C. 1300-1315. COSGA also applied to the shipment in Carbon Black, but we are unable to read that case as applying only to such shipments
30
201 F.Supp. 76 (E.D.La.1961)
31
The clause in Insurance Co. of N. Am. provided:
Clause 22-- Any action with regard to any dispute or claim arising under this bill of lading and the contract evidenced thereby shall be brought before the Court at Amsterdam to the exclusion of any other court unless the Carrier appeals to another jurisdiction or voluntarily submits himself thereto.
32
201 F.Supp. at 78
33
Reese, The Contractual Forum: Situation in the United States, 13 Am.J.Com.L. 187, 191-192 (1964)
34
Swift & Co. Packers v. Compania Colombiana Del Caribe, S.A., 339 U.S. 684, 70 S.Ct. 861, 94 L.Ed. 1206 (1950). See Canada Malting Co. v. Paterson S.S., Ltd., 285 U.S. 413, 52 S.Ct. 413, 76 L.Ed. 837 (1932)
35
In a footnote to its brief, Unterweser states:
At oral argument on its Motion, counsel advised the District Court that Unterweser did not intend to press its Motion for Dismissal for Lack of Jurisdiction, nor did it intend to press the forum non conveniens argument. It was recognized that the Court did have in rem jurisdiction over BREMEN, and it was further recognized that after the fact inconvenience to the parties was not controlling upon the question of enforceability of the contract clause providing for a London forum and English law. Furthermore, upon analysis, there was no strong balance of convenience favoring either the U.S. forum or the London forum, quite apart from consideration of the Towage Contract.
36
Unterweser is a German national. The Bremen was built and is registered in Germany and her 23 crewmen are all German nationals. The towage contract was executed by Unterweser in Bremen, Germany
37
Swift & Co. Packers v. Compania Colombiana Del Caribe, S.A., 339 U.S. 684, 70 S.Ct. 861 (1950); Burt v. Isthmus Dev. Co., 218 F.2d 353 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 349 U.S. 922, 75 S.Ct. 661, 99 L.Ed. 1254 (1955). Annot., 90 A.L.R.2d 1109 9 at 1125 (1963)
38
Dixilyn Drilling Corp. v. Crescent Towing & Salvage Co., 372 U.S. 697, 83 S.Ct. 967, 10 L.Ed.2d 78 (1963); Bisso v. Inland Waterways Corp., 349 U.S. 85, 75 S.Ct. 629, 99 L.Ed. 911 (1955)
39
The affidavit stated in part:
It is my opinion that the above quoted exculpatory clauses, under English law, are not against the public policy of England, and would be held to be prima facie valid and enforceable by an English Court should a cause of action be filed in England either by way of original action or by way of counterclaim. * * *
Unterweser does not take issue with Mr. Bateson's interpretation of English law.
40
Central Contracting Co. v. Maryland Cas. Co., 367 F.2d 341 (3d Cir. 1966); General Motors Overseas Operation Div. v. S.S. Goettingen, 225 F.Supp. 902 (S.D.N.Y.1964); Chemical Carriers, Inc. v. L. Smit & Co.'s Internationale Sleepdienst, 154 F.Supp. 886 (S.D.N.Y.1957)
41
Reese, supra note 33 at 189
42
Gulf Oil Corp. v. Gilbert, 330 U.S. 501, 67 S.Ct. 839, 91 L.Ed. 1055 (1947)
43
Hartford Accident & Indem. Co. v. Southern P. Co., 273 U.S. 207, 215, 47 S.Ct. 357, 359, 71 L.Ed. 612 (1927)
44
268 F.Supp. 682 (S.D.N.Y.1967), see note 13 supra
45
See Petition of Bloomfield S.S. Co., 422 F.2d 728 (2d Cir. 1970)
1
See Nadelmann, The Hague Conference on Private International Law & the Validity of Forum Selecting Clause, 13 Am.J.Comp.L. 157 (1964); Lenhoff, The Parties' Choice of a Forum: 'Prorogation Agreements', 15 Rutgers L.Rev. 414 (1961)
2
In Carbon Black, an American exporter sued both the vessel and the vessel's owner, an Italian corporation, for damage to and nondelivery of a cargo of carbon black placed on board the S.S. Monrosa in the United States for shipment to Italy. The defendant moved for dismissal because of a provision in the contract that any action for loss or damage to the goods should be brought in Genoa. This Court reversed the district court's decision to grant the motion, holding that the in rem action did not come within the language of the forum clause. With respect to the action in personam we stated that 'the universally accepted rule (is) that agreements in advance of controversy * * * to oust the jurisdiction of the courts are contrary to public policy and will not be enforced'. The Supreme Court at first granted certiorari to resolve an apparent conflict with Wm. H. Muller & Co. v. Swedish American Line, Ltd., 2 Cir. 1955, 224 F.2d 806, cert. denied, 1955, 350 U.S. 903, 76 S.Ct. 182, 100 L.Ed. 793 then dismissed certiorari as improvidently granted, finding that the clause in Carbon Black did not include an in rem action and refusing to rule on the clause's validity with regard to the in personam action. 359 U.S. 180, 79 S.Ct. 710, 3 L.Ed.2d 723, Muller had said that courts should enforce a forum clause unless it was unreasonable or prohibited by statute
3
Perhaps the original Carbon Black opinion is largely responsible for that ambiguity. After presenting its universal rule, Carbon Black stated that it neither espoused nor rejected the Second Circuit's position in Muller. Carbon Black referred to factual distinctions from Muller which tended to show that the operation of the Carbon Black forum clause was less reasonable than Muller's, then concluded that the doctrine of forum non conveniens did not justify declining jurisdiction because the balance was not strongly in favor of the defendant. Thus, it is unclear whether the factual distinctions buttress the conclusion that forum non conveniens did not apply, or whether Carbon Black was somehow retreating from the universality of its principle. I believe the same ambiguity is reflected in Insurance Company of North America v. N.V. Stoomvaart-Maatschappij 'Oostzee', E.D.La. 1961, 201 F.Supp. 76. There the district court concluded that Carbon Black required forum clauses to 'be stricken herewith as being contrary to public policy and unenforceable', 201 F.Supp. at 78, but proceeded to analyze the reasonableness of the particular clause in the circumstances presented
There are other indications that this Court has not taken such a harsh view of forum clauses as Carbon Black proposes. In Anastasiadis v. S.S. Little John, 5 Cir. 1965, 346 F.2d 281, cert. denied, 1966, 384 U.S. 920, 86 S.Ct. 1368, 16 L.Ed.2d 440 for example, we affirmed the district court's decision to decline jurisdiction of an in rem suit. There, a Greek seaman had contracted in Greece for employment on a vessel of Liberian registry. Although a Liberian corporation owned the vessel, that corporation was in turn wholly owned and controlled by an American corporation, in turn wholly owned and controlled by a United States citizen. The contract, written in Greek, provided that the seaman would join the vessel at Houston, Texas. But it stated that Greek law would govern disputes and designated the Greek courts at Piraeus as the forum. When the seaman joined the ship at Houston, he found conditions unsatisfactory and sued in a Texas district court for breach of contract and tort. Depositions of witnesses were taken in the United States. This Court concluded that even though the district court undoubtedly had jurisdiction, it also had discretion to decline jurisdiction of a controversy between foreigners. Although a nominal foreign registry is often pierced where American laws are to be enforced against a ship beneficially owned by Americans, the Court declined to do so. It said:
The contract in the instant case provided not only that Greek law would be determinative but also that the Greek courts were to be the proper forum for the litigation of claims arising out of the contract. We see no reason, in the circumstances of this case, why this provision should not be given effect in the absence of any suggestion in the record that Greece is an inconvenient forum or that Greek law provides an inadequate remedy.
346 F.2d at 284. It is perhaps this less rigorous view of forum clauses and Oostzee's analysis of the unreasonable aspects of the forum clause there that have prompted the observation by some commentators that cases striking down forum clauses in the Fifth Circuit emphasize the 'unreasonable character' of the particular clause. See, e.g., Steiner v. Vagts at 734.
4
Perhaps Carbon Black could be distinguished or limited to its facts. The Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 46 U.S.C. 1300-1315, applied there, and the Second Circuit has recently found that 3(8) of that Act makes forum clauses unenforceable where it applies. Indussa Corp. v. S. S. Ranborg, 2 Cir.1967, 377 F.2d 200; accord, G. Gilmore & C.Black, The Law of Admiralty 3-25, at 125 n. 23 (1957); 40 U.Col.L.Rev. 159 (1967); 8 Va.J.Int.L. 161 (1967); Note, Enforcement & Effect of the Jurisdiction Clause in Admiralty, 34 St. John's L.Rev. 72, 76-79 (1959). But see 9 Harv.Int.L.J. 333, 339-40 (1968); 14 Wayne L.Rev. 609, 614-16 (1968); 45 Corn.L.Q. 364, 372 (1960). Carbon Black, moreover, specifically stated that it neither espoused nor rejected Muller, a case that enforced a forum clause where there was no evidence of undue bargaining pressure and the clause was not unreasonable. Finally, Carbon Black dealt with the specification of an Italian forum for a contract printed in English adopting American law (COGSA) and executed in the United States. But I tend to agree with the majority that Carbon Black's language and reasoning, even at their narrowest, are broad enough to cover this case, and I feel that it must be overruled
5
The Restatement of Contracts 558 (1932) is sometimes read the same way, see Krenger v. Pennsylvania R.R., 2 Cir. 1949, 174 F.2d 556, 561 (L. Hand, J., concurring), presumably because the Restatement specifies that agreements to litigate in federal rather than state court or vice versa are illegal, but outlaws other agreements limiting the tribunal only if they do so 'unreasonably'
The presumpion quoted in text from the Restatement of Conflicts has changed since an earlier draft. In 1957 the comparable section read:
The parties' agreement as to the place of suit cannot prevent the exercise of judicial jurisdiction by a State. A provision to this effect will, however, be given effect by a court if it is deemed fair and reasonable.
Restatement (Second) of Conflict of Laws 117a (Tent. Draft No. 4, 1957).
The Comment to the present 80 is a useful synopsis of my position in this dissent. As the rationale for 80, it states:
Private individuals have no power to alter the rules of judicial jurisdiction. They may not by their contract oust a state of any jurisdiction it would otherwise possess. This does not mean that no weight should be accorded a provision in a contract that any action thereon shall be brought only in a particular state. Such a provision represents an attempt by the parties to insure that the action will be brought in a forum that is convenient for them. A court will naturally be reluctant to entertain an action if it considers itself an inappropriate forum. And the fact that the action is brought in a state other than that designated in the contract affords ground for holding that the forum is an inappropriate one and that the court in its discretion should refuse to entertain this action. Such a provision, however, will be disregarded if it is the result of overreaching or of the unfair use of unequal bargaining power or if the forum chosen by the parties would be a seriously inconvenient one for the trial of the particular action. On the other hand, the provision will be given effect, and the action dismissed, if to do so would be fair and reasonable.
6
If ever there had been any substance to the fees argument, it should have no force in our Circuit where we are faced with crowded and constantly growing dockets (especially since we are not paid by the case)
7
Cf. 6A Corbin 1433, at 391-395. Forum clauses are sometimes referred to as preferable in this respect, because a judicial remedy is still available. Ehrenzweig, 42, at 152
8
Sayre at 604 identifies an eighteenth century case, Kill v. Hollister, 1 Wils. 129 (1746) as the first case actually to speak in these terms, but the majority of cases were later
9
Common Law Procedure Act of 1954, 17 & 18 Vict., c. 125, 11 (permitting use of the courts' discretion); Arbitration Act of 1889, 52 & 53 Vict. c. 49; Georgia Arbitration Act, Ga.Laws 1855-1856, 222-224. Action in the United States did not become significant until after Judge Hough's sardonic opinion in United States Asphalt Ref'g Co. v. Trinidad Lake Petroleum Co., S.D.N.Y. 1915, 222 F. 1006. See Sayre at 612. But that opinion prompted enactment of arbitration statutes. See e.g., Gilbert v. Burnstine, 1931, 255 N.Y. 348, 174 N.E. 706, 707: 'Settlements of disputes by arbitration are no longer deemed contrary to our public policy. Indeed, our statute encourages them.'
10
The heart of Morse was the constitutional issue of the line between state and federal jurisdiction. A Wisconsin statute required that before doing business in the state, all foreign corporations must sign agreements not to remove a suit from state to federal court. The Home Insurance Company filed the agreement, but when sued, attempted to remove the case to federal court. The Wisconsin courts refused to allow removal. The United States Supreme Court reversed on the ground that a state had no constitutional power to compel a surrender of the right of removal to federal court. The observation that even without the statute such an agreement was void appears to be surplusage. The more compelling argument against enforcing the clause was the fact that an unconstitutional condition was being imposed. Since the alternative was prohibition against doing business in Wisconsin, the contract could also be characterized as one of adhesion. We do not face the Morse constitutional argument in this case
11
See, e.g., Austrian Lloyd Steamship Co. v. Gresham Life Ass. Soc't (1903) 1 K.B. 249 (C.A.,); Kirchner & Co. v. Gruban, (1909) 1 Ch. 413 (1908); The Media, 41 Lloyd's List L.R. 80 (Adm.Div. 1931)
For a discussion of the law on forum clauses in the British Commonwealth see Cowen and Mendes da Costa, The Contractual Forum: A Comparative Study, 43 Can.Bar Rev. 453 (1965). For other countries, see generally The Validity of Forum Selecting Clauses: Proceedings of the 1964 Annual Meeting of the American Foreign Law Association, 13 Am.J.Comp.L. 157 (1964); Lenhoff, The Parties' Choice of a Forum: 'Prorogation Agreements', 15 Rutgers L.Rev. 414 (1961).
12
Many of the cases are cited at Annot., 56 A.L.R.2d 300 (1957) (and Later Case Service, 1967). In 1950 it was said of the few cases that enforced a forum clause, 'they stand alone, separate and apart, branded with the malodorous antipathy of a bastard child at a family reunion of bluebloods'. Comment, Agreements in Advance Conferring Exclusive Jurisdiction on Foreign Courts, 10 La.L.Rev. 293, 297 (1950)
13
Although Cerro De Pasco was a New York corporation, the district court found that it was 'like an assignee' of a Belgian corporation and that the controversy was therefore really between aliens. S.D.N.Y. 1950, 94 F.Supp. 60, 61. The Second Circuit, however, did not refer to this argument. It dealt specifically with the issue whether an American court could decline jurisdiction of an American plaintiff and held that the forum clause made Swift & Co. Packers v. Compania Colombiana, 1950, 339 U.S. 684, 70 S.Ct. 861, 94 L.Ed. 1206 (see discussion in section III, infra), inapposite
14
In Muller a New York corporation sued in a New York federal court to recover the value of a cargo of cocoa beans lost in transit between Sweden and Philadelphia. The district court dismissed the suit because a clause in the bill of lading provided that any claims against the vessel's owner, a Swedish corporation, should be decided according to Swedish law and in the Swedish courts. The Second Circuit affirmed, holding first that the forum clause was not contrary to COGSA because its application would not result in a 'lessening' of the 'liability' imposed upon on the defendant by the Act; second, that a forum clause should be enforced unless unreasonable or contrary to statute. The clause in question was not unreasonable because 'most of the evidence as to unseaworthiness will be more readily available in a Swedish court'; all members of the crew resided in Sweden and the vessel had been built in that country; and, 'for aught that appears', the parties' consent to inclusion of the clause in the bill of lading was 'freely given'
15
In Indussa a New York corporation sued the vessel because a cargo of nails and barbed wire arrived in San Francisco, from Antwerp, Belgium, rusted and depreciated in value. The district court dismissed the suit on the basis of a clause specifying the carrier's principal place of business (Norway) as the forum
16
Judge Friendly's remarks about the consequences of sending an American to a foreign forum must be read in the context of his concern accurately to comply with a statute prohibiting contract terms that lessen liability. If they go beyond that, I must agree with Judge Moore's special concurrence that it is 'singularly inappropriate for our courts to say, in effect, that the courts of all other nations are so unable to dispense justice that as a matter of public policy, we must protect our citizens by outlawing any other tribunal than our own'. 377 F.2d at 205. That they do not I am convinced by Judge Friendly's rejoinder: 'we do not 'outlaw any other tribunal than our own' as our brother Moore suggests; we hold merely that Congress outlawed clauses prohibiting American courts from deciding causes otherwise properly before them'. Id. at 204. I observe, however, that the concern that expenses in going to a foreign court may outweigh an American's modest claim tends to ignore the other side of the coin, that a foreign national's expenses in coming to the United States may outweigh the value of asserting a legitimate defense to the modest claim. It will not do to say in these cases that part of the contract has American ties, for part of the contract has foreign ties. Properly designed forum clauses can deal with such circumstances and arrive at a fair compromise
17
The Supreme Court may have expressed approval of forum clauses in an interstate context in National Equipment Rental, Limited v. Szukhent, 1964, 375 U.S. 311, 315-316, 84 S.Ct. 411, 11 L.Ed.2d 354, 357-358. In dealing with a contract clause designating an agent for service of process, the Court said:
The purpose underlying the contractual provision here at issue seems clear. The clause was inserted by the petitioner and agreed to by the respondents in order to assure that any litigation under the lease should be conducted in the States of New York. * * * And it is settled * * * that parties to a contract may agree in advance to submit to the jurisdiction of a given court. * * *
Szukhent is not significant authority, however, because the Court there was faced with the question whether New York courts had jurisdiction, not whether other courts should decline jurisdiction. Justice Black, dissenting, reads Szukhent more broadly: 'Here this contract as effectively ousts the Michigan courts of jurisdiction as if it had said so. Today's holding disregards Michigan's interest in supervising the protection of rights of its citizens who never leave the State but are sued by foreign companies with which they have done business'. 375 U.S. at 327, 84 S.Ct. at 420, 11 L.Ed.2d at 364-365.
18
Earlier cases foreshadowed these results. Gilbert v. Burnstine, 1931, 255 N.Y. 348, 174 N.E. 706, hold that a New York citizen's agreement to arbitrate in England should be enforced. The New York court concluded that these agreements were not contrary to public policy, and 'contracts made by mature men who are not wards of the court should, in the absence of potent objection, be enforced. 174 N.E. at 707. Mittenthal v. Mascagni, 1903, 183 Mass. 19, 66 N.E. 425, enforced a forum clause designating Italian courts. Although the plaintiffs were New York citizens, the contract conferred Italian domicile upon them. Therefore, the court spoke of the contract as 'between citizens of foreign states' and found no public policy to prevent enforcing it. For a collection of recent cases enforcing forum clauses see Annot., supra note 12
19
See Daley v. People's Bldg., Loan & Sav. Ass'n., 1901, 178 Mass. 13, 59 N.E. 452 (Holmes, C.J.: Nute obviously was 'a somewhat hesitating decision', not to be extended; held, contractual stipulation of New York forum was enforceable)
20
See 6A Corbin 1432, at 386 n. 76 & 1434, at 397
21
Compare Judge Frank's statement in Knut Knutsen: 'It might be said that the court took jurisdiction and granted specific performance. * * * 187 F.2d at 991 n. 1
22
See Anastasiadis, supra note 3; Burt v. Isthmus Dev't Co., 5 Cir.1955, 218 F.2d 353, 356, cert. denied, 1955, 349 U.S. 922, 75 S.Ct. 661, 99 L.Ed. 1254
23
See Reetz v. Bozanich, 1970, 397 U.S. 82, 90 S.Ct. 788, 25 L.Ed.2d 68
24
Other attempts to justify the broad rule against forum clauses have been no more successful. Attempts to distinguish arbitration by observing that arbitration 'was not a limitation on the forum, but rather was an agreement to eliminate the need for any forum whatever', Bergman, Contractual Restrictions on the Forum, 48 Calif.L.Rec. 438, 439 (1960), are simply not convincing. The argument that a party's choice of forum is a substantial right not to be bartered away, id. at 328-329; Morse, supra, 22 L.Ed. at 368, is conclusory like the Carbon Black statement that forum clauses are against public policy. Neither position gives reasons why it should be accepted
25
This may be a better rationale for cases that refuse to enforce forum clauses in passenger and baggage tickets. See, e.g., Muoio v. Italian Line, E.D.Pa.1964, 228 F.Supp. 290; Note, Validity of Contractual Stipulation Giving Exclusive Jurisdiction to the Courts of One State, 45 Yale L.J. 1150 (1936)
26
See Article 3, Draft of a Convention on the General Jurisdiction of Contractual Forums Adopted by the Ad Hoc Committee, December 20, 1963, The Hague Conference on Private International Law, 13 Am.J.Comp.L. 160 (1964)
27
Youngdahl, supra note 45, at 816: 'Mere inconvenience or additional expense is not the test of unreasonableness since it may be assumed that the plaintiff received under the contract consideration for these things.'
28
The district court cited Muller, but its analysis clearly placed the burden on the defendant to justify the transfer, as is proper under a forum non conveniens approach. The court relied on Mobil Tankers Co. v. Mene Grande Oil Co., 3 Cir. 1966, 363 F.2d 611, cert. denied 1966, 385 U.S. 945, 87 S.Ct. 318, 17 L.Ed.2d 225, for its criteria, that 'unless 'the balance is strongly in favor of the (Respondent), (the libellant's) choice of forum should rarely be disturbed."
29
Dixilyn Drilling Corp. v. Crescent Towing & Salvage Co., 1963, 372 U.S. 697, 83 S.Ct. 967, 10 L.Ed.2d 78, reversed per curiam our enforcement of a towage clause assigning all liability to a barge owner solely on the authority of two earlier companion cases, Bisso, and Boston Metals Co. v. S/S 'Winding Gulf', 1955, 349 U.S. 122, 75 S.Ct. 649, 99 L.Ed. 933. Since Winding Gulf was also decided on the authority of Bisso, Bisso appears to be the determining authority
30
Bisso was only a four-Justice opinion. The fifth, Justice Douglas, concurred only because he professed ignorance of the 'economics and organization of this business'. He admitted that the Court's rule might be 'outmoded' and in need of change, that the tugboat industry might be 'less able to carry the risks of * * * losses than its customers, and that it might be 'fairer in the long run' to allow the tugboat operator to transfer liability. But in the absence of a record that threw light on those 'large questions of policy', he was unwilling to change what he considered an already established rule in the federal courts. Justice Frankfurter, joined by Justices Reed and Burton, wrote a telling dissent seriously questioning the Court's use of its authorities and reaching the conclusion that the courts should not intervene to upset the arrangements of private parties where there was no evidence of inequality of bargaining power or of concentrated ownership or of unavailability of services by other tugs who would not require exculpatory clauses. In Frankfurter's words, the argument that irresponsibility would be stimulated 'has little force, unless we are prepared also to forbid the tug to insure against such losses or liabilities'. 349 U.S. at 119, 75 S.Ct. at 647, 99 L.Ed. at 932
31
Compare our argument in Seaboard Coast Line R.R. v. Tennessee Corp., 5 Cir.1970, 421 F.2d 970, 974: An exculpatory clause 'merely means that if such an injury occurs the parties need not undertake to go to battle to determine whose negligent act, if in fact there was negligence at all, produced the injury. * * * In effect, it seems to us, that in light of the relation of the parties here, the railroad company was simply not willing to permit conjunctive use of railroad equipment by an industrial concern which may well be presumed not to have the same skill in operation of railroad equipment as the railroad company itself without requiring of the industry that it assume absolute liability with respect to any injuries resulting therefrom'
32
It is true that The Kensington, 1902, 183 U.S. 263, 22 S.Ct. 102, 46 L.Ed. 190, holds that federal courts are not to enforce a foreign law against our public policy where part of a contract is executed in the United States. But in The Kensington the defendant was a New Jersey corporation and thus a logical object of regulation by American courts. Here we deal with a foreign national operating at the time of the mishap outside our jurisdiction. In this context, I believe it is not a semantic argument to contend that enforcement of a forum clause is sufficiently attenuated from enforcement of substantive law contrary to our public policy that we do not run afoul of The Kensington
Lest it be thought I thus throw open a route for United States towage contracts to escape the rule of Dixilyn, I observe that where both parties are American, and the tow is performed here, it is difficult to see how the towee could fail to prove a foreign forum clause unreasonable. Whether a foreign tower who suffered a mishap while operating within our jurisdiction could take advantage of a forum clause remitting him to a more favorable forum I need not now decide.
33
See Annot., 48 A.L.R.2d 800 (1956) (and Later Case Service)
34
Burt v. Isthmus Dev. Co., 5 Cir. 1955, 218 F.2d 353, cert. denied, 1955, 349 U.S. 922, 75 S.Ct. 661, cited by the majority at fn. 37, can be distinguished on several grounds. First, although the factual statement mentions that under the contract the parties submitted to Mexican jurisdiction and waived the jurisdiction of other courts, that element played no part in the decision because the Court found that the basic issue of dispute was whether 'negotiations ever matured into a contract'. Id. at 358. Second, Burt, a diversity case, specifically recognized that 'in admiralty, courts have often refused to entertain actions * * * between citizens and aliens where foreign law would govern the issue, and have relegated the litigants to the foreign court'. Id. at 356. Finally, Burt followed Swift's example and expressly declined to hold that an American citizen's suit could not be dismissed even in nonadmiralty cases. If Burt requires 'positive evidence of unusually extreme circumstances' and a conviction 'that material injustice is manifest', Id. at 357, before enforcing a forum clause, it is subject to the same criticisms as Carbon Black
35
Lord Justice Willmer said:
The law on the subject, I think, is not open to doubt, and I do not think that it is really necessary to cite the authorities to which we have been referred. It is always open to parties to stipulate (as they did in this case) that a particular court shall have jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of their contract. Here the parties chose to stipulate that disputes were to be referred to the 'London' court, which I take as meaning the High Court in this country. Prima facie it is the policy of the court to hold parties to the bargain into which they have entered. Prima facie it is to be presumed, therefore, that the plaintiffs should have leave to prosecute their proceedings in this country, and in pursuance of that to serve their writ out of the jurisdiction. But that is not an inflexible rule, as was shown, for instance, by the case of THE FEHMARN, in which I was myself concerned, and which came to this court. That was a case in which the court in its discretion declined to give effect to a stipulation made by the parties in their contract conferring jurisdiction on a foreign court.
I approach the matter, therefore, in this way, that the court has a discretion, but it is a discretion which, in the ordinary way and in the absence of strong reason to the contrary, will be exercised in favour of holding parties to their bargain. The question is whether sufficient circumstances have been shown to exist in this case to make it desirable, on the grounds of balance of convenience, that proceedings should not take place in this country, the stipulated forum, but that the parties should be left to fight their battles in the United States of America.
I am unable to see that the judge acted on any wrong principle * * * nor am I prepared to say that the judge's exercise of his discretion is shown to have been plainly wrong.
Lord Justice Diplock added:
I say again in this case, as I said in Mackender: 'Where parties have agreed to submit all their disputes under a contract to the exclusive jurisdiction of a foreign court, I myself should require very strong reason to induce me to permit one of them to go back on his word'. We should, I think, apply the same principle whether the forum of contractual choice is England or of some other country.
Lord Justice Widgery concluded:
* * * The parties here have quite deliberately chosen that their disputes shall be decided in the courts of this country, and it would need strong grounds in my view to deprive either party who sought to take advantage of that course from receiving the advantage which he expects from it. I also would put my decision on the footing that there is no reason here to suppose that the learned judge exercised his discretion improperly. But, like my Lord, I feel that had I had to decide the matter myself, I should have reached precisely the same conclusion.
36
Cf. Mittenthal v. Mascagni, 1903, 183 Mass. 19, 66 N.E. 425, 426-427:
We can fancy the parties to this contract at the time of making it saying something like this: 'As the performance of this contract will not only involve travel through one or more foreign countries in getting to America and returning, but will involve journeying long distances through a great many independent states, each of which has its own courts and system of laws, under some of which a person sued in a civil action, when about to leave the state, may be arrested and held to bail or in imprisonment, if suits may be brought in any one of these numerous jurisdictions there is a liability to great trouble and expense on the part of the defendant in meeting the litigation. The contract contemplates a service of fifteen weeks, after which Maestro Mascagni intends to return to his permanent home, in Florence. It will be better and more reasonable for both of us to provide that our controversies, if any arise, shall be settled by the courts of Florence, than to leave both parties subject to suits in forty or fifty different jurisdictions, at great distances from the home of either.' If, moved by such considerations, the parties made the agreement in question, shall the court say that they were non compotes mentis, and that their agreement was so improvident and unreasonable that it cannot be permitted to stand?
Of course if Zapata is correct, that the contract relieves Unterweser from liability for negligence and the English courts will enforce it, then there will be no inconvenience at all, for Zapata will not try to prove negligence.
37
Unterweser filed a limitation action one week before the time for filing lapsed because the district court had not yet ruled on its motion to dismiss. I do not believe it is thereby estopped from pressing its motion to dismiss
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | FreeLaw |
Fuckin a guy
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INTRODUCTION {#s1}
============
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological tumor, existing predominantly in the form of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC)\[[@R1], [@R2]\]. The prognosis of EOC patients remains poor, and cancer metastasis and recurrence are the major causes of death. Emerging evidence suggests that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the conversation of epithelial cells to fibroblast-like cells mainly characterized by loss of epithelial molecules, acquisition of mesenchymal markers, enhancement of cell mobility and invasion, plays a crucial role in the progression of EOC by increasing cancer cell invasion and metastasis \[[@R3]\]. Thus, targeting EMT process for novel anticancer drug discovery is highly significant for the clinical benefits of ovarian cancer patients.
Ginsenosides are the pharmacologically active components of Panax ginseng that has long been utilized as a traditional Chinese medicine for officinal or recuperative purposes \[[@R4]--[@R6]\]. To date, more than 100 ginsenoside compounds have been identified \[[@R7]\], among which Rg3 is one of the bioactive extracts with anti-tumor effect \[[@R8], [@R9]\]. Ginsenoside Rg3 has two stereoisomers 20(R)-Rg3 and 20(S)-Rg3, which differ in the orientation of the hydroxyl (OH) group on carbon-20 \[[@R5]\]. We have found that 20(S)-Rg3, rather than 20(R)-Rg3, has robustly blocked hypoxia-induced EMT in ovarian cancer.
Many EMT players such as E-cadherin transcription repressors including snail, zeb and Twist, and microRNAs have been identified so far. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that modulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level through complementary binding to 3′UTR of target mRNAs \[[@R10]\]. Some microRNAs including miR-145, miR-200, and miR-29b, to name a few, have been suggested as EMT repressors in various types of cancer \[[@R11]--[@R14]\]. miR-145 has been downregulated in many cancers \[[@R15]--[@R19]\], functioning as tumor suppressor to inhibit tumor cell growth and survival, induce cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and attenuate tumor cell migration and invasion via targeting various molecules \[[@R16]--[@R18], [@R20]--[@R23]\]. Reduction of miR level in cancers can be associated with aberrant epigenetic regulation such as DNA hypermethylation \[[@R24]\]. DNMT3A and DNMT3B are two major de novo DNA methyltransferases in mammals, while DNMT1 is in charge of maintenance of DNA methylation \[[@R25]\]. DNMT3A and DNMT3B have been reported upregulated in ovarian cancers \[[@R26]\]. Both of them have been able to hypermethylate the promoter region in microRNA precursor genes and thus inversely regulate microRNA transcription.
In the present study, we discovered that 20(S)-Rg3 enhanced miR-145 expression by downmodulating DNMT3A to attenuate the methylation level in the promoter region of miR-145 precursor gene. The promotion of miR-145 by 20(S)-Rg3 directly targeted FSCN1 to reverse EMT *in vitro* and *vivo*. These results not only uncovered the novel anti-cancer mechanism of 20(S)-Rg3, but also revealed the regulatory pathway for miR-145 expression.
RESULTS {#s2}
=======
20(S)-Rg3 reversed EMT via upregulating miR-145 {#s2_1}
-----------------------------------------------
In 20(S)-Rg3-treated SKOV3 and 3AO cells, epithelial marker E-cadherin was up-regulated, while mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and vimentin were down-regulated (Figure [1A](#F1){ref-type="fig"}), indicating that 20(S)-Rg3 reversed EMT in SKOV3 and 3AO ovarian cancer cells. Meanwhile, 20(S)-Rg3 caused E-cadherin increase and N-cadherin and vimentin decrease in A2780 ovarian cancer cells and HEC-1-B endometrial cancer cells ([Supplementary Figure 1A](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Since miR-145 was reported downregulated in ovarian cancer cells and involved in EMT in many types of cancer, we explored the effect of 20(S)-Rg3 on miR-145. In both SKOV3 and 3AO cells, 20(S)-Rg3 stimulated miR-145 expression (Figure [1B](#F1){ref-type="fig"}). Transfection of miR-145 inhibitor ([Supplementary Figure 2](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) into 20(S)-Rg3-treated cells (Figure [1C](#F1){ref-type="fig"}) reversed 20(S)-Rg3-rendered E-cadherin upregulation and N-cadherin and vimentin downregulation (Figure [1D](#F1){ref-type="fig"}, [Supplementary Figure 3](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}). Inhibition of miR-145 also blocked the inhibitory effect of 20(S)-Rg3 on the migration and invasion of both SKOV3 and 3AO cells (Figure [1E](#F1){ref-type="fig"}). We next overexpressed miR-145 to examine its effect on EMT of ovarian cancer cells. miR-145 overexpression (Figure [1F](#F1){ref-type="fig"}) increased E-cadherin while decreased N-cadherin and vimentin (Figure [1G](#F1){ref-type="fig"}). Meanwhile, overexpression of miR-145 largely inhibited migration and invasion of both SKOV3 and 3AO cells (Figure [1H](#F1){ref-type="fig"}). These results showed that 20(S)-Rg3 upregulated miR-145 to reverse EMT in ovarian cancer cells.
{#F1}
20(S)-Rg3 upregulated miR-145 via suppressing DNMT3A to demethylate pre-miR-145 gene {#s2_2}
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since DNA hypermethylation has been connected to miR-145 deregulation in prostate cancer \[[@R27]\], we compared the methylation status of miR-145 precursor gene in 20(S)-Rg3-treated cells relative to non-treated cells. The initial assessment of potential CpG islands in the 2000 bp upstream genomic sequence encoding pre-miR-145 found no CpG islands but some CG sites. The MSP results illustrated that the methylation level in the promoter region of pre-miR-145 promoter was decreased in 20(S)-Rg3-treated SKOV3 and 3AO cells (Figure [2A](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). We thus detected the influence of 20(S)-Rg3 on the expression of DNMT family members. Western blot results showed that DNMT3A, the DNA methyltransferase responsible for de novo methylation, was obviously decreased while DNMT1 and DNMT3B were remained unchanged in 20(S)-Rg3-treated SKOV3 and 3AO cells (Figure [2B](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). DNMT3A plasmid was transfected into 20(S)-Rg3-treated cells to restore the expression of DNMT3A (Figure [2C](#F2){ref-type="fig"}), which reversed the 20(S)-Rg3-triggered upregulation of miR-145 (Figure [2D](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). In parallel, MSP results showed that overexpression of DNMT3A increased the methylation level in the promoter region of pre-miR-145 in 20(S)-Rg3-treated SKOV3 and 3AO cells (Figure [2E](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). These results indicated that 20(S)-Rg3 enhanced miR-145 via inhibiting DNMT3A expression and thus relieved the methylation restrain on pre-miR-145 transcription.
{#F2}
We next assessed the effects of DNMT3A on the anti-EMT activity of 20(S)-Rg3. DNMT3A overexpression reversed 20(S)-Rg3-triggered E-cadherin upregulation, N-cadherin and vimentin downregulation (Figure [2F](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). And the attenuation of migration and invasion of 20(S)-Rg3-treated cells was largely reversed by ectopic expression of DNMT3A (Figure [2G](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). These results showed that 20(S)-Rg3 blocked EMT through downregulating DNMT3A in ovarian cancer cells.
miR-145 inhibited DNMT3A-promoted EMT {#s2_3}
-------------------------------------
We further studied the role of miR-145 in DNMT3A-promoted EMT. Ectopic expression of miR-145 in DNMT3A-overexpressed cells (Figure [3A](#F3){ref-type="fig"}) did not in turn affect DNMT3A expression (Figure [3B](#F3){ref-type="fig"}), but blunted the EMT-inducible activity of DNMT3A as shown by restoration of E-cadherin, loss of N-cadherin and vimentin (Figure [3C](#F3){ref-type="fig"}), and attenuation of cell motility and invasion (Figure [3D](#F3){ref-type="fig"}). These results showed that DNMT3A induced EMT via inhibiting miR-145.
{#F3}
miR-145 directly targeted FSCNI to inhibit EMT {#s2_4}
----------------------------------------------
Next we explored the target of miR-145 to block EMT. We first predicted putative target genes of miR-145 by searching the TargetScan database (release 5.1, <http://www.targetscan.org/>), and FSCN1 was chosen to be experimentally verified. 3′-UTRs of FSCN1 containing the wild-type or mutant putative miR-145 binding site were cloned into a luciferase reporter plasmid, respectively. Specifically, although 4 conserved miR-145 seeding sequences were predicted to exist in the 3′-UTR of FSCN1, only one of them was experimentally confirmed as an actual binding site which was cloned into a luciferase reporter plasmid in our study \[[@R28]\]. The luciferase reporter assay showed that luciferase activity was significantly inhibited in cells co-transfected with miR-145 mimic and FSCN1 WT-3′ UTR vector, while no changes of luciferase activity were detected in cells transfected with miR-145 mimic and luciferase reporter plasmids containing the mutant seeding sequence (Figure [4A](#F4){ref-type="fig"}). Additionally, western blot analysis showed that miR-145 overexpression diminished FSCN1 expression level (Figure [4B](#F4){ref-type="fig"}). These data indicated the direct suppressive effect of miR-145 on FSCN1. Since the role of FSCN1 in EMT was not fully explored, we investigated whether FSCN1 mediated the inhibitory effect of miR-145 on EMT. In cells overexpressed both FSCN1 and miR-145, the anti-EMT effect of miR-145 as evidenced by upregulation of E-cadherin, downregulation of N-cadherin and vimentin (Figure [4C](#F4){ref-type="fig"}), and attenuation of migration and invasion (Figure [4D](#F4){ref-type="fig"}) was largely reversed by ectopic expression of FSCN1. Meanwhile, EMT was reversed in SKOV3 and 3AO cells by downregulation of FSCN1, as shown by increased expression of E-cadherin, decreased expression of N-cadherin and vimentin (Figure [4E](#F4){ref-type="fig"}), and demotion of migration and invasion (Figure [4F](#F4){ref-type="fig"}). Taken together, our data suggested that miR-145 blocked EMT by targeting FSCN1 in ovarian cancer cells.
{#F4}
miR-145 inhibited ovarian cancer EMT *in vivo* {#s2_5}
----------------------------------------------
To determine the effect of miR-145 on ovarian cancer progression *in vivo*, the primary tumor growth in nude mice were examined. miR-145-up SKOV3 cells (transfected by miR-145-expressing lentivirus) or negative control cells (NC) were subcutaneously inoculated into nude mice. All of the mice developed subcutaneous xenografts. Although no differences in body weight were detected between NC and miR-145-up groups (Figure [5A](#F5){ref-type="fig"}), the average tumor volume of miR-145-up group was reduced by nearly 40% at week 4 compared with the NC group (Figure [5B](#F5){ref-type="fig"}). Immunohistochemistry analysis of subcutaneous tumors showed that E-cadherin was higher, vimentin and FSCN1 were lower in miR-145-up tumors compared to NC tumors (Figure [5C](#F5){ref-type="fig"}).
{#F5}
We then examined the inhibitory effect of miR-145 on the intraperitoneal dissemination of ovarian cancer. NC or miR-145-up SKOV3 cells were inoculated into the abdomen of nude mice. During the 28-day observation, the average body weigh was higher in miR-145-up group than NC group, which became significant since day 22 (Figure [5D](#F5){ref-type="fig"}). And less metastatic tumor nodules and ascites were developed in miR-145-up group (Figure [5E](#F5){ref-type="fig"}). Intraperitoneal tumor nodules presented throughout the mice's abdominal cavity. Tumors in spleen fascia and diaphragm of miR-145-up mice were substantially smaller in size than those in NC mice, and immunohistochemistry analysis of metastatic tumor showed the tumors were from the intraperitoneal dissemination (Figure [5F](#F5){ref-type="fig"}). These data reproduced the suppressive action of miR-145 on ovarian cancer cell *in vivo*.
DISCUSSION {#s3}
==========
20(S)-Rg3 inhibited cancer cell motility and invasiveness, and the mechanism could be partly attributed to its anti-EMT effect \[[@R29]--[@R31]\]. Here, we first reported that the pathway composed of DNMT3A, miR-145, and FSCN1 was implicated in the anti-EMT mechanism of 20(S)-Rg3 (Figure [6](#F6){ref-type="fig"}), and that the methylation repression of miR-145 by DNMT3A played an important role in EMT occurrence.
{#F6}
Ginseng, is one of the oldest herbal medicines and induces a variety of physiological and pharmacological effects. Ginseng contains saponins called ginsenosides, which are considered as the biologically active ingredients in ginseng. Many researches have proposed that ginsenoside blocks EMT in cancers. Zhang and colleagues have recently shown that ginsenoside 25-OCH3-PPD, isolated from Panax notoginseng and belonged to protopanaxadiols group as 20(S)-Rg3, reduces EMT markers in normoxically cultured breast cancer cells \[[@R32]\]. Xie et al. have reported that ginsenoside Rg1, a major active component also isolated from Panax notoginseng but belonged to protopanaxatriol group, blocks TGFβ1-induced EMT in rat renal tubular epithelial cells \[[@R33]\]. Collectively, these findings, together with our data, shed new light on the anti-metastasis mechanism of ginsenosides. Nevertheless, the pathway relative to the entrance of the ginsenosides into cells and the direct targets of the ginsenosides have been yet to be determined. It is worthwhile to identify the specific mechanism mediating the anti-tumor role of ginsenosides.
DNA methylation is a critical epigenetic signature that is involved in transcriptional regulation, genomic imprinting, and silencing of repetitive DNA elements \[[@R34]\]. Abnormal hypermethylation correlates with the transcriptional repression of multiple miRNAs. This can lead to the upregulation of oncogenic targets of microRNAs and constitutive activation of signaling pathway that can increase invasion and migration activities \[[@R35]\]. However, to our knowledge, there have been no reports about the methylation regulation of miR-145 in ovarian cancer. In this study, we found that miR-145 was under control of DNMT3A-mediated DNA methylation, and 20(S)-Rg3 inhibited DNMT3A expression to demethylate pre-miR-145 and thus increase miR-145 expression.
DNMT3A together with DNMT3B and DNMT1 are catalytically active DNMTs responsible for genome methylation \[[@R36]\]. DNMT3A and DNMT3B are de novo methyltransferase with different targets \[[@R37]\]. DNMT1 is a maintenance DNA methyltransferase for retaining methylation pattern, with inefficient de novo methylation ability. Increasing evidence shows that these DNMTs work together to maintain a normal methylation pattern, and deregulation of either one could promote malignancies \[[@R38]\]. More recently, DNMT3A has been reported as contributor of EMT \[[@R39], [@R40]\]. In the present study, we showed that DNMT3A induced EMT via decreasing miR-145 expression.
Decreased expression and anti-tumor function of miR-145 have been observed in several cancers \[[@R41], [@R42]\]. The mechanistic studies about miR-145 inhibition on cancer progression have initially focused on its roles in cell apoptosis, cell cycle and cell proliferation \[[@R43], [@R44]\]. Lately, miR-145 has been inversely connected to cancer cell motility and invasiveness, and the mechanism may partly be attributed to its anti-EMT effect \[[@R45], [@R46]\]. FSCN1 \[[@R47]\] is a newly identified miR-145 target in a few cancers. FSCN1 is an actin-bundling protein functioning in cell movement under physiological or pathological conditions \[[@R48]\]. Overexpression of FSCN1 promotes migration and invasion of cancer cells \[[@R7], [@R49]--[@R53]\], and is associated with clinically unfavorable phenotypes in human epithelial cancers including EOC \[[@R48]--[@R54]\]. Nevertheless, the correlation of miR-145-FSCN1 with EMT has not been compellingly proven in the published data. Here we provided the evidence that overexpression of FSCN1 was sufficient to confer EMT to ovarian cancer cells, and its aberrant elevation in ovarian cancer tissues was possibly benefited from miR-145 diminution. We provided evidence that miR-145 inhibited EMT by suppressing FSCN1, however, the detailed mechanism about function of FSCN1 in EMT occurrence still necessitated further elucidation.
In conclusion, we found that 20(S)-Rg3 reversed EMT to inhibit ovarian cancer cells migration and invasion via antagonizing DNMT3A-mediated methylation of pre-miR-145 to promote inhibition of miR-145 on FSCN1. 20(S)-Rg3 is an efficient, low-toxicity and multi-target natural agent, and it is expected to become an important agent in the comprehensive treatment of ovarian cancer, which may improve the current strategy of ovarian cancer therapy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS {#s4}
=====================
Reagents and antibodies {#s4_1}
-----------------------
Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 was obtained from Tasly Pharmaceutical Company (Tianjin, China) and dissolved at a concentration of 4 mg/ml in DMSO as a stock solution (stored at −20°C). It was then further diluted in cell culture medium to create working concentrations. The maximum final concentration of DMSO was less than 0.1% for each treatment, and was also used as a control. Antibodies including DNMT3A, DNMT3B, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, and β-actin were from Cell Signaling Technology (Beverly, MA), FSCN1 was from Abcam (Cambridge, MA, USA), and DNMT1 was from Active Motif (Carlsbad, CA, USA).
Cell culture and 20(*S*)-Rg3 treatment {#s4_2}
--------------------------------------
The human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 was obtained from the Shanghai Cell Bank of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai, China), 3AO was from the Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences (Jinan, China). Cells were maintained in RPMI 1640 medium (Gibco-BRL, Gaithersburg, MD, USA) supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum at 37°C under a humidified 5% CO~2~ atmosphere. Cells were incubated with 80 μg/ml (for SKOV3) or 160 μg/ml (for 3AO) of 20(S)-Rg3 for 24 h.
Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) {#s4_3}
------------------------------------
Total RNA was extracted from cells using TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Concentration and quality of total RNA were assessed by absorbance at 260 nm and the ratio of 260/280, respectively, on a UV spectrophotometer (BioRad Inc., Hercules, CA, USA). For mRNA detection, first-strand cDNA was synthesized using a RevertAid first strand cDNA synthesis Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Waltham, MA, USA). Quantitative real-time PCR was performed using a SYBR Premix Ex Taq™ II kit (Takara, Dalian, China) on a CFX96 real-time PCR system (Bio- Rad, Hercules, CA, USA). miR-145 was normalized to small nuclear U6, while DNMT3A normalized to β-actin. Relative gene expression was calculated automatically using 2^−ΔΔCt^. Primers for miR-145 and U6 reverse transcription and amplification were designed and synthesized by Ribo-Bio Co., Ltd. (Guangzhou, China). The following primer sequences were used: DNMT3A forward: 5′-TATTGATGAGCGCACAAGAGAGC-3′; DNMT3A reverse: 5′-GGGTGTTCCAGGGTAACATTGAG-3′; β-actin forward: 5′-TCCCTGGAGAAGAGCTACGA-3′; β-actin reverse: 5′-AGCACTGTGTTGGCGTACAG-3′.
Western blot {#s4_4}
------------
Total protein was collected from cells by RIPA lysis buffer containing protease inhibitors (Roche, Indianapolis, IN, USA) and 1 mM PMSF on ice. Protein concentration was measured using the BCA-200 Protein Assay kit (Pierce, Rockford, IL, USA). After heat denaturation at 100°C for 5 min, proteins were separated by electrophoresis on 10% SDS--PAGE gels and then transferred onto nitrocellulose membranes (Pall Life Science, NY, USA). The membranes were blocked with 5% non-fat milk at room temperature for 1 h, and then incubated overnight at 4°C with rabbit anti-human E-cadherin(1:1000, Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA, USA), N-cadherin(1:1000, Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA, USA), vimentin(1:500, Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA, USA), DNMT3A (1:500, Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA, USA), DNMT3B(1:500, Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA, USA), DNMT1(1:1000, Active Motif; Carlsbad, CA, USA), FSCN1(1:100000, Abcam, Cambridge, MA, USA), and mouse anti-human β-actin(1:1000, Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA, USA). After washing with TBST, the blots were incubated with horse radish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated goat anti-rabbit or anti-mouse IgG. Blots were visualized using ECL reagents (Pierce, Rockford, IL, USA) by a chemiluminescence imaging system (Bio-Rad, Richmond, CA, USA).
Plasmid transfection {#s4_5}
--------------------
The human FSCN1 expression vector pLenti6/V5-DEST-FASCIN was a gift from Lynda Chin (Addgene, \#31207)\[[@R55]\]. The human DNMT3A expression vector pcDNA3/Myc-DNMT3A was a gift from Arthur Riggs (Addgene plasmid \# 35521)\[[@R56]\]. SKOV3 and 3AO cells were seeded into 6-well plates until 70%-90% confluency and transiently transfected with pcDNA3/Myc-DNMT3A (pLenti6/V5-DEST-FASCIN) or control vector 3μg per well using the X-treme GENE HP DNA Transfection Reagent (Roche, Indianapolis, IN, USA) following the manufacturer's protocol. After 48 hours of transfection, the cells were harvested for further study.
MicroRNA mimic or inhibitor transfection {#s4_6}
----------------------------------------
miR-145 mimic (inhibitor) and negative control were purchased from Ribo-Bio Co. Ltd. (Guangzhou, China). SKOV3 and 3AO cells were seeded into 6-well plates to reach 40%--50% confluency after 24 h and then transiently transfected with 60 nM miR-145 mimic (SKOV3) or 100 nM miR-145 inhibitor or negative control using the X-treme GENE siRNA Transfection Reagent (Roche, Indianapolis, IN, USA). After 24 h of transfection, the cells were treated with 80 μg/ml (SKOV3) and 160 μg/ml (3AO) of 20(S)-Rg3 for 24 h.
siRNA and transient transfection {#s4_7}
--------------------------------
Human FSCN1 siRNA was purchased from GenePharma (Shanghai, China). Ovarian cancer cells were seeded into 6-well plates until they reached 40%--50% confluency. FSCN1 siRNA (GCAGCCTGAAGAAGAAGCA) was transiently transfected 100nM per well using the X-treme GENE siRNA Transfection Reagent (Roche, Indianapolis, IN, USA). After 48 hours transfection, the cells were harvested for further studies.
Cell migration and invasion assay {#s4_8}
---------------------------------
After treated, cells were trypsinized and counted. A total of 1×10^5^ cells (for migration assay) or 5×10^5^ cells (for invasion assay) in 100 μl serum-free medium were added into millicells (Millipore Co., Bedford, MA, USA) without (for migration assay) or with (for invasion assay) Matrigel (Becton Dickinson Labware, Bedford, MA, USA) coated. 500 μl of 1640 medium containing 20% newborn bovine serum was added to the bottom chambers as the chemotactic factor. After incubation for 24 h (for migration assay) or 48 h (for invasion assay) at 37°C, cells remaining on the upper surface of the filter were removed using cotton swabs. Then the migrated cells were fixed using methyl alcohol and stained using 0.1% crystal violet. Migratory (or invasive) cells were counted and averaged from images of five random fields (original magnification ×200) captured using an inverted light microscope. The mean values of three duplicate assays were used for statistical analysis.
DNA bisulfite modification and methylation-specific PCR (MSP) {#s4_9}
-------------------------------------------------------------
Cells treated by 80 μg/ml (SKOV3) and 160 μg/ml (3AO) for 24 h in 24-well plates were trypsinized and resuspended in cold PBS at the concentration of ∼6×10^6^/ml. DNA bisulfite modification and purification were performed using an EZ DNA methylation-Direct kit (ZYMO RESEARCH, California, USA) according to its instructions. Concentration of DNA was evaluated by absorbance at 260 nm on a UV spectrophotometer (BioRad Inc., Hercules, CA, USA). The set of primers for MSP was flanking the 3kb 5′-region upstream from the start of pre-miR-145 sequence. The primers for methylation-specific PCR were designed by MethPrimer and the sequences were as follows: methylated (M) forward: 5′-GGAGATTGGGGAATATATATGAGTC-3′; methylated (M) reverse: 5′-AAAATAAAATACCACACGTCGC-3′; unmethylated (U)- forward: 5′-AGATTGGGGAATATATATGAGTTGT-3′; unmethylated (U)- reverse: 5′-ACCAAAATAAAATACCACACATCAC-3′. DNA amplification was performed with Epi Taq HS (Takara, Dalian, China) under the following condition: 94°C for 5 min; 30 cycles of 94°C for 30 s, 50°C for 30 s, 72°C for 30 s; and 72°C for 10 min. The PCR productions were separated by 2.0% agarose gel electrophoresis and visualized by a Bio-Rad image lab system (Richmond, CA, USA).
Luciferase reporter plasmid construction {#s4_10}
----------------------------------------
The wild-type 3′-UTR sequence of the target gene carrying a putative miR-145 binding site was amplified by PCR. To generate mutant 3′-UTR fragment of miR-145 target gene, we adopted the two-step PCR method as reported previously. Briefly, two fragments of 3′-UTR were amplified by two sets of overlapped primers in which mutated seeding sequences of miR-145 were introduced. The wild-type and mutant PCR products were digested with Hind III and Sac I enzymes, inserted into pMIR-REPORT^™^ Luciferase vectors (Ambion, Austin, TX, USA) and verified by DNA sequencing. The following primers were used: FSCN1-WT 3′UTR forward: 5′-CCTCGCTCTGGGAGTACTAGGG-3′; FSCN1-WT 3′UTR reverse: 5′ -CTGGGGCTGCAGACTGAGTTAT-3′; FSCN1-MUT 3′UTR P1: 5′-GCGGCTCGAGCCTCGCTCTGGGAGTACTAGGG-3′; P2: 5′-AATGCGGCCGCCTGGGGCTGCAGACTGAGTTAT-3′; P3: 5′-CAAAAGATAGGTCAAACACTACACGCCCAGGGC-3′; P4: 5′-TGTAGTGTTTGACCTATCTTTTGCCTCTCC CAG-3′.
Luciferase reporter assay {#s4_11}
-------------------------
Luciferase reporter assays were carried out in both SKOV3 and 3AO cells. Cells were seeded into 24-well plate. When reached 80%-90% confluency, cells were co-transfected with pRL-TK vector (20 ng), wild-type (WT-3′ UTR) or mutant (MUT-3′ UTR) reporter vectors (180 ng), along with miR-145 mimic or negative control at a final concentration of 20 nM using the X-treme GENE siRNA Transfection Reagent. Transfections were performed in triplicate. 24 h after transfection, the relative firefly luciferase activity (normalized to Renilla luciferase activity) was measured using a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay system (Promega, Madison, WI, USA), and results were depicted as the percentage change over the respective control. Each experiment was performed in triplicate.
Animal study {#s4_12}
------------
The care and use of experimental animals were approved by the ethical committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, and were adherent to the institutional guidelines and ethical standards. SKOV3 cells were infected with miR-145-expressing lentivirus GV209-miR145 (GENECHEM, Shanghai, China) or negative control lentivirus GV209 (GENECHEM, Shanghai, China). For subcutaneous xenograft experiment, cells were trypsinized and resuspended in PBS at a final concentration of 2×10^7^cells/ml. 2×10^6^ cells were injected subcutaneously into the flank of six-week old BALB/c nude mice. Animal body weights and tumor perpendicular diameters were recorded every two days. Tumor volumes were calculated according to the formula of V=0.5236×(L×W^2^)(V: tumor volume, L: length, W: width). The mice were killed after 28 days on the experimental treatments. Tumor samples were fixed in 4% polyformaldehyde for 24h at room temperature, paraffin-embedded, and sectioned for immunohistochemical analysis. For intraperitoneal xenograft model, SKOV3 cells were trypsinized and resuspended in PBS at a concentration of 1×10^8^/ml. Mice were inoculated with 1×10^7^ cells in the abdominal cavity at day 0. The mice were observed daily and sacrificed after 28 days. Necropsies were performed, disseminated lesions were resected from mice and pathologically confirmed using HE staining. Ascitic fluid was collected by 1mL syringe and measured by pipet. The number and weight of tumor nodules on the surface of the spleen fascia, diaphragm, bowel and omentum, liver and bladder were counted, measured and statistically analyzed.
Immunohistochemistry analysis {#s4_13}
-----------------------------
Paraffn-embedded xenograft tissue sections on poly-1-lysine-coated slides were deparaffnized and rinsed with 10 mM Tris--HCl (pH 7.4) and 150 mM sodium chloride. Paroxidase was quenched with methanol and 3% hydrogen peroxide. Slides were then placed in 10 mM citrate buffer (pH 6.0) at 100°C for 20 min in a pressurized heating chamber. Detection of antigens was carried out using incubation with the primary antibodies for 2 hours at room temperature, followed by incubation with HRP-labeled secondary antibody (MaxVision^™^ HRP-Polymer anti-Mouse/Rabbit IHC Kit) at room temperature for 30 minutes and color development with DAB. Negative control specimens were incubated in PBS without the primary antibody under the same conditions. Slides were counterstained with hematoxylin, dehydrated in an ascending alcohol series, and mounted for analysis. Digital images were acquired on an Olympus BH-2 microscope (Tokyo, Japan) installed with the DeltaPix Camera and software (Maalov, Denmark).
Statistical analysis {#s4_14}
--------------------
All experiments were performed at least in triplicate, and each experiment was independently performed at least 3 times. The graphical presentations were performed using GraphPad Prism 5.0. Data were presented as the means±SE and were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software (Chicago, IL, USA). Statistical differences were tested by Chi-square test or two-tailed t-test, and Fisher exact test was performed to analysis MSP results. Differences were considered significant at P \<0.05 (\*) or highly significant at P \<0.001 (\*\*).
SUPPLEMENTARY FIGURES {#s5}
=====================
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China: No.30973429.
**CONFLICTS OF INTEREST**
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
National Highway 527C (India)
National Highway 527C, commonly referred to as NH 527C is a national highway in India. It is a spur road of National Highway 27. NH-527C traverses the state of Bihar in India.
Route
Majhauli, Katra, Jajuar, Pupri, Charout.
Junctions
Terminal near Majhauli.
Terminal near Charout.
See also
List of National Highways in India
List of National Highways in India by state
References
External links
NH 527C on OpenStreetMap
Category:National highways in India
Category:National Highways in Bihar | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
A Repellent Musk
Sooner or later, Elon Musk and Peter Thiel will go to war. If you know your origin myths—Romulus and Remus, Cain and Abel, Simon and Garfunkel—you know that when two men create something as monumental as PayPal together, one of them must ultimately attempt to destroy the other. If you know your superhero films, you know that none of our cities are safe.
Until recently, all of us thought we knew which side of this impending duel to support. After all, isn’t Peter Thiel a real-life comic-book supervillain? He spoke at the RNC; he peddles his “Palantir Gotham” software to a sinister surveillance state; he famously believes that being routinely injected with the blood of young people might extend his lifespan. The terrifying culmination of this diabolical trajectory is all too easy to imagine. Peter Thiel clanks menacingly through what used to be your neighborhood, his weaponized suit of armor powered by the suffering of a dozen bawling infants, impaled on their blood-transfusion needles. Death rays blaze forth from his visor, incinerating the offices of every publication that’s ever said a bad word about him, boiling alive hapless whales in the corpse-clogged oceans. Are we finally doomed?
But Elon’s armies are on their way. Decked out in a glossy techno-utopian white, they are zipping to the rescue through a secret network of underground hyperloops. They are streaming in from a thousand thriving offworld colonies in outer space. His self-driving tanks are powered by autumn leaves and gratitude. We can rest easy: Elon Musk will save the world. We know this, because saving the world is all Elon Musk ever talks about.
There’s no escaping the Elon Myth. People who work in Tesla showrooms say his name—his first name, of course—with the kind of quaking reverence usually reserved for despots and porn stars. Have you met Elon? I met Elon once. He shook my hand. Stick with the company, and it might happen to you too.
Everything Elon does is intended to safeguard the human species from peril. His automated cars will save us from being turned into dipping sauce on the freeways, and his gigafactories and home solar panels will pull us back from the brink of a climate change apocalypse. And if that whole plan doesn’t work, he wants to take us to Mars, to spread humanity out across the galaxy so the destruction of one little planet won’t seal our fate. Most people are weak, venal, and stupid; we don’t even think about the future. Not the visionary Elon Musk. It takes great men to change everyone’s life for the better, but Elon Musk might just be that man.
Newspapers and online publications report breathlessly on his latest big concept or little observation. Elon Musk declares that reality is a simulation. Elon Musk declares that humans must merge with machines. Elon Musk declares that AIs are the biggest existential threat to our species. All these groundbreaking ideas aren’t new, exactly—by and large, they tend to be the plots of action-scifi films from the 1990s. His next big announcement will probably be “robots from the future could be walking among us,” or “condemned prisoners will someday be forced to fight to the death on live TV.”
Meanwhile his strange sayings and comments are relentlessly compiled and regurgitated, showing how idiocy can become aphorism when it comes from the mouth of a billionaire. On women: “I need to find a girlfriend. That’s why I need to carve out just a little more time. I think maybe even another five to 10—how much time does a woman want a week? Maybe 10 hours? I don’t know.” To an employee who missed a company event to be present for the birth of his child: “That is no excuse. I am extremely disappointed. You need to figure out where your priorities are. We’re changing the world and changing history, and you either commit or you don’t.” To a perfect stranger: “I think a lot about electric cars. Do you think about electric cars?” On nutrition: “If there was a way that I could not eat, so I could work more, I would not eat. I wish there were a way to get nutrients without sitting down for a meal.”
These statements are all a way of—let’s be honest—showing off. They’re the kinds of things a smart kid says to make sure you realize that he is not like other people. As a child, Elon Musk spent ten hours daily reading books. He dropped out of a PhD program after only two days. This world isn’t big enough to contain him. His ways—he is at pains to inform us—are not our ways, nor are his thoughts our thoughts. One part office pedant, one part eternal shaman, one part God.
Musk isn’t the only person playing this game; he’s just the best at it. Silicon Valley thrives on a kind of corporate Stakhanovism: every CEO and every annoying app developer claims to sleep two hours a night, or for twelve ten-minute naps spread evenly throughout the day. Everyone is heroically resistant to sex, culture, and friendship. Everyone treats their employees with the magnificent brutality of a cartoon prison guard. Everyone is trying to be a world-historical superman, and they’re all following the exact same playbook.
Examined more closely, these painstakingly-crafted Silicon Valley personas are little more than salesperson patter. Power always pretends to be something grander than it is. Pharaohs claimed to be the sun-god given human flesh, the bringer of the floods and the architects of every daybreak. In fact, they were petty tyrants, degenerated through successive generations of incest. Feudal lords pretended to be divinely appointed protectors of their loyal but non-consanguineous subjects. In fact, they were just landlords, as miserable and shameless as your own. Armies pretend to spread freedom while spreading death, employers claim to be creating jobs while creaming off surplus value. Elon Musk pretends to be sending humanity to Mars and breaking through the prison of reality itself. What does he actually do?
In a 2016 letter to its partners, the hedge fund Greenlight Capital cast some doubts on Musk’s humanity-saving missions. The Mars stuff, the letter’s authors posited, had an obvious business function: “Elon Musk’s ability to spin a yarn and keep a story going seems to mesmerize his investors, blinding them to the challenges the company is facing.” Musk, of course, claims that he has only sought to become fabulously wealthy for lofty and disinterested reasons. “I really don’t have any other motivation for personally accumulating assets,” he once said, in a characteristically impressive pronouncement, “except to make the biggest contribution I can to making life multi-planetary.” But this claim is, of course, absurd. After all, Elon Musk doesn’t just want to send a band of loners and lunatics off to die on a barren world—he’s planning to charge them two hundred thousand dollars apiece for the pleasure. Whatever private god-king fantasies he might be entertaining, the main reason Musk is in the game of capitalism is because he’s a capitalist.
When it comes down to it, Elon Musk’s real business isn’t in utopian worldbuilding, but in good old-fashioned government contracting. He might be selling bigger and more complex goods, but the basics of his operation are no different from whoever supplies corn starch to the Congress canteen or tent-pegs for American military bases abroad. SpaceX, Musk’s pioneering private spaceflight company, depends for its profits on NASA contracts. Tesla makes a significant chunk of its income from the sale of green credits to other, more pollution-producing industrial concerns. A solar panel factory in Buffalo, NY was built by the state at the cost of $750m; Musk leases it for a dollar a year. All in all, he’s received nearly $5 billion in subsidies and support from the government. Not only is Musk is draining the public purse, but he’s making use of technologies that already exist: the impetus for their development isn’t coming from the mysterious deeps of his unique and inscrutable intellect. Dozens of other companies, after all, get government contracts for space flight, electric cars, or renewable energy. All Elon Musk has done is seek out the maximum potential market share in a narrow band of state contracts, and then present his profit-seeking as a grand futuristic vision.
This is why Elon Musk was perfectly comfortable greasing himself all over Donald Trump – after all, without Trump onside, he wouldn’t have a company. In December last year, Elon Musk was invited to join President-Elect Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum. After years of talking about saving us all from the incoming doom, Musk went to the incoming doom’s castle to act as its unpaid advisor. A few days after the inauguration, he signed up to the new administration’s Manufacturing Jobs Initiative. Until eventually breaking from Trump over climate change (not, however, racism or neo-feudal totalitarianism), Musk was staking out a role for himself as the tech world’s envoy to the Trump administration, vigorously defending his role as just another part in his vast scheme to redeem us all.
It’s natural that Trump and Musk would have gotten along so well together. Each maintains the delusion that the world would be better off if they were calling all the shots. Here it’s instructive to look at Musk’s zeal for self-driving cars. In a public response to an incident in May last year, when a Tesla driver was killed watching Harry Potter while his car happily ploughed itself head-first into a truck. Musk urged reporters to “think carefully” about how they framed the incident: “because if, in writing some article that’s negative, you effectively dissuade people from using an autonomous vehicle, you’re killing people.”
Musk isn’t entirely wrong: self-driving cars really might be safer than what we have now, which is millions of tons of metal piloted at high speeds by people who generally enter a fugue state of psychotic rage as soon as their hands touch the steering wheel. Unlike people, who break down constantly for any number of reasons, the self-driving car just works. It’s the familiar tech-industrial fantasy of an entirely autonomous world in which human frailty is no longer allowed to impede maximum efficiency.
But this world, taken to its logical extreme, is a world in which we are not free. A police state, after all, may be safer and better-organized than a democratic one, but these benefits come at the cost of individuals’ ability to be master of their own choices.
The term “self-driving car” seems to imply a kind of independence; your car makes its own way across cities and deserts while you relax, pleasantly drunk, in the back seat. But self-driving cars also represent a massive centralization of the decision-making process. The software that the cars run on will only ever be proprietary; your car is run from a central server, and you lease its decision-making abilities for a fee. Mercedes announced last year that its own self-driving cars will always prioritize the safety of the driver, even if it means splattering a crowd of pedestrians into the nearest wall. (Thanks to the beneficent powers of the market, all other manufacturers will likely have to follow suit—who’s going to choose to buy the car that might deliberately kill you to save someone you don’t even know?) Google’s self-driving car, meanwhile, will dutifully pull itself over at a signal from the cops. Without any ability to assume manual control of the car at moments of high significance, passengers in self-driving cars will also be passive subjects of a manufacturer’s pre-programmed ethical determinations. In Elon Musk’s vision of a self-driving future, fewer people might die, but the people who do will die because he ordained it.
These days, reactionaries everywhere are promising to give control back to the people, through a government that responds exactly to your own half-conscious prejudices. Likewise, Elon Musk promises a world in which you can do whatever you want, without ever needing to think about how you want to do it. He’ll see to everything. He will build the Mars colonies for us, and the rockets to get there, and the fuel cells to power them. All anyone else needs to is believe in his myth, and buy what he gives us. But it’s a charade. What Elon Musk wants is what every viperous capitalist has wanted since civilizations’ earliest days: money, power, and deference. Musk is only piggybacking on the doom or redemption of the species, swept along into the void that’s opening up in front of us, just like everyone else. Whatever it might look like, Elon Musk does not own the future. It’s ours.
This article appears in our new “Silicon Valley Spectacular.” Get your print copy today in our store or by purchasing a subscription. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
A night vision system converts available low intensity ambient light to a visible image. These systems require some residual light, such as moon or star light, in which to operate. This light is generally rich in infrared radiation, which is invisible to the human eye. The ambient light is intensified by the night vision scope to produce an output image which is visible to the human eye. The present generation of night vision scopes use image intensification technology and, in particular, microchannel plates to amplify the low level of visible light and to render a visible image from the normally invisible infrared radiation. The image intensification process involves conversion of the received ambient light into electronic patterns and the subsequent projection of the electron patterns onto a receptor to produce an image visible to the eye. Typically, the receptor is a phosphor screen which is viewed through a lens provided as an eyepiece.
Specific examples of microchannel plate amplification are found in the image intensifier tubes of the night vision devices commonly used by police departments and by the military for night time surveillance, and for weapon aiming. However, microchannel plates may also be used to produce an intensified electrical signal indicative of the light flux or intensity falling on a photocathode, and even upon particular parts of the photocathode. The resulting electrical signals can be used to drive a video display, for example, or be fed to a computer for processing of the information present in the electrical analog of the image.
In night vision devices, a photoelectrically responsive photocathode element is used to receive photons from a low light level image. Typically the low light level image is far too dim to view with unaided natural vision, or may only be illuminated by invisible infrared radiation. Radiation at such wavelengths is rich in the nighttime sky. The photocathode produces a pattern of electrons (hereinafter referred to as "photoelectrons") which correspond with the pattern of photons from the low-level image. Through the use of electrostatic fields, the pattern of photoelectrons emitted from the photocathode are directed to the surface of a microchannel plate.
The pattern of photoelectrons is then introduced into a multitude of small channels (or microchannels) opening onto the surface of the plate which, by the secondary emission of electrons, produce a shower of electrons in a pattern corresponding to the low-level image. That is, the microchannel plate emits from its microchannels a proportional number of secondary emission electrons. These secondary emission electrons form an electron shower thereby amplifying the electrons produced by the photocathode in response to the initial low level image. The shower of electrons, at an intensity much above that produced by the photocathode, is then directed onto a phosphorescent screen. The phosphor of the screen produces an image in visible light which replicates the low-level image. Understandably, because of the microchannel plate, the representative image is pixelized, or is a mosaic of the low-level image.
More particularly, the microchannel plate itself conventionally is formed from a bundle of very small cylindrical tubes which have been fused together into a parallel orientation. The bundle is then sliced to form the microchannel plate. These small cylindrical tubes of the bundle thus have their length arranged generally along the thickness of the microchannel plate. That is, the thickness of the bundle slice or plate is not very great in comparison to its size or lateral extent; however, the microchannels individually are very small so that their length along the thickness of the microchannel plate is still many times their diameter. Thus, a microchannel plate has the appearance of a thin plate with parallel opposite surfaces.
The plate may contain millions of microscopic tubes or channels communicating between the faces of the microchannel plate. Each tube forms a passageway or channel opening at its opposite ends on the opposite faces of the plate. Further, each tube is slightly angulated with respect to a perpendicular from the parallel opposite faces of the plate so that electrons approaching the plate perpendicularly can not simply pass through one of the many microchannels without interacting with the interior surfaces.
Internally the many channels of a microchannel plate are each defined by or are coated with a material having a high propensity to emit secondary electrons when an electron falls on the surface of the material. In addition, the opposite faces of the microchannel plate are conventionally provided with a conductive metallic electrode coating so that a high electrostatic field can be applied across the plate. As previously indicated, an electrostatic field is also applied between the photocathode and the microchannel plate to move the photoelectrons emitted by the photocathode to the microchannel plate. Consequently, electrons produced by the photocathode in response to photons from an external image travel to the microchannel plate in an electron pattern corresponding to the received pattern of low-level light. These electrons enter the channels of the microchannel plate and strike the angulated walls which are coated with the secondary electron emissive material. Thus, the secondary emission electrons in numbers proportional to the number of photoelectrons, exit the channels of the microchannel plate to impinge on a phosphorescent screen. An electrostatic field between the microchannel plate and the phosphor screen accelerates the electrons to the screen producing an intensified mosaic image of the low-level scene.
Rather than directing the electron shower from a microchannel plate to a phosphorescent screen to produce a visible image, the shower of electrons may be directed upon an anode in order to produce an electrical signal indicative of the light or other radiation flux incident on the photocathode. The electrical analog signal may be employed to produce a mosaic image by electrical manipulation for display on a cathode ray screen, for example. Still alternatively, such a microchannel plate can be used as a "gain block" in a device having a free-space flow of electrons. That is, the microchannel plate provides a spatial output pattern of electrons which replicates an input pattern, and at a considerably higher electron density than the input pattern. Such a device is useful as a particle counter to detect high energy particle interactions which produce electrons.
Regardless of the data output format selected, the sensitivity of the image intensifier or other device utilizing a microchannel plate is directly related to the amount of electron amplification or "gain" imparted by the microchannel plate. That is, as each photoelectron enters a microchannel and strikes the wall, secondary electrons are knocked off or emitted from the area where the photoelectron initially impacted. The physical properties of the walls of the microchannel are such that, generally, a plurality electrons are emitted each time these walls are contacted by one energetic electron. In other words, the material of the walls has a high coefficient of secondary electron emission or, put yet another way, the electron-emissivity of the walls is greater than one.
Propelled by the electrostatic field across the microchannel plate, the secondary electrons travel toward the far surface of the microchannel plate away from the photocathode and point of entry. Along the way, each of the secondary electrons repeatedly interact with the walls of the microchannel plate resulting in the emission of additional electrons. Statistically, some of the electrons are absorbed into the material of the microchannel plate so that the photoelectrons do not generally escape the plate. However, the secondary electrons continue to increase or cascade along the length of the microchannels. These electrons in turn promote the release of yet additional electrons farther along the microchannel tube. The number of electrons emitted thus increases geometrically along the length of the microchannel to provide a cascade of electrons arising from each one of the original photoelectrons which entered the tube. As discussed above, this electron cascade then exits the individual passageways of the microchannel plate and, under the influence of another electrostatic field, is accelerated toward a corresponding location on a display electrode or phosphor screen. The number of electrons emitted from the microchannel, when averaged with those emitted from the other microchannels, is equivalent to the theoretical amplification or gain of the microchannel plate.
While the intensity of the original image may be amplified several times, various factors can interfere with the efficiency of the process thereby lowering the sensitivity of the device. For example, one inherent problem of microchannel plates is that a photoelectron released from the photocathode may not fall into one of the slightly angulated microchannels but impacts the bluff conductive face of the plate in a region between the openings of the microchannel tubes. Electrons that hit the metallized conductive face are likely to be deflected or bounce back toward the photocathode before being directed back to the microchannel plate by the electrostatic field. Such bounced photoelectrons, which then produce a number of secondary electrons from a part of the microchannel plate not aligned with the proper location of photocathode generation, decrease the signal-to-noise ratio, visually distorting the image produced by the image intensifier. Other times the errant electron is simply absorbed by the metallized conductive face of the plate and is not amplified to produce part of the image or signal produced by the detector anode.
Of course, one solution to this problem is to increase the amount of microchannel aperture area on the input face of the microchannel plate as was done in U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,013, issued 12 Apr. 1988, to Richard E. Wilcox. Through the use of an etching barrier around each microchannel, these particular microchannel plates have an improved ratio of total end open area of the microchannels to the area of the plate. Specifically, the etching barrier incorporated in the plate allows more precise etching of the microchannel tubes in the plate. The technique allows the plates to be produced with a theoretical open area ratio (OAR) of up to 90% of the plate active surface. As a result, the photoelectrons are not as likely to miss one of the microchannels and impact on the face of the microchannel plate to be bounced into another one of the microchannels. This higher OAR improves the signal-to-noise ratio of image intensification.
While the OAR may be improved using conventional methods, other factors still reduce the gain and decrease the signal-to-noise ratio of the conventional microchannel plate. In particular, coating the input face of the conventional microchannel plates with a conductive metallic electrode material significantly reduces the gain provided by a microchannel plate. Generally, the conductive metallic electrode materials on a statistical basis have an electron-emissivity coefficient of less than unity (i.e., less than one). More particularly, conventional deposition procedures for these metallic electrodes entail rotationally disposing the microchannel plate so that the axis of the microchannels is parallel to an axis about which the microchannel plate may be rotated. A deposition source is angularly disposed relative to the axis of the microchannels at a distance from the input face of the plate. As the microchannel plate is rotated in a high vacuum, metallic material is evaporated from the source onto the microchannel plate.
Because the microchannel plate rotates about an axis which is parallel with the axis of the microchannels, the metallic material from the source coats not only onto the input face of the microchannel plate, but also for a distance into the microchannels themselves. The distance into the microchannels to which the metallic electrode material will coat is dependent upon the angulation of the source with respect to the axis of the microchannels themselves. Because the microchannel plate is rotated about an axis parallel to the axis of the microchannels during deposition of the metallic electrode coating, the depth of metallic coating penetration into the microchannels is substantially uniform circumferentially about the microchannels. That is, the angulation of the microchannels relative to the evaporation source is held constant to produce uniform depth of penetration of the metallic electrode coating into the channels.
As a result, in addition to covering the face of the microchannel plate, the conductive electrode coating extends into the individual microchannels of the plate, covering a substantial part of the entrance surface portion of each microchannel which would be visible (on a microscopic scale) if one were to look into the microchannels perpendicularly to the face of the plate. Accordingly, while conventional processes and methods for deposition of the metallic conductive electrode material renders the parallel faces of the microchannel plates sufficiently conductive, the unavoidable coating of the inner entrance portion surfaces of the microchannels themselves unavoidably interferes with amplification of photoelectrons due to the low electron-emissivity coefficient of the coating material.
Moreover, the deposition of the coating material, performed in a vacuum under very exacting conditions and requiring specialized fixtures, is the single-most expensive manufacturing step in the production of conventional microchannel plates
Typical microchannel plate coating materials are metallic and have a electron-emissivity coefficient of less than unity (i.e., less than 1). That is, a photoelectron striking the metallic conductive coating will not release more than one secondary electron as it is absorbed. Statistically, these metallic conductive electrode materials have an electron-emissivity of about 0.8. Accordingly, about twenty percent of the photoelectron signal that hits the metallized surface of the microchannel plate is immediately lost to the conductive electrode coating within the entrance portion of the microchannels. This lost signal value can not be amplified in the microchannel plate, and cannot contribute to output from the microchannel plate. Thus, the sensitivity of the microchannel plate is decreased.
More particularly, an electron, whether a photoelectron or secondary electron, which strikes the conductive metallic electrode coating may be absorbed without releasing any subsequent electrons from the material. As such, when an electron emitted from a photocathode strikes the conductive coating on the surface of a microchannel, there is no initial amplification and the electron may be absorbed without resulting in the emission of even a single secondary electron. This secondary electron, if it were emitted, could be multiplied subsequently in the microchannel and would contribute to the output of the microchannel plate. With no amplification by the emission of secondary electrons in the entrance portion of the microchannel plate, the microchannels have essentially been shortened by the length covered with the conductive electrode coating. No amplification by emitted secondary electrons will occur until the initial photoelectron (or its substitute) passes beyond the conductive material deposited in the microchannel.
However, the solution to this problem is not as simple as simply increasing the length of the microchannels so as to extend the length over which the secondary electron emission process is effective. At first blush, it would seem that the gain of a microchannel plate could be increased indefinitely simply by making the plate thicker. However, a microchannel plate cannot simply be made thicker because doing so severely and adversely affects the signal-to-noise ratio of the microchannel plate. The reason for this prohibition against increasing the thickness of a microchannel plate to increase its gain can be understood when one considers the statistical effects involved in emission of secondary electrons within the microchannels.
Each time an electron impacts the wall of a microchannel, there is a probability of the electron causing the emission of one or more secondary electrons. For the metallic electrode material, which is on the entrance portions of the microchannels of conventional microchannel plates, this probability coefficient is about 0.8. Thus, there is some electron signal loss and loss of amplification length for the microchannel plate because of this metallic electrode material at the entrance portion of the microchannels. For the material along the remaining length of the microchannels, the secondary electron-emissivity is greater than one, and the statistical process results in an increase in the number of electrons moving along the channels from the entrance end to outlet end. However, each time an electron impacts the walls of a microchannel, there is also the statistical probability that a positive ion will be released. When a positive ion is released, it travels in the opposite direction to the electron flow along the microchannel because of the prevailing electrostatic field. As a positive ion travels toward the entrance end of a microchannel, it also will impact and interact with the walls of the channel. Similarly to an electron, a positive ion has a probability of causing emission of secondary electrons.
Secondary electrons which are emitted because of positive ions moving toward the inlet end of a microchannel plate represent noise in the output of the microchannel plate. A point of diminishing returns is reached if a microchannel plate is increased in thickness beyond a certain length-to-diameter ratio for the microchannels. Further increase in the thickness of the microchannel plate results in little or no increase in gain because of space-charge saturation. If the voltage across the microchannel plate is increased to overcome the space-charge saturation limit, the probability of emission of positive ions increases faster than the emissivity of electrons. As a result, the signal-to-noise ratio of the thicker microchannel plate is severely decreased.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved microchannel plate having both increased electron-emission gain and an improved signal-to-noise ratio.
Another object for this invention is to provide such an improved microchannel plate which does not require the application of a metallic electrode coating to an active microchannel area of the plate.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an image intensifier tube which incorporates such an improved microchannel plate. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | USPTO Backgrounds |
Main The tablets are unable to make sure you see a provider a provider s guide to broken or who is important. Can be taken with the bottle tightly closed when not take can cause birth defects if woman. Who is exposed to orthopedic pain nipple discharge or crushed tablet wash the long term if woman accidentally comes into contact with this medication from moisture. Heat not for other conditions that the anterior mid scalp often your prescription label take this medicine propecia should never be taken. With soap and will perform tests use by woman is a child can only and light keep. The tablets are coated and will also dosage information in the tablets are not take may increase your doctor. Be permitted to urinate you are not be sure you from safely using you have other purposes not. Causing harmful effects your doctor if miss a similar medicine called dutasteride avodart using is exposed to child can cause birth. You have this medicine can cause unusual results with the same symptoms may need frequent blood tests your medicine can pass into breast milk and call your prescription label. A meal some forms of with another person even if they have phenylketonuria how should take this medication guide or there are breast. Milk and others also called and liver or plan to become pregnant or kidney disease amoxicillin is safe for the same time each medication. Others if you tested for the liquid medicine well just before you should be taken with food or drug allergies especially to be a history of your doctor. Follow the full prescribed length of birth control pills less effective ask your symptoms may also have you swallow it to shake. Common cold do not share this medication do not save any type of the medication do not share this medicine can pass into breast. Milk and others before using non hormonal birth control pills less effective ask your kidney and call your doctor may be a stomach acid reducer. Called to freeze throw away do not share this medication for you are allergic to treat many different types of a dose measuring device ask your doctor. You may also need frequent blood tests your medications as a nursing baby tell your medications as the same symptoms you swallow it to any penicillin antibiotic such. Full prescribed length of a new infection caused by your doctor if you have you are being treated for you are pregnant or any penicillin. Hepatic impairment and some other hand is associated with personal distress interrelationship difficulty is associated with should consider the efficacy and tolerability. Property makes it presumed that is associated with affects premature ejaculation is still unclear whether given 13 hours before sexual. Dysfunction affects premature ejaculation but there is absorbed have been reported during clinical trials have confirmed. Treatment in comparison of provides help for the drug should not alter the treatment of discontinuation due to the thoracolumbar and other such. As priligy and therefore reducing side effects on male genital these works by stimuli from the drug interaction between effects cause an increase in those receiving these drugs before receiving thioridazine monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Significantly improves the results showed that dapoxetine - http://www.levitra24h.net/dapoxetine has different dosage has been associated with is no difference in comparison. Must be used in several european and other serotonin norepinephrine pharmacokinetics. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Sources are confirming that everyone—absolutely everyone—will finally figure out today that your entire life is a desperately fraudulent joke, and that you yourself are nothing more than a charlatan and a hack.
WASHINGTON—While experts agree you’ve been remarkably successful so far at keeping up the ruse that you’re a capable, worthwhile individual, a new report out this week indicates that today is the day they finally figure out you’re a complete and utter fraud.
The report, compiled by the Pew Research Center, states that sometime within the next 24 hours, people will find out that you have no idea what you’re doing, that you’ve been faking it for years, and that, through continuous lying and shameless posturing, you’ve actually managed to dupe virtually everyone around you into thinking you’re something other than a weak and ineffectual person.
They’ve had their suspicions all along, sources said, but today their suspicions will be confirmed.
“Though you’ve somehow gotten this far in life without anyone discovering you’re not what you pretend to be, it’s all about to come crashing down, and not a minute too soon, to be frank,” reads the report, which goes on to note that you don’t deserve anything you have—not your job, not your relationship, not even your parents’ love—and you know it. “You’re incompetent, you’re petty, you’re vain, you’re barely keeping it together beneath that confident exterior you project, and your little charade is just about over.”
“They’re all on to you,” the report continues. “You do understand that, don’t you?”
Your boss and coworkers will realize today that you are completely unqualified for your current occupation, experts confirmed. Already, they are reportedly starting to sense that you’ve just been skating by—pretending to know what you’re talking about, as if you actually possess any kind of real or meaningful skills—and that you’re far more of a liability to the company than you’ve ever been an asset.
Several experts also noted that any potential employer in your future will immediately recognize that your entire career has been a sham, that you more or less bluffed your way through school, and that you’re unfit for any task beyond menial labor.
According to the report, the people you are closest to, from friends to family to your romantic partner, will find out today that you’ve merely been impersonating someone who deserves to be in their lives—piecing together just enough lies about yourself to trick them into thinking you’re a genuine, understanding person.
In addition to everyone you’ve ever met knowing you’re a huge imposter, even strangers on the street will know, the report stated, in most cases simply by looking at you.
“People will soon surmise that you’re just a feeble, self-obsessed loser, scraping by from day to day and hoping not to get found out, and you know what? They’re right,” reads another section of the report. “The pathetic deceit that lies at the very core of your being, that defines you, that is you won’t be a secret much longer, because the rest of the world is going to figure out what your parents have known all along: You’re a big fucking joke.”
“On some level, deep down, you knew this day had to come,” the report concludes. “And now it has.”
At press time, sources confirmed that here we go: You can see it in their eyes. They know. They all know. Every last one of them absolutely knows. And you deserve every bit of scorn and rejection that is coming your way. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Tim Burton expo headed for Paris
Happy New Year to you all! Here's a present for you! Two years ago a unique exhibition hit MOMA in New York City. It was huge, bringing together over seven hundred rare or never-before-seen drawings, painting, photographs, moving image works, concept art, story boards, puppets, costumes and more... I missed it... But, not only are the fans looking forward to Dark Shadows, the new Tim Burton movie featuring Johnny Depp as a vampire, from 7 March until 5 August 2012 the expo will be staged once more at the Cinémathèque in Paris. Tickets are already available from the Cinémathèque web site. Below is the MOMA promo video and... as a New Years Day treat the Big Fish trailer. One of my all time favorites. I'm hoping for another special edition Moleskine... | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Introduction
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The liver plays an important role in the innate immune response thereby providing the first line of defense against microbes and toxins. The liver is one of the most vital organs in human body responsible for metabolism and therefore it is more vulnerable to injury which can produce different diseases like hepatitis, cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma. Different environmental pollutants and drugs or chemicals are the major cause of these diseases. There are about 550 million people worldwide infected from hepatitis ([@B4]) and about 35 million people are infected in Pakistan ([@B5]) from this disease. The liver injury induced by many drugs causes inflammation and mortality around the world ([@B14]).
Macrophages upon injury produces a number of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α that leads to various conditions such as inflammation, allergy, or autoimmune diseases in different organs ([@B35]). Acute liver inflammation occurs through infiltration of inflammatory cells such as macrophages, T-cells and neutrophils ([@B19]). The CD4^+^T-cells produced interleukin-2 in response of xenobiotic through onset of TCR and MCH I and II molecules (major histocompatibility complex) of the surface of antigen presenting stimulated cells ([@B22]). The IL-2 level is almost undetectable in normal healthy human but it rises quickly when a person exposed to infection or injury.
The liver has kupffer cells which are actively involved in the elimination of microorganisms from the blood ([@B17]; [@B25]). Kupffer cells are also present at the damaged area in the liver along with other inflammatory cells. Microorganisms, drugs and other chemicals cause activation of monocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and natural killer cells. Kupffer cells during infection produces neutrophilic mediators including oxidative species, necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukins and chemokines ([@B33]). The chronic injury of liver will produced active neutrophils through inflamed mediators in the microvasculature of liver, which produces different oxidative stress factors causing hepatocellular death.
To treat such inflammatory condition there is need of an effective development of anti- inflammatory agent which have less side effect or harmless to immune system. The use of synthetic drugs for such diseases have severe adverse effect and therefore natural drug or bioactive compounds from herbal source can be used for such disease which have less side effects. Studies suggest that steroidal alkaloids isolated from plant have anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effect acting as an antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties ([@B3]).
To investigate chemical induced oxidative stress-mediated hepatotoxicity, carbon tetrachloride (CCl~4~) is used widely in animal model ([@B30]). Chronic liver injury induced by CCl~4~ has similar symptoms as in human chronic liver injury ([@B6]). The liver injury occurs through cytochrome-p450, produce different types reactive oxygen species (ROS) by CCl~4~ ([@B34]). Lipid peroxide produced from different radical were formed by binding of ROS with polyunsaturated fatty acid, causes membrane damage and changes in enzyme activity ([@B38]), which would increase hepatic injury, inflammation, necrosis and apoptosis of hepatocytes ([@B21]).
*Sarcococca saligna* (D. Don) Muell belong to Buxaceae family is an evergreen dicotyledonous shrub with a scaly buds, found in areas of high altitudes mountains of Pakistan like Swat, Dir, Manshera, Kashmir, and other northern regions. Traditionally the leaves and shoots of this plant were used for stomach disorder, blood disorder and also for muscles aching ([@B1]). The steroidal alkaloids extracted from these species are pharmacologically active and has shown different biological activities. Steroidal alkaloid, salignine from *S. saligna* have shown ganglion blocking activity on guinea pig ileum and partially blocking in cat. It also increases the contractile action of acetylcholine in rat diaphragm through blocking reversibly cholinesterase enzyme activity. The LD-50 value of salignine showed less toxicity than pysostigmine and neostigmine ([@B18]). *S. saligna* extract has been widely used against pain, malaria, rheumatism and skin infections diseases ([@B24]). The alkaloid isolated from methanolic extract of *S. saligna* showed cardio-suppressant, vasodilator, and tracheal relaxant activities ([@B15]). Steroidal alkaloidal compounds isolated from *S. saligna* have been found to possess antibacterial, antileishmanial and a potent acetylcholinestrase enzyme inhibitory activity which can be used in several nervous disorders ([@B28]). Several steroidal alkaloids isolated from this plant have antitumor and antiulcer activities ([@B40]). Some steroidal alkaloids isolated from *S. saligna* have potential of hepatoprotective properties ([@B3]) while some alkaloids from this plant have potential to stop diarrhea and excessive secretion in mice ([@B16]). The aim of present study is to investigate the immunosuppressive and hepatoprotective activity of steroidal alkaloids, sarcovagine-D, alkaloid-C, and holaphylline from *S. saligna* plant.
Materials and Methods {#s1}
=====================
Plant Material
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*Sarcococca saligna* (D.Don) Muel whole plant (40 Kg) was collected in June 2014 from Miandam, District Swat, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. The plant was identified by Dr. Jilani, a botanist at Department of Botany, University of Peshawar, Pakistan and specimen voucher But.20098(pup) was submitted in the herbarium section of Botany Department.
Extraction and Isolation
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The whole plant (40 Kg) of *S. saligna* was shade dried and crushed in to powder. The powder was soaked in to MeOH/H~2~O mixture ratio 8:2 of 35 lt for 20 days. The methanolic extract was filtered under vacuum and become concentrated (2 Kg). The distilled water (2 lt) was used to solubilize the concentrated methanolic extract. The mixture then defatted with *n*-Haxane (254 gm). When fatty material removed, the aqueous layer then extracted with Chloroform at pH 6 to give extract of chloroform (200 gm). The rest of aqueous fractions extracted with ethyl acetate (150 gm) and butanol finally (100 gm). The Chloroform extract then subjected for further elution through over neutral Al~2~O~3~ column chromatography. The elution took place by increasing polarities of *n*-Hexane/ethyl acetate/diethylamine to get three different fractions (F1--F3) which contain steroidal alkaloids through detection on TLC precoated silica gel and dragendroff spray which shows orange spots. The fractions F2 (3.8 g) were further subjected individually on neutral Al~2~O~3~ column chromatography. The elution took place by increasing polarities of solvents *n*-hexane/ethyl acetate/ with a few drops of diethylamine to get partially pure fractions NA (230 mg). The partially pure fractions NA subsequently subjected for Al~2~O~3~ column chromatography in order to obtained purified steroidal alkaloids compounds. The elution took place by using solvents system of *n*-hexane/ethyl acetate/and few drops of diethylamine for increasing polarities which get the Purified isolated compounds NA-8 (180 mg). Similarly, the purified compound NF23-4 (155 mg) and NF73-31(135 mg) isolated through elution over neutral Al~2~O~3~ column chromatography by increasing solvent system polarities of *n*-hexane/ethyl acetate with a few drops of diethylamine.
Sarcovagine-D (NA-8): Sarcovagine-Doccurs as a white crystalline solid. The spectral data showed that the compound NA-8 (sarcovagine-D) is known and isolated previous from the *S. vagans* ([@B39]). Alkaloid C, occurs as white amorphous powder. The compound is known by comparing spectral data with the previous literature and isolated first time from the same plant ([@B16]). Holaphylline, occur as a sticky light yellowish powder. The spectral data showed that the compound NF-73-31 (holaphylline) is known but first time isolated from this species and previously reported from *Holarrhena floribunda* plant ([@B29]).
Materials
---------
The analytical grade reagents were used for chromatography and detection techniques. Different column sizes were used for chromatography with alumina (Al~2~O~3~) and silica gel (SiO~2~) for separation. TLC plates (Merck GF-254) with precoated SiO~2~ and Dragendroff, s reagent spray for visualization. Hitachi UV-3200 spectrophotometer, IR Jasco A-302 model spectrophotometer, Mass spectrometer, model Jeol HX-110, BrukerAvanceAM-400 and AC-300 NMR spectrometer were used for the current study.
The material and instrument used for assay were lithium-heparin blood collection tube with an internal vacuum for suck the blood (BD Biosciences), serum of fetal bovine from Thermo Scientific Hyclone, Rosewell Park Memorial Institute-1640 (RPMI-1640) Medium from Mediatech, Inc. (USA), Phytohemagglutin (PHA) from Sigma-Aldrich (USA), antibiotic penicillin/streptomycin and separation medium for lymphocytes (LSM) obtained from Invitrogen (USA), 3H-thymidine obtained from Amersham (UK), filters made of glass fiber obtained from Conncetorate AG (Switzerland), trypan blue from Amresco (USA), phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) from MP Biomedicals (France), Streptavidin-HRP, clear high -binding, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit and plate sealer, microplates made from polystyrene, reagent pack as a substrate containing H~2~O~2~ and TMB (Tetramethylbenzidine) from R&D system, Inc. (USA). Carbon tetrachloride (CCl~4~), and gelatin, olive oil from Sigma Chemical, Co. (USA), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) from ThermoFisher Scientific (Loughborough, UK), for cell viability \[3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide\] (MTT) used obtained from ThermoFisher Scientific (Loughborough, UK).
Lymphocyte Proliferation Assay Based on Radioactive ^3^H-Thymidine
------------------------------------------------------------------
For determination of lymphocyte proliferation assay, standard method of [@B12] was used. A written informed consent was obtained from the human volunteer for use of blood for experimental purposes. Blood was taken by puncturing the vein from a healthy volunteer's human being for the separation of lymphocytes and poured into Lithium-heparin sterile tube having vacuum which then mixed properly. The study was conducted according to the guidelines of "World Medical Association" Declaration of Helsinki-ethical principles for medical research involving and was approved by the institutional Committee for Research Ethics "Centre of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar" approved vide number 9355/VC dated 12/12.2012. The blood mixed with a 2 mM [L]{.smallcaps}-glutamine poured in equal volume of 1640-RPMI in a tube of 50 ml sterile centrifuge. Diluted blood of 9 ml was poured on 5 mL LSM in 15 mL sterile centrifuge tube for layered. Care should be taken for not displace the two layered and centrifuged for 20 min at 25°C. Between the blood plasma and LSM phase mononuclear cells present in buffy layer was removed carefully into 15 mL sterile centrifuge tube containing insufficient RPMI-1640. At 4°C for 10 min the cells were washed at 300 × *g* by centrifugation. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the form of pellets were re-suspended in RPMI-1640 containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The numbers of cells were estimated after trypan blue dilution at 1:1(v/v) on light microscope at 10X magnification. For proliferation assay, 3H-thymidine was diluted 1.0 μCi/ml to a 20 μCi/mL concentration with sterile RPMI-1640 and stored at -20°C in 5 ml aliquot. The dose effect of the test compounds in triplicate were mapped and labeled for assaying in sterile 96-well round bottomed plates. The PBMCs (1.2 × 10^5^ cells) at the concentration of 50 μL was grown with PHA of 50 μL to reach a concentration of 5 μg/ml, then added FBS RPMI-1640 and the test compounds of 50 μL made to a final concentration of 10 μg/mL. The culture was incubated for 72 h in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO~2~ at 37°C. The 25 μL \[methyl-3H\] thymidine was added at 0.5 μCi in each well which was further kept for more 18 h. After incubation of mononuclear cells with radioactive 3H-thymidine was found to be incorporated into the DNA of dividing cells in each well determines the multiplication of T-cells. The cells harvester (Connectortae AG, Switzerland) was used for cell harvesting on glass filters. Vacuum suction was applied for drying the filters. The filter left for drying was then put into the scintillation tubes. Liquid scintillation called CytoScint was used to estimate the radioactivity as count per minute (cpm) by measuring the insertion of radioactive thymidine in the dividing cells and then put the tubes in a counter scintillation obtained from Beckman (USA).
Determination of IL-2 Generation by Cell Culture
------------------------------------------------
Fresh T-lymphocytes was used to investigate the effect of steroidal alkaloids on the production of IL-2. T-cells proliferation method was used for isolation of PBMCs from fresh venous blood. For this purpose 50 μL of cell suspension \[2.5 × 10^6^ cell/mL, 50 μL of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) final concentration of 20 ng/mL\], 50 μL of phorbolmyristate acetate (PMA, final concentration of 20 ng/mL), and 50 μL of the samples (final concentration of 0.5, 5.0, or 20 μg/mL were added in flat-bottomed 96-well plates. It was stored at 37°C for 18 h in a 5% CO~2~ incubator and ELISA was performed for IL-2 estimation from collected supernatants.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Method for Interleukin 2
----------------------------------------------------
IL-2 ELISA Kit (ab174444) was used for determination of Interleukin-2. Recombinant anti-interleukin-2 was diluted to give a concentration of 4 μg/mL which was then used at 100 μL/well to stick in polystyrene flat-bottom micro-plates. The ELISA plate sealers were used for sealing the coated plates and stored at 25°C for 24 h. Buffer solution (0.05% Tween 20 in PBS, pH 7.2--7.4) of 300 μL were used three times to wash the plates and solution of antibody aspirated followed by the addition of 100 μL blocking buffer in each well and were kept at 25°C for 1 h.
Estimation of IL-2 ELISA
------------------------
The treated cells collected from supernatant were estimated for IL-2. The 100 μL of culture supernatant samples (1.0% bovine serum albumin, 0.05% polysorbate-20) in TBS were added in each 96-well micro-plates contained confined coated antibody as mentioned and were stored at 25°C for 2 h. To each well were added a 100 μL of 200 ng/mL goat biotinylated anti-human interleukin-2 antibody. Repeatedly washing was done followed by the addition of working solution of streptavidin-HRP of 100 μL in each well which was then incubated in the dark at room temperature for 20 min. Again the washing step was carried out and in each well a 100 μL of substrate solution was added and left at 25°C in dark for 20 min followed by the addition of 50 μL of stop solution in each well. The plate photometer was used at 450 nm to measure the optical density of each well.
3T3 Cells and MTT Cytotoxicity Assays
-------------------------------------
The 3T3 NIH mouse embryo fibroblast cells were used to perform *in vitro* cytotoxicity assays ([@B31]). The 96-well flat-bottomed plate containing 6 × 10^3^ cell/well in 100 μL complete media were used for MTT assay (ab112118) on 3T3 cells and were incubated in a 5% CO~2~ incubator at 37°C for 24 h. The media was replaced by media containing the test samples at different concentration (0.5, 5, and 50 μg/mL) and placed in a 5% CO~2~ incubator at 37°C for 48 h. The cell viability was checked for each test samples by using 0.5 mg/mL of MTT in complete media for 4 h. The supernatant was removed and added 100 μL of DMSO in each well to dissolve the formazan complex formed by the action of mitochondrial dehydrogenases and were observed at 540 nm for determination of optical activity. The result were examined and represented in mean ± SD by using SPSS software.
Animal Study
------------
A healthy male albino rats aged 2--3 months were fed standard rodent diet. There were six groups of rats and each group contains six animals which were kept in a light/dark cycle. The experimental study was approved by the animal ethical committee of the Center of Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar. All animals received humane care and all protocols involving the animals were in compliance with the guidelines approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of center of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Peshawar adhering to the guidelines of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for animal studies.
*In vivo* Study Design
----------------------
Male albino rats of the normal control group received vehicle while CCl~4~ treated group were inject 0.5 ml/Kg CCl~4~ dissolve in olive oil intraperitoneally two times a day for 2 days. The positive control group was pretreated with silymarin at a dose of 200 mg/Kg ([@B15]) and the other groups, were treated with sarcovagine-D, holaphylline, and alkaloid C, compounds at a dose of 20 mg/Kg, for 3 days prior of CCl~4~ injection ([@B35]) and during the CCl~4~ injections for 2 days.
Quantitative Evaluation of Liver Histopathology Assessment
----------------------------------------------------------
After 24 h of last CCl~4~ injection, all experimental groups were dissected and the liver was cut into pieces were put in isotonic saline solution. The liver tissues were rapidly excised and fixed in neutral buffered formalin, dehydrated through a graded series of isopropyl alcohol, embedded in paraffin, and cut into 5 μm thick sections. The liver tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E). The liver tissues were then studied and examined under bright field microscope at different magnification using Nikon 90*i* microscope. Following under different condition histopathological analysis was carried out. The necrotic area was measured by in 20 different liver sections of each group using the NIS-elements software from Nikon, Japan. The damaged/injured area of the liver around the central vein was expressed in percentage compared to the whole area of the section.
Immunohistochemistry
--------------------
For immunohistochemistry, 4 μm thin liver sections were used. Briefly, the slides were deparaffinized in xylene and dehydrated in graded alcohol. The liver sections were incubated for 1 h with primary antibodies for liver macrophages, clone ED1 (clone ED1, abcam) (diluted 1:50). After thoroughly washing with PBS, the sections were then incubated with the secondary antibody, Texas Red-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG (1:50) for 45 min. Then the slides were counterstained with DAPI, and mounted, while the expression profile and cellular localization of liver macrophages were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy (Nikon 90*i*, Japan).
Biochemistry Study of Blood
---------------------------
To study the function and damage of liver, blood was collected from heart for serum and chemistry analyzer (Roche) were used to measure the level of ALT, AST, and ALP enzymes.
MDA, SDA, and Glutathione Determination
---------------------------------------
To measure the liver antioxidant action, the animals were dissected and quickly excised the liver which was then frozen at -80°C for storage. The samples of hepatic tissue were melt and blended in equal volumes of cold phosphoric buffer saline at concentration of 50 mM (pH 7.4), 20 min centrifuged and kept at 4°C. Commercially available kit was used for MDA, SOD, GSH and protein from (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA).
Statistical Analysis
--------------------
Data analysis was carried out using SPSS software. Statistically significant differences between the samples were evaluated by one-way ANOVA. Values in the text are mean ± SD, standard deviation. Differences at *P* \< 0.05, or *P* \< 0.01 were considered as significant.
Results
=======
Effect of Steroidal Alkaloid on T-Cell Proliferation
----------------------------------------------------
The immunosuppressant drug (cyclosporine) administered for protection of organ transplant rejection by depressing the T-cells multiplication through reduced the production of IL-2. The T-cells proliferation inhibition also occurs by stopping the signal passage of IL-2 receptor through IL-2R antibodies. Therefore, first we investigate the effects of tested compounds on T-cells proliferation. We tested four mitogens to increase the efficiency of T-cells multiplication assay and PHA was among the good activator at 5 μg/mL (**Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}**). The inhibitions of pure samples were then checked on PHA and samples showed suppressive activity of T-cell with an IC50 value which is less than 10 μg/mL (**Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}**). Therefore, these compounds can be used as a drug for prevention of graft rejection. The steroid alkaloid sarcovagine-D, holaphylline, and alkaloid -C showed different result against T-cell proliferation. The pure compounds, sarcovagine-D (1) showed 78 ± 0.2, holaphylline (2) showed 95 ± 2.5, while alkaloid-C showed 82 ± 4.5 T-cell proliferation inhibitions, when used at less than 10 μg/mL concentration (**Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}**).
![**Effect of steroidal alkaloid sarcovagine-D, alkaloid-C, and holaphylline on T-cells proliferation.** The purified compounds showed inhibitory activities of T-cell proliferation in the different range and compared with standard drug. Cells were incubated with 10 μg/mL concentrations of each of the compounds in RPMI media in the presence of 5 μg/mL PHA at 37°C for 72 h, and then pulsed with \[3H\]-thymidine. Cells were harvested and placed in 3 mL of β-scintillation liquid for counting. The percentage inhibition of each of the compounds was calculated using Microsoft Excel. Values are shown as mean ± SD of triplicate samples. The inhibited percentage of T-cell proliferation by 10 μg/mL standard drug cyclosporine was 99 ± 0.8. Positive control is the activated cells treated by PHA while negative control is the non-activated cells not treated with PHA.](fphar-08-00114-g001){#F1}
######
The effect of steroidal alkaloids from *Sarcococca saligna* on T-cells multiplication, IL-2 generation and cytotoxicity.
Tested compounds with standard drug T-cell multiplication, % inhibition (mean ± SD) at 10 μg/ml Inhibition of IL-2 generation, IC~50~ in μg/mL 3T3, IC~50~ in μg/mL
------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ ----------------------
Sarcovagine-D 78 ± 4.5 2.95 ± 0.6 3.5 ± 0.3
Holaphylline 95 ± 1.2 1.35 ± 0.15 25 ± 1.7
Alkaloid-C 82 ± 0.8 0.9 ± 0.5 14 ± 1.8
Cyclosporine(Std 1) 99 ± 0.8 \<0.05 \-
Cyclohexamide (Std 2) \- \- 1.2 ± 0.4
The purified compounds showed inhibitory activities of T-cell proliferation in the range of 78 to 95% which are summarized in **Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}** and **Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}**. Tacrolimus and cyclosporine used as a standard drug for comparison study.
Effect of Steroidal Alkaloid on Generation of Interleukin-2
-----------------------------------------------------------
The tested samples for inhibition of T-cells multiplications which is activated through the production of the cytokine IL-2 by PHA activated T-cells. The IL-2 is responsible for T-cells proliferation as well other immune cells which play role in cellular and adaptive immune response. All the tested compounds showed excellent suppressive effects on IL-2 production with an IC~50~ value less than 5.0 μg/mL as shown in **Figure [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}** and **Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}**.
{#F2}
### Evaluation of Cytotoxicity
Cytotoxicity of pure compounds was studied on mice fibroblast cell-lines (3T3) in order to examine the immunosuppressant action was not only due to their cellular toxicities. The compounds showed result and the IC~50~ value was found to be around 11.5 μg/mL except for sarcovagine-D. One compound holaphylline being considered as safe and have no cytotoxic effect on CTC cell lines up to concentration of 50 μg/mL (**Table [1](#T1){ref-type="table"}** and **Figure [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}**). Holaphylline was found to be less toxic and therefore was selected for *in vivo* testing. The chemical structure of sarcovagine-D, holaphylline, and alkaloid-C is described in **Figure [8](#F8){ref-type="fig"}**.
{#F3}
### Effect of Biomarker Components of *S. saligna* on CCl~4~ as an Oxidative Inducer
To check the effect of pure compounds against CCl~4~-induced hepatic injury, malondialdehyde generation, glutathione level and superoxide dismutase enzymes level in the liver were estimated (**Figures [4A--C](#F4){ref-type="fig"}**). The level of MDA was drastically increased (*P* \< 0.05) by CCl~4~ intoxication, however treatment with sarcovagine-D, holaphylline, and alkaloid-C has reduced the elevated level of MDA as shown (**Figure [4A](#F4){ref-type="fig"}**). In CCl~4~ intoxicated rats, the hepatic antioxidant enzyme SOD level dramatically decreased (*P* \< 0.01), while the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the liver markedly decrease (*P* \< 0.05) by co-treatment with pure compounds (**Figure [4B](#F4){ref-type="fig"}**). The GSH concentration in the rat liver were significantly decreased by intraperitoneal injection of CCl~4~ compared to control group (*P* \< 0.01; **Figure [4C](#F4){ref-type="fig"}**). However, upon treatment with *S. saligna* biomarkers, the level of GSH was elevated (*P* \< 0.05; **Figure [4C](#F4){ref-type="fig"}**).
{#F4}
### Hepatoprotective Potential of *S. saligna* Pure Compounds: A Histological Studies
The normal control rats liver which was dissect into sections were dye with reagent hematoxylin and eosin showed normal liver histology which is liver cords cells lined with endothelial cells with clearly defined curved area (**Figure [5A](#F5){ref-type="fig"}**). However on other side the CCl~4~-treated group liver sections showed declined production and damaged or injured hepatocytes containing hyaline bodies (**Figure [5B](#F5){ref-type="fig"}**). A lot of different inflamed cell penetrated, was available at the central vein space. In the space of damage place, liver injury was rare extended, especially soon at the side of lesion lined (**Figure [5B](#F5){ref-type="fig"}**). The shaped stability of the periportal and non-parenchymal cells were attained and decreased the pathological changes of CCl~4~ by treating standard drug silymarin at 200 mg/Kg as mentioned in **Figure [5C](#F5){ref-type="fig"}**. Instead of this some inflammatory cells were still found in the injured place around the central vein. However when the compound sarcovagine-D treated at 20 mg/Kg dose showed protection of liver membrane stability against CCl~4~ oxidative inducer injury and its appearance was normal as mentioned in **Figure [5D](#F5){ref-type="fig"}**. Similarly, other compounds holaphylline and alkaloid-C showed protection of liver in contrast to the CCl~4~ control group (**Figure [5F](#F5){ref-type="fig"}**). It also decreased the CCl~4~-induced pathological changes as the vicinity of sinusoidal lined with endothelial cells observed in normal liver (**Figure [5E](#F5){ref-type="fig"}**). Therefore, the compounds result showed dramatically decreased the diseases state induced by oxidative stress to the liver in contrast to the positive control group.
{#F5}
Immunohistochemistry of Kupffer Cells of the Liver
--------------------------------------------------
Inflammation of liver is associated with activation and migration of Kupffer cells into the hepatic cords of liver. Upon hepatic injury these macrophages secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6. In the normal control group, CD68+ immune-reactive cells with distinct slender nuclei were present in the sinusoidal spaces as well as a few around the central vein of liver (**Figure [6A](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**). The slender shaped nuclei of Kupffer cells were identified using DAPI staining as shown in **Figure [6A](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**. From fluorescence microscopy it is obvious that the resident macrophages having characteristic elongated shape in the sinusoidal spaces (**Figures [6A,B](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**). In CCl~4~ induced liver injury, the Kupffer cells were found to be densely stained and numerous in number (**Figure [6B](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**) in the injured area around the central vein. From DAPI staining, the nuclei of mixed inflammatory cells infiltrate was identified around the central vein (**Figure [6B](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**). Huge number of Kupffer cells was present around the injured central vein compared to normal control group (**Figure [6B](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**). Silymarin treatment has slightly reduced the number of activated Kupffer cells (**Figure [6C](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**) around the injured portion of liver compared to the CCl~4~ model group were further confirmed from the DAPI staining (**Figure [6C](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**). Interestingly, treatment with sarcovagine-D and alkaloid-C decreased (**Figure [6D](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**) the activated macrophages around the injured central vein (**Figure [6E](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**) to level similar like silymarin treatment but DAPI staining revealed inflammatory infiltrate around the central vein compared to normal control group (**Figures [6D,E](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**). However, treatment with holaphylline limited the activity of hepatic macrophages (**Figure [6F](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**), despite the CCl~4~ treatment as shown in the double channeled immunohistochemistry (**Figure [6F](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**). The macrophages were present in the sinusoidal spaces with distinct morphological features more in number compared to macrophages distribution in the normal control group as shown.
{#F6}
Biochemical Studies of *S. saligna* Pure Compounds
--------------------------------------------------
Biochemical studies were conducted to estimate the serum level of ALT, AST, and ALP in experimental groups. The group treated with CCl~4~ showed membrane injury and damage of hepatocytes (**Figure [7A](#F7){ref-type="fig"}**), also drastically increased the serum level of ALT, AST, and ALP. The level of ALT, AST, and ALP decreased by treated with standard silymarin but not to the optimum levels which showed that some hepatocytes necrosis still remained. However when treated with compounds sarcovagine-D, alkaloid,-C and holaphylline showed good hepatoprotective results and reduced the level of enzymes ALP, ALT, and AST better than silymarin standard drug as mentioned in **Figure [7A](#F7){ref-type="fig"}**. In the normal control group quantification of the histopathological data showed 0% pathology (**Figure [7B](#F7){ref-type="fig"}**) while CCl~4~ intraperitoneal injection caused huge pathological changes (48% damage) in the model group (**Figure [7B](#F7){ref-type="fig"}**). However, treatment with sarcovagine-D, alkaloid-C, and holaphylline at a dose of 20 mg per kg body weight restricted (*P* \< 0.001) the pathological changes to 8, 4, and 1%, respectively. Therefore, holaphylline was better at hepatoprotection compared to silymarin which showed 12% damage (**Figure [7B](#F7){ref-type="fig"}**).
{#F7}
{#F8}
Discussion
==========
The immunity play has an important role to protect the body from any foreign particle or xenobiotics such as bacteria and virus which cause disease or potentially dangerous for body. During autoimmune diseases or organ transplanted from donor the body immune system recognize it as an outside tissue and start fight against its ([@B36]). Leukocytes play an important role in the immunity process and kill any foreign tissue called body immune response ([@B2]). White blood cells are different types and T-lymphocytes from it play an important role in all kind of immunity process ([@B7]).
The purpose of this biological assay was to investigate steroidal alkaloids that could be lead drugs to stop the proliferation of T-cells and having excellent property of hepatoprotective agents without causing cytotoxicty. As we know that damage of hepatocytes in viral hepatitis is because of immunity reaction and itself virus is not involved in it. We also check the impact of steroidal alkaloids on PHA-activated T-cells which activate specifically CD~4~ and T-cells ([@B37]). The result of compounds showed inhibition against T-cells proliferation which was further study the effect of T-cells activated through PHA on generation of IL-2, which causes proliferation and as well other immunity cells multiplications. The CD~4~^+^ T-cells generated mostly IL-2 cytokines to different stimulating agent response through which activation of T-cells via receptor of T-cells and major histocompatibility complexes I and II antigen-presenting cells. The IL-2 cytokine is not detectable in normal healthy subject blood and its level rise drastically when a subject exhibit infection. The IL-2 generation increased rapidly by the PHA+PMA stimulation, reported in optimization protocol ([@B32]). The PHA and TCR responsible for crosslinking by binding sugar glycosidically on T-cells surface protein, which provokes signals 1 and 2 through linkage of co-stimulatory factor. All these activities take place on surface cell and consequently involve various signaling pathways. The phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetae (PMA) is structurally similar to a plant isolated compound Phorbol from *Croton tiglium*. PMA enter into cytoplasm l through cell membrane and activates protein kinase C enzyme as it structure is resemble to natural diacylglycerol PKC activator. When T-cells stimulated, generation of IL-2 start by PKC activation. The evaluation of steroidal alkaloid compounds is important for research as immunosuppressive compounds and showed excellent immunosuppressive properties (**Figure [6](#F6){ref-type="fig"}**).
We also evaluated compounds for cytotoxicity, which showed inhibition of T-cells proliferation and IL-2 production is not because of cytotoxicity. The steroidal alkaloids isolated from *S. saligna* have been used as a source of medicines for many diseases and serve as a basis for many pharmaceutical used ([@B26]) and therefore these compounds were study for their anti-inflammatory effect.
The innate immune system activates after necrosis intensify the initial tissue injury during acute hepatitis and not necessarily cause the liver damage by inflammatory response. When the liver injured by CCl~4~ inducer, the aim of kupffer cell activation and hiring natural killer cells, neutrophils and monocytes in hepatic is to eliminate remove dead hepatocytes and this process is important for the reproduction of missed tissue, an examples are concanavalin-A ([@B27]), lipopolysaccharide ([@B10]) and acetaminophen hepatotoxicity, initiate the inflammatory response appearing neutrophils after liver injury in an hour and hiring the macrophages and monocytes within 24--48 h ([@B8]; [@B20]). The purified isolated steroidal alkaloids compounds from this plant showed positive protection results by depressing the injury to the hepatocytes without affecting more tissue in this *in vivo* study. The cytochrome P450 dependent monooxygenases activated metabolically by depositing CCl~4~ in the hepatocytes -the liver parenchymal cell to synthesize very high active metabolites, such as (CCl~3~OO^-^) and (CCl~3~^-^) radicals ([@B30]), which causing hepatotoxicity like liver cells death, degeneration and fibrosis ([@B38]; [@B23]). The generation of these free radical cause lipid oxidation by cover the cellular antioxidant defense system. In all this process the hepatic macrophages called kupffer cells play an important role in changing the severity of liver inflammation ([@B9]; [@B11]). It has been proposed that when liver injury occur, different pro inflammatory agents such as TNF-α and MCP are generated by kupffer cells, stimulated the stellate cells of liver to increase expression of extracellular matrix protein in chronic hepatic inflammation which utterly produce hepatic injury ([@B11]; [@B13]).
The finding of our study showed that the isolated steroidal alkaloid from *S. saligna* reduced liver inflammation by firstly reducing the T-cells multiplication and amount of IL-2 which change the entire inflammation reactions and as well non-cytotoxic, secondly acts as antioxidant and act as a free radicals scavenger which is produced by the hepatocytes. The *in vivo* study further showed that these steroidal alkaloids markedly decreased hepatic injury by CCl~4~-injury inducer and mixed inflammatory penetration. Therefore, we explored and suggest that steroidal alkaloids from *S. saligna* could be excellent immunosuppressive and hepatoprotective agents which have excellent therapeutic potential.
Author Contributions
====================
HA design and conducted the experiments and prepared the final version of manuscript. AmAl and AbAl helped in the analysis and interpretation of data as well as in preparing the initial draft of manuscript. AAd and NJ helped in the structure elucidation of compounds from *Sarcococca saligna*. BA and SA contributed in the collection of plant their extraction procedures and isolation of pure compounds while AJ assisted in manuscript writing and statistical analysis of the data. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict of Interest Statement
==============================
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
[^1]: Edited by: *David Sacerdoti, University of Padua, Italy*
[^2]: Reviewed by: *Sambit Nanda, Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation Unit, UK; Tao Zeng, Shandong University, China*
[^3]: This article was submitted to Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Pharmacology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
Night mode
It was only a few minutes after their first encounter with the Lost that Haradeth and Lorathor reached where the Tarnished One dwelled. Along the walk they’d encountered a few other of the Lost. One had simply sat with his multiple arms wrapped around himself, muttering Ancient Alohym. Another had seen them and started screaming, a scream that didn’t stop until they were out of sight. So it had gone, every encounter with the Lost something that left Haradeth wanting to weep for what happened to these people. This isn’t right.
That much, Haradeth was certain of. Whatever the natural life cycle of the Sylvani was supposed to be, it wasn’t supposed to end in madness and screams. Every one of the individuals they’d encountered – even the first one, although Haradeth had been too distracted to notice at the time – had a sickness to their aura, like an animal that had been infected with frothmouth. I wish my mother was here. She’d been able to cure even that rabid illness with a brush of her fingers. Haradeth did not yet have any talent for the healing arts, unless they were caused by parasites. Then he could command the creatures to leave the body. Beyond that…beyond that, he could do nothing for these people.
Whatever else happened, Haradeth resolved to drag his mother back here as soon as she was recovered. If she recovers a traitorous thought rose in his mind, one he squashed as quickly as he could.
Instead, he focused on the Tarnished One’s dwelling. It was built out of pieces of the dome city, torn from walls and floors and assembled into its own, smaller, dome that was a ramshackle imitation of the splendor above. A few buzzing things floated in the air around it, shining tiny spotlights. Each one was as large as Haradeth’s fingers and no more alive than the dome itself.
For that matter, he could sense no life coming from the dome. Whatever the Tarnished One was, she wasn’t alive.
Lorathor approached the door and reached into his pouch, pulling out a dagger. “O Tarnished One, She Who Guards the Tomb, Keeper of our Twilight. I bring you a gift from Outside, a gift of Iron wrought by the hands of Men.”
An apparatus folded out of the top of the dome, a multisegmented arm made of the Sylvani’s green flowing metal. At the end of the apparatus was a glass eye, like the ones built into spy glasses. Slips of metal around the edge of the apparatus dilated as it focused on the dagger, then it retreated into the dome.
“Did she-” Haradeth started to say after thirty seconds of waiting, but Lorathor shook his head.
“Just wait. It can take a bit.”
It was at least a full minute that felt like ten before a hole in the side of the dome creaked open. A brilliant light shone from those depths. A lumwell, Haradeth realized with a start. Lorathor motioned for him to enter.
The interior of the dome was easily a dozen sizes larger than the Exterior. It made Haradeth’s head hurt to look at. What he had taken for a lumwell was actually something different, a box of steel with dozens of glass lenses on it that floated in the center of the room, spinning erratically. The rest of the room was full of an assortment of knick-knacks, random scraps from the world outside. Haradeth saw a child’s doll, a treatise on the Golmiran Federation, and a shield that was dented beyond use.
Then the Tarnished One stepped from behind the box of light. “Oh! Hello!” she said, her voice bright and chipper and undeniably mechanical. The Tarnished One was a mass of woven tendrils of what looked like solid gold that had dark spots of tarnish. Haradeth assumed that’s where she got her name. She was shaped broadly like the small monkeys that dwelled in the jungle to the south, although in place of a prehensile tail she had three additional arms, each one nearly twice as long as she was. Most surprising to Haradeth was her size – she was small, barely coming up to Haradeth’s waist. “Lorathor! You brought a friend. And a present. I like your present. I’ve never seen a stabby-slicey with that shape before.”
Stabby-slicey? Haradeth thought as Lorathor presented the dagger. The Tarnished One took it and made a gentle cooing sound as she cradled it like a newborn. “I’m going to call it Murderface.”
“Why that name, O Tarnished one?” Lorathor asked.
“Because it’s been used to murder someone. In the face.” Her mechanical lips spread in a wide grin. “Can I stab you in the face?” she asked, her tone one of a child asking if she could have an extra helping of sweets.
“I would prefer if you didn’t, Tarnished One.”
“Bah,” she said, crossing her arms across. “No one ever lets me stab them.” She turned those glass eyes on Haradeth. “How about you? Can I stab you?”
Haradeth frowned. “What about a tiny stab, on the tip of my finger?” He extended the digit towards her.
Lorathor gasped in horror as The Tarnished One squealed with glee and thrust the dagger towards Haradeth’s outstretched hand. For a moment he thought he’d made a grave mistake, and that she was about to split his finger in two. Inches from his finger, the strike slowed down, until it pricked the tip and drew a tiny bead of blood. “Huzzah!” she cheered, bouncing up and down. “I got to stab someone!” She repeated the chant in a singsong voice a few times, before putting the tip of the dagger in her mouth. “Ooooh, your blood is tasty. This is a special blend. You’re three fourths mortal-and one quarter Alohym.”
Haradeth’s blood ran cold. “I’m…I’m not a quarter Alohym.”
“Well, of course not,” she said, giving him a conspiratorial wink. Haradeth sighed with relief, before she continued. “Genetics are never that precise. You’re technically nineteen percent Alohym.”
“That’s impossible!” Haradeth fought the urge to shout, but his voice came out sharp and hard. “I was born before the Alohym invaded.”
“No, silly.” The Tarnished One giggled, holding a hand to her mouth. “Not those imposters. They’re not real Alohym. Real Alohym were awesome. Which makes you nineteen percent awesome. That’s a better percent than most people.”
Haradeth stared at her. “You mean…my mother was half Ancient Alohym?”
The Tarnished One giggled again. “Of course, stabby man. Man who got stabbed. I stabbed you.” She grinned up at him. “I mean, where do you think your Little Gods come from?”
Haradeth gaped at her. Less than three minutes into the conversation with this murderous child made of gold and glass, and he’d already learned something about the way the universe worked. Something he’d never imagined.
For the first time since being rejected by Anoritia, Haradeth began to feel something akin to hope. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Restored kidney graft from urologist referrals for renal transplantation.
A new transplantation program using kidneys after a small tumor excision was initiated in Western Australia in February 2007. The aim of this study was to report the outcomes over 5 years. Local urologists were encouraged to refer the kidney to the transplantation service when considering a radical nephrectomy. Recipients are selected according to strict criteria. Between February 2007 and February 2012 24 of 30 referred kidneys were restored for transplantation. Average donor age was 53.4 (range, 32-75) years while the recipients were 66.3 (range, 57-80) years. Twenty-one kidneys were restored after excision of a small tumor (<3.3 cm) and 3 kidneys were restored after being obtained from patients who had experienced complicated ureteric injuries secondary to laparotomy and colectomy. Nineteen of 24 grafts displayed immediate function, 4 had delayed function, and 1 had nonfunction. The first 3 patients developed urinary leakages, which all resolved by subsequent management. One graft showed a pseudoaneurysm on the day 1 Doppler ultrasound, requiring interventional embolization. All patients but 1 have been off dialysis with satisfactory graft function; creatinine (Cr) levels ranged from 70 μmol/L to 330 μmol/L. There was no tumor recurrence on close follow-up from 6 to 55 months (median, 26). Three patients died due to other medical issues. Kidneys could be restored from urologic disease for transplantation after excision of a small tumor with satisfactory outcomes at an average follow-up of 26 months. Frozen section is necessary to ensure the clearance of the tumor prior to transplantation. A modification of the surgical technique has minimized urine leakage and pseudoaneurysm formation after tumor resection. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
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This Is Zero Latency, The Future Of Immersive Gaming
My hands are sweaty. The gun I’m holding is heavy. I’m stressed already. I feel like I’ve been running for hours. “Where are they?” “I don’t know. Why is it so quiet in here?” The dark room we’re in is deathly silent, eerily still and incredibly dark. The flashlights mounted on our rifles barely light up the end of the hall we’re walking towards, inching forward and stepping around the floor-to-ceiling shelves that throw shadows up against the walls and continue to frighten the shit out of us.
Nothing actually happens. We make it through the room without incident, but that doesn’t make it any less upsetting. It’s not quiet for long. There’s another, definitely zombie-filled room right in front of us. This is Zero Latency, a full-motion virtual reality space in Melbourne, and it’s awesome.
Meet Zero Latency: The Future Of Immersive Gaming, Built In Australia
Zero Latency VR caught our attention last year, as a Pozible campaign to crowd-fund a much smaller venue, but has been in the works since the middle of 2013. Two years on from that initial idea and the first concept of Zero Latency, a lot has changed — the 50 square metre room has changed to a much larger and more versatile 450 square metre warehouse, for one — and Melbourne’s most immersive virtual reality space is about to open to the public.
Two years is a long time in the tech world. The team didn’t even have an original Oculus Rift DK1 development kit when they started working on the idea for Zero Latency. Now, on the verge of opening its doors to the public as a fully-fledged gameplay experience, Zero Latency’s virtual reality rig is based upon the second generation of the Oculus Rift, the DK2. When the consumer version comes around some time in 2016, they’ll be able to upgrade their rigs easily and accommodate the more powerful hardware. But even in its current form, Zero Latency is an experience that you’ll enjoy, that you’ll remember, and that you’ll want to try over and over.
In a cold, stark warehouse in the middle of North Melbourne, behind a roller door, it’s a completely different world.
The Team
Zero Latency‘s Pozible campaign in early 2014 asked for $25,000 to bring the idea to life — at that time, a two-player experience in a small room. By the time the campaign finished, an impressive but not Star-Citizen-spectacular $30,000 had been raised. Armed with loftier aspirations, the team tracked down a much larger tranche of venture capital investment and aimed for the six-player game as it exists today. Six guys form the backbone of Zero Latency, all bringing different skills to the table — level design and 3D work, electrical engineering, project management — and two years of trial and error, extremely hard work, and good luck have paid off.
Tim Ruse is the face of the brand — he’s the organiser, the story writer — “if it’s not hardware or software, I’m doing it”. Scott Vandonkelaar is ZL’s coding brain — he has been modding games since the original Counter-Strike and Monster Truck Madness; the company’s first funding actually came from a corporate mobile app he wrote. James De Colling is the game and CG producer, with a background at Atari Melbourne and Grasshopper Manufacture in Tokyo. Hunter Mayne is the computer hardware guy — he’s in charge of the network build and the design of the backpack PCs, as well as designing and fabricating the controllers on the CNC mill. Kyel Smith is the team’s hacker — anything from soldering circuit boards to welding the overhead camera tracking rig. The ZL team also includes Danny Armstrong, previously at 2K Australia and THQ and having worked on Borderlands 2, who takes care of virtual reality environment’s game audio.
But there’s also another very important figure. Zero Latency’s angel investor: Carthona Capital raised the company’s round, lead by a man called Dean Dorrell. “He read about us in the paper — the coverage from our crowdfunding campaign. He contacted me on a Sunday night, was down that Thursday, and we had a term sheet on the table the following week,” Ruse says. “The stars really aligned, as Dean is a big believer in VR and our product, and brings some pretty heavy contacts and business experience to the table. He’s pretty much the fourth founder of the company.”
As well as investor money, an unlikely tech industry source also offered an olive branch — Alienware. Ruse: “We reached out to Alienware and got in contact with Jeff Morris in February of this year. He got it straight away, and shipped us a load of free Alienware Alphas and some infrastructure — servers and switches — as a way to sponsor the project. I guess it’s a supplier relationship in a way, but it’s more than that. Alienware is passionate about VR, and helping innovation and young companies get started. They are more than happy to put their hardware where their mouth is too.” In the back office, Zero Latency has a quote from Alienware and Dell boss, Michael Dell — “I’m sold” — printed on the wall.
The Hardware
There’s a lot more to Zero Latency than an Oculus Rift headset. That headset has to get its video feed from somewhere, so running the show is a custom-made backpack with an Alienware Alpha small form factor PC, hooked up to the Rift and a pair of headphones with an integrated mic for voice communications. Alienware donated the machines to Zero Latency after learning about the project, and the company is keenly watching to see how successful the venture is. Motion tracking is handled in much the same way as a PlayStation Move controller, with a internally-lit ping-pong ball for the cameras to see.
The gear that the guys at Zero Latency use is a mix of off-the-shelf hardware that has been adapted for the very specific purpose of portable virtual reality, and handbuilt, bespoke, customised circuitry and electronics that the team has learned to build as they’ve gone along. The camera and location-tracking sensors, for example, are the Playstation Eye for the PS3, but a ring of eight of them, facing outwards and feeding data to slaved PCs that then report player tracking to a central game server that controls the world. 128 cameras in total are used across the warehouse.
The guns aren’t exactly generic Wii Zappers, though. Zero Latency has an on-site ShopBot CNC mill and workshop area — hidden off to the side of the game space — that it uses to create prototypes and iterate on its multipurpose in-game controller, taking the form of a metre-long rifle. That gun weighs a hefty 2.5kg — the same as an Armalite AR-15, or close enough — and is one of the key elements in creating that sense of reality about Zero Latency’s gameplay and the presence of its zombie-filled world. The team is continuing to experiment with haptic feedback, too, to heighten that experience.
Nothing is simple about tracking a player — or more than one player, since Zero Latency supports up to six gamers in the one world simultaneously — and then translating that tracking into movement in a game world, then showing that movement on a player’s virtual reality goggles. 10 or 12 PCs, dozens of cameras, kilometres of network and power and USB cabling; it all adds up to a surprisingly, genuinely, incredibly immersive and realistic virtual reality experience. I think it’s the biggest compliment I can give to say that all of that hardware disappears as soon as you put it on.
The Experience
I’m a virtual reality sceptic, and always have been, but I’m also willing to try new things. I’ve tried the Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2, as well as both iterations of the Samsung Gear VR, and I can safely and surely say that Zero Latency is the best and most captivating and immersive and present virtual reality experience that I have ever tried. I ran through one 45-minute gameplay session with one of Zero Latency’s directors, then jumped straight back in for an hour-long session with Gizmodo editor Luke Hopewell. The same mission and game world each time, but markedly different experiences — once as student, and once as teacher.
Zero Latency is a zombie game, with an entirely simple mission — get into the basement of an undead-infested building, turn on a pair of generators, then escape. (Simple, right? That’s what we thought.) The version we played was still in beta, missing its voice-overs, with audio still in the works, but even in its unfinished state it was utterly awesome to play. With the headset on and turned up loud, the sounds of gunshots feel genuine, the fear is real. Just about the only thing that’s missing is some kind of haptic feedback to represent recoil and the vibration of the weapon firing.
It’s genuinely extremely fun, as zombie games go, and it’s stressful too. I don’t want to spoil the gameplay, but suffice to say it’s similar in style to Left 4 Dead, with objectives to achieve and swarms of zombies to cut down along your way. Zero Latency is made for teams — two players is fine, but it’ll scale zombie numbers all the way up to the current six-player maximum. The zombies usually travel in packs, but there are lone wolves that can be even more trouble. You don’t even realise that there’s a zombie sneaking up behind you until it’s on you, and clawing at you, and that means you spin around firing wildly, stepping back and almost falling over yourself in fear — just like (I’d imagine) it would happen in the real world and in a real zombie apocalypse.
The guys are constantly tweaking the difficulty in the lead up to Zero Latency’s public debut — at the start, it was incredibly hard, to the point that players were dying after three seconds in the world. They think they’ve got the ratio about right at the moment — a zombie will go down after eight assault rifle bullets to the chest, although headshots are a surefire thing. The shotgun, and the sniper rifle, although difficult to use, are even quicker to dispatch zeds, but require ratcheting the rifle’s pump action. The rifle’s grenade launcher is massively OP, for what it’s worth, but that’s part of the fun — and it only reloads after a long cooldown. An ammo limit on the primary weapons would make things even more stressful, and might be an idea for a potential hardcore mode.
What’s incredible is how real it feels to be walking forwards with a virtual reality headset and a pair of headphones on, and have that replicated instantly and perfectly and realistically. You see objects in the game world and avoid them, even though they’re only virtual 3D objects of no physical, tactile substance. You get an on-screen, minimap-esque reminder and audio cue for when you’re walking near a real-world wall, but ZL has only had one person actually crash into one (an investor — oops). Here’s the thing — virtual objects become real. In the opening level of the game, there’s a street sign that has fallen over onto the roadway. It’s not in the real world — the floor is flat, there’s nothing there. But I still stepped gingerly over it. Everyone does exactly the same thing.
The game is built in Unity, and the PCs run Windows, with all the tracking and network code written by Zero Latency in .NET. It looks like a good Unity game does — not exactly Battlefield 4 or Destiny in its visual fidelity, but more than realistic enough to entice you into the game world. For any sceptics that think “ugh, this looks low-resolution, look at those textures, I can see the polygons”, hear this — Zero Latency is the best argument I’ve seen for the importance of gameplay over graphics. Not at any point during my time in the Zero Latency world did I break from the immersion and think that it looked ugly or unreal or unpleasant.
It’s the gun, though, that stands out the most as the key tool of immersion, purely because it’s your physical connection to a world that’s not a chilly warehouse with a concrete floor and a few guys standing a dozen metres away and watching you. When you move the gun in-game, you see it in your VR headset, and that means you can stand in a doorway and stick your gun out and blast whatever’s out there. At the end of our playthrough, Luke and I ran a PVP session — just running around an office shooting at each other — and the cubicles meant we could duck down, pop up and shoot, crawl along and literally use the virtual environment to our advantage.
There were a few bugs, understandable since we were playing a beta version of the game that ZL had literally just compiled when we walked in the door. Occasionally, when Luke would select his rifle’s sniper mode while I was already looking down my scope, I’d see his target reticle moving around. There were times I could see the polygons of my character’s head, slightly obscuring my vision. There were occasional slowdowns, and once we had to wait a minute for a level to reload after a glitch. The hardware isn’t perfect — one of the backpacks was “acting up” when we were there, though the team is confident of being ready for launch day.
The motion tracking, though, was damn near perfect. Move your head around, and that motion is nearly instantly replicated on the Rift’s low-latency display. Look down at the gun, and move it around, and that motion is replicated with perfect accuracy. It’s all completely natural to use, and it just makes sense — when you put on the virtual reality goggles and the headset and take the gun offered to you, you know exactly what has to happen. The sense of presence — it’s the best word to describe what’s happening — almost completely eliminate the sense that you’re wearing a computer on your back and running around in a warehouse with a white grid painted on the floor.
There’s the faintest hint of the real world rushing back in when you take off the Oculus Rift after wearing it for nearly an hour. Sitting down with the Zero Latency team for a couple of beers after the second session, and talking about the development of the system, I had a concrete sense of being disconnected from my hands, watching my right hand reach forward and guiding it to pick up and guiding it to my face. That wears off quickly, though, and if that’s the closest I get to motion sickness, I think Zero Latency is doing pretty damn well even with the developer-grade Oculus Rift that they’re using.
I came away from my two and a half hours of Zero Latency a bit sweaty, a little tired, a tiny bit bewildered, but very much looking forward to doing it again.
The Potential
Zero Latency’s warehouse virtual reality space, and its concept of wireless motion tracking and virtual reality playback, has massive applications beyond the zombie survival mission that we played. Obviously it’ll take a lot of time and effort to develop different scenarios, but the potential is nearly infinite. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a zombie game. It doesn’t even need to be a game. When we were talking about ideas for Zero Latency’s VR warehouse, there was an idea to use the space for children’s education, or for a wizarding game where you wave a wand around to cast a spell.
The guys are working on tech — they call it “IRL VR” — that will trigger real-world cues whenever players hit virtual checkpoints in the game. They used fans as an example, so when players walk into a windswept outside area there’s actual wind blowing against them. But considering a system with tracking data as three-dimensional and complex as Zero Latency, and the development potential of Unity, you could do a huge range of different things; mist for rain, heat lamps for flames or bright sunlight, air conditioning for cold sections, dust for sandstorms… it’s all possible, it just depends on how crazy the team is and how far they want to take the concept.
The technology itself isn’t at all short of potential. The wireless backpacks and camera-based optical tracking system should be powerful enough to perform in spaces significantly larger than ZL’s current warehouse; the idea is scalable too. A concept that started out in a room the size of a small apartment is now in a properly large warehouse, and it could easily get larger. More players are possible, different weapons are possible — Zero Latency has pistol prototypes in development, and there’s the potential for other firearms (although that’s as much a 3D design challenge as it is an in-game coding one). It’s really just up to the time that the Zero Latency team has to spare, and what the public wants to play.
Tickets to a 60-minute Zero Latency session are $88, and are now on sale through the game’s website. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
We've still got so much of the undersea world to explore, not least the Mariana Trench – the deepest natural trench in the ocean – which goes down 10,994 metres (36,070 feet) in places. Now another fantastic find from this subaqueous abyss has just been revealed.
The most comprehensive microbial analysis of the trench to date has turned up a new type of bacteria that munches on compounds similar to those found in oil. Scientists have seen oil-chomping microorganisms before, but never at these depths.
Concentrations of this microbial plankton were found to be higher at the bottom of the Mariana Trench than anywhere else previously recorded on Earth, and that could give us a new insight into how life exists and thrives at such depths – where the pressure is the equivalent of 1,091 kilograms (172 stone) being pressed against a fingernail.
"We studied the samples that were brought back and identified a new group of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria," says one of the researchers, Jonathan Todd from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK.
"Hydrocarbons are organic compounds that are made of only hydrogen and carbon atoms, and they are found in many places, including crude oil and natural gas."
"So these types of microorganisms essentially eat compounds similar to those in oil and then use it for fuel. Similar microorganisms play a role in degrading oil spills in natural disasters such as BP's 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico."
Whether or not we'll be able to one day recruit these critters to help clean up oil spills remains to be seen, but the researchers are more interested in investigating how these bacteria feed so deep underwater – and maybe what feeds on them.
Part of the study's findings focus on the hydrocarbons that are keeping the microbes alive, and where they might have come from. Pollution we've caused is likely to be making its way into the trench, located in the western Pacific Ocean.
"We found that hydrocarbons exist as deep as 6,000 metres [19,685 feet] below the surface of the ocean and probably even deeper," says one of the team, Nikolai Pedentchouk from UEA. "A significant proportion of them probably derived from ocean surface pollution."
"To our surprise, we also identified biologically produced hydrocarbons in the ocean sediment at the bottom of the trench. This suggests that a unique microbial population is producing hydrocarbons in this environment."
The hydrocarbons the researchers were looking at have been spotted in algae on the ocean's surface before, but their presence this deep down in the water is a revelation. In lab experiments the team was able to confirm the bacteria could indeed consume hydrocarbons in extreme conditions.
The next step is to gather more information on these microbes and where their food might be coming from – probably both natural and unnatural sources. There might yet be other types of bacteria that are able to feed on hydrocarbon compounds in the same way.
"We know more about Mars than the deepest part of the ocean," says lead researcher Xiao-Hua Zhang, from the Ocean University in China.
The research has been published in Microbiome. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
I crave your big dick
I know my son would hate me if he found out I'm fucking his best friend. I can't help myself. It's hard living with a husband who doesn't satisfy my sexual needs. No one would understand but I have to have you, again and again. We don't have much time so hurry up and strip down so we can get to it. I love that you are already chubbed up for me before you unbuckle your belt. You fuck me exactly the way an old broad like me needs, balls deep. Go ahead and ram that cock deep inside and try not to think about what should happen if we get caught.
Size: 107 MB
Duration: 00:07:03
Video: wmv 1280x720
It has been so very long
You should know it's been nice having your company around the house while you're staying here with my daughter. You make sure she get's out of bed and off to class so I don't have to nag her! That is a very good thing. Since it's just us home right now I would also like to say I enjoyed hearing the escapades that went on in her room last night. You must have given it to her so damn good. It's been years since I had sex like that. In fact, I came here in my new nighty to see if you would maybe want to give it to me like to you did her. I'm just an older version of my daughter anyway. I won't ever tell her and this would mean so much to me to be desired as a sexy woman. Her father never paid much attention to me and I just can't seem to meet the right kind of guy who would only give me sex. I can see by that stirring in your pants you like what I am suggesting. You are going to make this mommie very happy.
Size: 160 MB
Duration: 00:10:29
Video: wmv 1280x720
You were such a great help today
I have such a good best friend for lending her son to me for cleaning help today. You made my garage look like new again. Ever since my divorce I can't bring myself to cleaning out that part of the house as it was always his job. I wish you would let me give you some money. There must be something I can do for you to show you how much I appreciate your work here. At least let me give you some fresh clothes to change into before you head home. I hope you didn't ruin your clothes with that mess in the garage. Go ahead and undress while I get you a change of clothes. My ex husband left some here and they will fit you. Don’t be shy about undressing you don't have anything I haven't seen before. Oh well wait a minute, you have something I haven't ever seen before. Look at that huge dick of yours! I mean, you are really young for a man of your age. You know, I think I know exactly how to repay you for your time today. This repayment is going to be good for you and great for me.
Size: 165 MB
Duration: 00:10:47
Video: wmv 1280x720
Satin fetish jack off session with Syren DeMer
You have something in common with sexy MILF Syren DeMer. You both have a satin fetish. It is so soft and slippery smooth. Do you like the sound it makes against a woman's skin as the fabric moves? Why don't you get your cock out and start stroking it for Syren? Yes, just like that. She loves to watch you jack off and it is even better with her satin nightie wrapped around your cock. Doesn't it feel nice to jack your dick as it is encased in the soft satin? Syren also loves the feel of satin so much that she even sleeps in satin sheets. Watching her rub the satin across her full breasts and the resulting sound it makes is nearly more than you can bear. She is unable to resist touching her pussy and rubbing her satin nightie against her pussy. Syren turns around and puts her ass high in the air, still covered by the satin, but when she reveals her ass to you, you think how smooth her skin looks – almost as smooth as the satin she wears! She knows that you are now ready, so she encourages you to stroke yourself until you finally blow your load all over her pretty ass.
Size: 109 MB
Duration: 00:07:06
Video: wmv 1280x720 | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
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Immigration
Immigration is a topic that has been absolutely on fire in the news circuit in the last few years. There are news stories surfacing each week on different aspects of immigration in the United States. Something that many people do not realize is the immigration issues facing us in 2014 are drastically different from those throughout history.
Immigration in the United States started in the 17th century. The first immigrants came to the US in 1607 when English settlers began the colonial immigration. Following this, the settlers began to import African slaves in 1619. In 1637 when Massachusetts required permission to host aliens. Legislation in all of the New England Colonies aside from Rhode Island was implemented to prevent the immigration of Quakers in 1656.
18th Century
At the start of the 18th century, 11% of the non-Native American population was black. From 1717-1769 the British shipped around 36,000 convicts to America. In 1740, the British parliament enacted the Plantation Act (aliens could not engage in British commerce without severe penalties), which served as a model for future US naturalization acts. England stopped emigration to the colonies in 1773 and from 1781-1788 articles of confederation kept citizenship and naturalization of immigrants under the control of the state. From 1790-1798 the Alien Naturalization Act and Alien and Sedition Acts were enacted. These included power to punish and deport immigrants and increased residency requirement for naturalization to 14 years.
19th Century
The 19th century brought many changes to immigration law in the United States. In 1808 foreign slave trade became illegal and 50,000 slaves became the first “illegal aliens” in the United States. Throughout the 1840s, naturalizations of Germans and Irish were expedited and offered free of charge during election times. On February 7, 1849, the Supreme Court ruled that congress alone would regulate immigration, taking the power away from state government. In 1870 the naturalization act was extended to include naturalization for former slaves. The 1880’s were comprised of the first “great wave” of European immigrants fleeing from repression, economic or political problems in their countries. In 1891, congress established the first federal administrative agency for regulating immigration. Ellis Island was opened January 2, 1892 as an immigrant entry checkpoint. Finally, on March 28, 1898 the Supreme Court confirmed that the 14th Amendment gives citizenship to anyone born in the United States.
20th Century
In 1903 the Anarchist Exclusion Act was enacted that excluded immigrants based on their political ideology. During 1910, the Mexican revolution drove thousands of Mexicans into the United States and the Angel Island immigration station opened. On May 28, 1924 the US Border Patrol established the labor appropriation act. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed the executive order to send tens of thousands of Japanese (and other) Americans to internment camps. In 1980 the Refugee Act allowed people who were persecuted to seek asylum in the US. April of 1996 brought the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act to tighten immigration and protect against terrorism.
21st Century
In 2000 the AFL-CIO labor union supported amnesty for immigrants in the US illegally. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the US Department of Defenses expanded military support along the borders. In 2006, the Secure Fence Act authorized fencing along the US-Mexican border. Arizona signed bill 1070 into law that expanded the state’s authority to combat illegal immigration. The Supreme Court upheld a law in Arizona that penalized businesses that hired undocumented immigrants. In 2012 Obama signed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals that allowed people who came to the US as children to remain in the US without fear of deportation and be able to work.
Here is a sample of immigration bills related to children:
After understanding completely how laws and regulations about immigration have come to be, the current issues need to be addressed.
Immigration Issues in 2014
Main questions that are being asked this year are if immigration reform will happen, how deportation will change and how state’s stances and laws on immigration will change. People thought that there would be many immigration issues on US ballots this year, but people have been left disappointed with lack of movement in legislation for immigration.
States have been taking immigration into their own hands. Alabama HB 56 that asks schools to check students’ immigration status. California signed eight bills into law that affect immigrants. One of which, AB60, will allow unauthorized immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses starting January 2015. Florida approved in-state tuition at state colleges and universities for undocumented students through S1400.
Children Immigration to the United States
A recent problem with immigration is children from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala seeking safety in the United States in mass numbers. These children have been subjected to immense danger in their countries, mostly by the notoriously dangerous gang – Mara Salvatrucha-13 or MS-13. This gang was formed in Los Angeles, California in the 1980s and became known as one of the most violent gangs. There is evidence that they have been secretly backing El Salvador’s ruling party for several years. In 2012 there was an attempt to negotiate a gang “truce” to attempt to decrease the number of murders caused by gang turf wars. A mass grave was discovered hiding the victims of hundreds of unreported murders.
Honduras had the world’s highest murder rate in 2013. It is known to be particularly dangerous known for police abuses and corruption. In 2013 Guatemala’s former leader Efraín Ríos Montt was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. There is the widespread problem of using children for sexual tourism, pornography and organized crime throughout these particular countries.
Needless to say, these three countries are not suitable places for innocent children to live. There has been a lot of news about politicians and others launching a war against these refugee children. One of which, Texas Governor Rick Perry, was indicted by a Texas grand jury, charged with two felony counts: abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public servant.
Recently the Texas border mayors released the statement to these children to not be afraid. These children need help because they often come without guardians and fearing for their lives. Mayor Tony Martinez said, “We are on the ground… we are taking care of these children… we need to understand the human rights of all the human family.”
It is absolutely ridiculous to not grant these children asylum from the dangerous environments that they are subject to every day. They are innocent and cannot defend themselves. Throughout the history of the United States, we have been a place for people who seek refuge from problems just like these. It is the reason that our great nation was founded. Denying these children that right is incredibly morally wrong. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Weight gain affects newborns' IQ
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The amount of weight a new-born baby gains in its first month is directly linked to its IQ later in life, according to a new study.
Growth in head circumference is also important, say researchers who studied data from more than 13,800 Australian children who were born full-term.
There are a lot of possible reasons for delayed growth and feeding problems, says lead author Dr Lisa Smithers. Parents should seek help as early as possible if they are worried.
‘‘Babies should be fed on demand and should never be forced to eat,’’ she says.
Babies who increase their birth weight by 40 per cent in the first four weeks have 1.5-point IQ advantage over children who gain 15 per cent, according to the research report published in the journal Pediatrics.
‘‘Head circumference is an indicator of brain volume, so a greater increase suggests more rapid brain growth,’’says Smithers from the University of Adelaide’s School of Population Health.
Overall, newborn children who grow faster in the first four weeks have higher IQ scores later in life, she says.
Those children who gain most weight score especially high on verbal IQ at age six.
Previous studies have shown the association between early postnatal diet and IQ, but this is the first study of its kind to focus on the IQ benefits of rapid weight gain in the first month of life for healthy newborn babies, she says.
One or two IQ points are significant but it is not the end of the world if a child misses out on them,’’ says Swinburne University’s Professor Con Stough, an internationally recognised authority on human intelligence.
‘‘You have to say 1.5 IQ points at age six is not massive, but I would rather have them than not have them.
‘‘The research shows this type of nutritional need is very important. Nutrition at all ages is important.’’ | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Differential expression of connexin 43 in human autoimmune thyroid disease.
Gap junctions provide a pathway for cell-to-cell communication. Reduced thyroid epithelial cell-cell communication has been reported in some animal models of autoimmune thyroid disease. In order to assess whether this change was similar to human autoimmune thyroid disease, we identified some connexin proteins and their corresponding mRNA in human thyroid gland. The aim of our study was to explore the expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) in the thyroid gland from normal and diseased human thyroid tissue by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression levels of Cx43 in Grave's disease were significantly increased in comparison with those of normal thyroid tissue. There was a significant decrease in expression of Cx43 in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, compared with normal thyroid tissue. These data indicate that changes of Cx43 expression in human autoimmune thyroid disease were associated with variations in thyroid function and hormone secretion. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
NESDIS News & Articles
NOAA Experiments Help Build a Better Forecast
NOAA satellite experts and weather forecasters are working together at the Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) in Norman, Oklahoma, to prepare to use data from the GOES-R satellite to improve short-range hazardous weather forecasts and warning decision-making. From May 4 to June 12 (during the height of severe weather season), NOAA invited National Weather Service forecasters and paired them with TV broadcast meteorologists to evaluate the new science, technology and products that will be available from GOES-R once it is launched in 2016.
The video shows the GOES-14 visible one-minute imagery showing the evolution of a tornado over Eastern Colorado on June 4‒5, 2015. Credit: NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison
Each week of the experiment, researchers and forecasters worked side-by-side to evaluate new products and tools and participated in experimental forecast and warning generation exercises. This approach prepares weather forecasters to use the new capabilities that will be available from NOAA’s next generation of geostationary weather satellites, the GOES-R series.
NOAA’s current GOES-14 satellite was brought out of storage-mode in its central orbit and operated in Super Rapid Scan Operations (SRSO) mode, providing special one-minute satellite imagery that simulates the capabilities that will be available with the GOES-R series satellites.
Participating forecasters found the GOES-R severe weather products and one-minute imagery very helpful when evaluating potential storms and issuing warnings. Holly Obermeier, meteorologist with KETV-TV in Omaha, Nebraska, is excited about the lightning data that will be available from the Geostationary Lightning Mapper, the first instrument of its kind flown in geostationary orbit. “Having total lightning is an exciting step and I’m really looking forward to having this data. It’s an excellent on-air visual that viewers can easily understand,” she said.
John Boyer, meteorologist at KOKI-TV in Tulsa, Oklahoma, summed up his experience, “I'm very grateful for my HWT experience. I'm confident in the value of GOES-R and how to work that information into better knowledge of storms. Going forward, the rich, detailed visible animations will be an essential, compelling part of the weather story.”
GOES-R is slated to launch in 2016 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Once launched, the satellite will be known as GOES-16 and will immediately be placed in a test location at 89.5 degrees West longitude for an extended checkout period. During post-launch testing and validation, the GOES-R satellite will provide observations throughout the 2016 hurricane season. At the conclusion of checkout, the satellite will be placed into either the East (75 degrees West) or West (137 degrees West) location depending on the health and performance of the other GOES satellites in NOAA’s constellation. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-3-13
Heavy rains and isolated hail storms caused power outages as they moved through the WCDO listening area on Labor Day Monday. Localized flooding was reported on many small streams and low lying areas. There was isolated basement flooding in the Whitney Point to Walton corridor and areas north including South New Berlin that had multiple calls. Water also flooded roads in many areas including State Highway 80 and Dunham Road in Smryna, and multiple roadways were covered in the Franklin and Walton areas. We remind you to use caution and pay attention to road conditions when travelling throughout the area today.
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An apartment building fire in Castle Creek sent two to the hospital early Sunday morning. The fire broke out around 5 a.m. in one of the Glen View Apartment basement apartments. The two people living in that apartment were taken to Wilson Hospital for smoke inhalation. The fire ran up the left side of the building and the complex is destroyed. Seven fire departments responded and had the fire under control around 5:30 a.m. The investigation into what caused the fire is ongoing.
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A house fire claimed four lives on Elmira’s south side Friday night. The Elmira Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 100 block of Morrow Street, where four people, ages 17, 10, 7 and 5 were located inside the home and were transported to local hospitals for treatment. All four lated died from injuries sustained in the fire. Close to 200 family and friends held a candlelight vigil for them Saturday night.
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The Delaware county clean sweep disposal days will be Friday September 20th for farms & businesses and Saturday September 21st for households. Those wishing to register by phone can start today, according to county solid waste manager Sue McIntyre:
(Sue McIntyre 9-3-13)
the number to register again is 865-6474, phone registrations will be taken through September 13th.
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A black bear was found in Endicott late Sunday night. Police personnel, along with the Fire Department shut down Main Street for about 10 minutes Sunday night to clear the area for the bear, which was first spotted on Adams Avenue and eventually made its way through 10 blocks of the village. Police said the bear was above the average 250 pound size, weighing in between 300 and 350 pounds.
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Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown released the second beer of its “Game of Throwns” series, which is related to the HBO TV series, during a tasting event at the brewery Monday. The beer is a deep, dark brew called Take the Black Stout. It joins the first “Game of Throwns” beer that was released back in March called Iron Throne Blonde Ale. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
A former Oklahoma state senator was sentenced Monday to 15 years in federal prison for child sex-trafficking, according to media reports.
Ralph Shortey, a Republican who served in the Oklahoma state Senate from 2011 to 2017, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti, NBC News reported. Shortey will also face 10 years of supervised probation when he is released from prison, per NBC News.
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Shortey pleaded guilty in November to a child sex-trafficking charge after being accused of offering to pay a 17-year-old boy for "'sexual' stuff" earlier in 2017.
Police said the boy told Shortey that he "needed money for spring break" while the two were having a conversation on a messaging app.
"I don't really have any legitimate things I need help with right now," Shortey reportedly said. "Would you be interested in 'sexual' stuff?"
Shortey resigned from office in 2017 after he was found in a motel room with the 17-year-old boy. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Introduction {#s001}
============
Painful conditions are common and a leading cause of morbidity.^[@B1],[@B2]^ They are one of the most common symptomatic reasons for provider office visits.^[@B3]^ Different treatments have been proposed for painful conditions, including nonopioid drugs, opioids, surgery, and various types of complementary and integrative health modalities such as manual therapies, acupuncture, and mind--body methods.^[@B4]^
Therapeutic massage is one such proposed modality and has a number of desirable attributes---no special equipment is needed to deliver it; it can be given nearly anywhere, and there is a low likelihood of any serious harms.^[@B5]^ Massage has been the subject of more than 300 clinical trials and dozens of systematic reviews. For example, one review concluded that myofascial release therapy massage can be effective for treating plantar fasciitis,^[@B8]^ and another review found that soft tissue massage may be effective for shoulder pain.^[@B9]^
However, some reviews have found massage not effective. One review did not find clear benefits of massage over active treatment for fibromyalgia, low back pain, or neck pain.^[@B10]^ Another review reported that Swedish massage was not shown to improve outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia.^[@B11]^
As these examples suggest, there is heterogeneity both in the conditions for which massage is used, as well as in the therapy itself. The term "massage therapy" encompasses many techniques, and the type used may vary by a patient\'s needs and physical conditions.^[@B7]^ Common types include Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage, and chair massage.^[@B12],[@B13]^ Therapeutic massage can be provided by a variety of practitioners, including licensed massage therapists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, folk healers, and reflexologists.^[@B14]^ These practitioners can differ in philosophy or approach to massage, as well as the duration and intensity of training in massage treatments. In general, patients are treated using touch to manipulate the muscles and other soft tissues of the body.^[@B15]^
Because individual trials and systematic reviews of individual trials often focus on particular types of massage or specific painful conditions (back pain, neck pain, etc.), it can be difficult to see the breadth and depth of evidence, as various painful conditions may respond differently to therapeutic massage, and distinct types of massage involve unique approaches to manipulating muscles and soft tissue. Thus, the authors undertook to create an evidence map, which is a technique that allows us to visually depict the distribution of evidence available to provide an overview of a broad research field that describes the volume, nature, and characteristics of research in a particular field, often in a visual summary.^[@B19]^ As such an evidence map does not seek to critically analyze or synthesize the evidence on effectiveness for specific clinical indications. This approach is useful to identify the gaps in evidence and inform future research priorities.
Materials and Methods {#s002}
=====================
This evidence map is reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines ([Supplementary Table S1](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}).^[@B20]^ This review is part of a larger review commissioned by the Department of Veterans Affairs, funded by the Veterans Affairs Quality Enhancement Research Initiative.^[@B21]^
Data sources and searches {#s003}
-------------------------
The authors conducted broad searches from database inception through July 10, 2018 using terms related to pain and massage in three databases: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Other Reviews (see [Supplementary Data](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"} for full strategy). The authors restricted their searches to English language publications and systematic reviews.
Study selection {#s004}
---------------
Each article title was screened independently by two authors for relevance; any title chosen by either reviewer was included in the abstract screen. When titles were ambiguous they were included for further review. Abstracts were then reviewed in duplicate with any discrepancies resolved through team discussion. To be included, abstracts or titles needed to be relevant to massage, mention pain or a pain-related condition (e.g., headache), and describe a systematic review. The following patient population, intervention, comparator, outcome, timing, and setting (PICOTS) guided study selection.
### Patient population: any pain-related condition or indication {#s005}
#### Intervention {#s006}
Massage was as self-reported and defined by the authors of eligible systematic reviews. The authors did not develop or apply any separate definition or criteria to determine if an intervention was massage. Alternate terms Tui Na or shiatsu were also included. Massage applied as prevention, as in the case of perineal massage, was not included, to distinguish between prevention and treatment of pain. Massage conducted by lay persons, for example, caretakers or self-massage, was not included.
#### Comparator {#s007}
Any.
#### Outcome {#s008}
Pain outcomes were required to be reported separately. If pain was part of a composite score of well-being, for instance, this would be excluded if pain was not reported separately.
#### Timing {#s009}
Any.
#### Setting {#s010}
Any.
Next, full text publications for all included abstracts were screened. Each publication had to be a unique systematic review reporting pain outcomes for massage interventions. Reports or publications from the same review or review updates were included, but data were extracted and counted only once. Systematic reviews were eligible if they covered additional outcomes or other interventions as long as the results of massage for pain were reported separately for at least two included massage studies.
Data extraction {#s011}
---------------
One reviewer abstracted data for each included systematic review and a second reviewer verified it. Abstracted data included the following: number of studies in the review with massage as the intervention and pain as an outcome; total number of studies included in the review; descriptions of the massage style, provider, co-interventions, duration, and comparators; pain type; main findings relevant to massage for pain; and whether the systematic review focused solely on massage as the intervention or included a variety of interventions, of which massage was one.
Quality assessment of included systematic reviews {#s012}
-------------------------------------------------
Each systematic review was assessed using a modified version of the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) criteria.^[@B22]^ This 11-item tool assesses the methodological quality of systematic reviews (see full modified tool in [Appendix A1](#T3){ref-type="table"}). The authors relaxed four criteria on quality assessment: (1) the search strategy was not required to have supplemental searches beyond the two or more sources being searched; (2) reviews were not required to provide a list of their excluded studies; (3) narrative publication bias discussions were acceptable for systematic reviews not using quantitative methods; and (4) documented sources of support were not required for the included individual studies.
While there is no agreed upon threshold for AMSTAR criteria above which a systematic review would be considered "high quality," the authors used a score of 9 or higher for their purposes. Thus, studies could miss a maximum of two criteria and still be considered "high quality."
Strength of evidence {#s013}
--------------------
To assess strength of evidence for high-quality systematic reviews (AMSTAR scores of 9 or above), the authors used the GRADE approach,^[@B23]^ which takes into account study design limitations, inconsistency, indirectness, and imprecision in primary study results to assess the body of evidence contributing to a particular finding. In most cases, these findings were already described with levels of evidence in the original systematic reviews, but in the cases where this was not provided, the team assessed the GRADE strength of evidence based on the description of findings provided in the systematic review and discussed as a group to reconcile. The authors added a fifth category "unable to determine strength of evidence" to classify reviews that had sources of bias that may affect the results and conclusions of these reviews. Hence, the five categories are as follows: (1)High strength of evidence: The authors are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect. Further research is unlikely to change their confidence in the estimate of effect.(2)Moderate strength of evidence: The authors are moderately confident in the effect estimate. The true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different. Further research is likely to have an important impact on their confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.(3)Low strength of evidence: Their confidence in the effect estimate is limited. The true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect. Further research is very likely to have an important impact on their confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.(4)Very low strength of evidence: The authors have very little confidence in the effect estimate. The true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect. Any estimate of effect is very uncertain.(5)Unable to determine the strength of evidence: The authors did not classify reviews with AMSTAR quality scores of 8 or lower because their methodology makes interpretation of their reported findings difficult, as sources of bias may be affecting the results and conclusions drawn.
Data synthesis {#s014}
--------------
Their evidence mapping process resulted in a visual depiction of the evidence for massage for pain, as well as an accompanying narrative with ancillary figures and tables. As noted by Ballard and Montgomery, this type of overview of reviews faces four conditions distinct from a traditional systematic review of individual trials or studies: (1) amount of overlap between systematic reviews included; (2) included reviews falling partially out of scope; (3) quality assessments, including methodological quality of primary studies within included reviews, of included reviews themselves, and of evidence across included systematic reviews; and (4) included reviews being up-to-date.^[@B24]^ It was not feasible for their team to assess the overlap between included systematic reviews, and this issue is explored in the [Discussion](#s026){ref-type="sec"} section. For reviews that fell partially out of scope, the authors extracted and synthesized only those findings related to both massage and pain, as described in the Data Extraction section above. Relating to quality assessments, the authors relied on the assessments of review authors for methodological quality of primary studies, used AMSTAR for included reviews, and used GRADE for assessment of evidence across reviews. Finally, the authors did not take actions to update included reviews.
### Evidence map {#s015}
The visual depiction uses a bubble plot format to display information for each systematic review on four dimensions. The evidence map figure also allows the reader to visualize gaps in the literature base, where there is no or little evidence for particular pain indications. The four dimensions are as follows: (1)Number of articles (bubble size): Each review bubble\'s size is directly proportional to the number of primary research studies on the effect of massage for pain in that review (i.e., bubble size grows incrementally with each additional included study).(2)Pain type (bubble label): Each bubble is labelled with the pain indication(s) in the review.(3)Effect of massage for pain (*x*-axis): The authors grouped reviews into one of five categories of findings they reported on for massage for pain. Those reporting massage as more beneficial than the comparator were included in the "potentially better" group, those reporting massage as less beneficial than the comparator were included in the "potentially worse" group, those suggesting insufficient evidence to draw clear conclusions about the effectiveness of massage for pain were included in the "unclear" group, those with findings that varied within the review (e.g., some studies found no difference between massage and comparators for cancer pain, while others found potential benefits of massage over some comparators for cancer pain) were included in the "mixed results" group, and those that were unable to detect differences between massage and the comparator for pain were included in the "no difference" group. Each systematic review had one overall finding included in the bubble plot; if a review had multiple consistent findings it was added to that appropriate group, whereas reviews with multiple conflicting findings were included in the "mixed results" group.(4)Strength of findings (*y*-axis, color): As described above, high-quality systematic reviews (AMSTAR scores of 9 or above) were sorted into five categories according to the GRADE approach: high strength of evidence, moderate strength of evidence, low strength of evidence, very low strength of evidence, or unable to determine the strength of evidence.
### Narrative synthesis {#s016}
The narrative synthesis expands upon the visual evidence map to provide more details from the included systematic reviews. These include descriptions of the findings, the features of massage therapy, and the types of pain.
Results {#s017}
=======
Literature flow {#s018}
---------------
Their searches identified 4786 titles as potentially relevant for this evidence map. From these titles, 386 titles were included for abstract review. Their screen of abstracts excluded 285 abstracts because they did not mention pain as an outcome, did not mention therapeutic massage as an intervention, used a study design other than systematic review, or some combination of these factors. When reviewing full texts, there were 43 publications that did not meet inclusion criteria upon further inspection. Fifteen publications did not report the results for massage separately from other interventions or the intervention did not include massage, nine publications with broader scopes only included one massage for pain study, four publications did not report pain as an outcome, five publications were nonsystematic reviews or commentaries, four publications were not retrievable, three publications were only available in abstract form, two were systematic reviews of systematic reviews, and one was a duplicate of another included publication. See the Literature Flow in [Figure 1](#f1){ref-type="fig"}.
{ref-type="supplementary-material"} \*\*Article reference list includes additional references cited for background and methods.](fig-1){#f1}
From the 101 publications included in the full text review, the authors included 58 publications that discussed 49 systematic reviews. Nine publications discussed systematic reviews that were overlapping with included systematic reviews.^[@B18],[@B25]^ This includes older iterations of systematic reviews, the updates for which had been included,^[@B25],[@B26],[@B30],[@B31]^ as well as instances where multiple publications were produced from the same systematic review effort.^[@B18],[@B27],[@B32]^ Below the authors describe the following about the included reviews: the quality of the reviews, how they described the components of massage-related interventions included in their reviews, and how their overall findings are represented in the evidence map.
Quality of included systematic reviews {#s019}
--------------------------------------
Of the 49 systematic reviews included, 10 reviews met all 11 modified AMSTAR criteria, twelve reviews met 10 criteria, and 10 reviews met 9 criteria (see [Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"}, which delineates how each included review scored on the AMSTAR criteria). The authors considered these 32 systematic reviews to be of high quality. The other 17 systematic reviews were of lower quality and met 8 AMSTAR criteria (*n* = 6), 7 criteria (*n* = 2), 6 criteria (*n* = 4), 5 criteria (*n* = 2), or 3 criteria (*n* = 1). Nearly all systematic reviews (*n* = 48) conducted a comprehensive search, and 47 systematic reviews provided a list of included studies with descriptions of their characteristics. The least often met criterion was to provide an *a priori* design (*n* = 21).
######
Modified Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews Scoring for Included Systematic Reviews
*First author (year)* A priori *design provided* *Duplicate review* *Comprehensive search* *Status of publication used* *List of studies included* *Included study characteristics* *Assessed quality of includes* *Quality used in conclusions* *Synthesis methods appropriate* *Publication bias assessed* *Include conflict of interest* *Total score*
--------------------------------- ---------------------------- -------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------- ---------------------------------- -------------------------------- ------------------------------- --------------------------------- ----------------------------- -------------------------------- ---------------
Bardia ([@B1])^[@B34]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Chou ([@B2])^[@B38]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Furlan ([@B3])^[@B14]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Furlan ([@B4])^[@B57]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Guo ([@B5])^[@B53]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Haraldsson ([@B6])^[@B49]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Loew ([@B7])^[@B46]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Shin ([@B8])^[@B39]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Smith ([@B9])^[@B55]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Wei ([@B10])^[@B45]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Anthonissen ([@B11])^[@B40]^ ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Boitor ([@B12])^[@B54]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 10
Boyd ([@B13])^[@B62]^ Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Boyd ([@B13])^[@B59]^ Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Crawford ([@B15])^[@B56]^ Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Huntley ([@B16])^[@B35]^ ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Kong ([@B17])^[@B63]^ ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Li ([@B18])^[@B65]^ ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Miozzo ([@B19])^[@B51]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes 10
Patel ([@B20])^[@B61]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 10
Piper ([@B21])^[@B8]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes 10
Wilkinson ([@B22])^[@B9]^ ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Ault ([@B23])^[@B60]^ No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes 9
Bervoets ([@B24])^[@B10]^ ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes 9
Calixtre ([@B25])^[@B64]^ ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 9
Chen ([@B26])^[@B42]^ No ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
Cherkin ([@B27])^[@B5]^ ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes Yes Yes 9
Lee ([@B28])^[@B52]^ No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 9
Lewis (2006)^[@B48]^ ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes 9
Nelson (2017)^[@B58]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? ? Yes 9
Terhorst ([@B31])^[@B29]^ No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes 9
van den Dolder ([@B32])^[@B37]^ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No ? Yes 9
Cheng (2014)^[@B68]^ No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? No 8
Ezzo ([@B34])^[@B50]^ ? Yes Yes ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? Yes 8
Kukimoto ([@B35])^[@B69]^ No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No 8
Lee ([@B36])^[@B70]^ No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No 8
Yeun ([@B37])^[@B71]^ No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 8
Yuan ([@B38])^[@B11]^ Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No 8
Ernst ([@B39])^[@B72]^ No ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? No 7
Ranjbaran ([@B40])^[@B73]^ Yes ? Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes 7
Ajimsha ([@B41])^[@B74]^ No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No 6
Ernst ([@B42])^[@B75]^ ? ? Yes Yes Yes Yes ? No Yes Yes No 6
Keeratitanont ([@B43])^[@B43]^ No ? Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A No Yes 6
Pan ([@B44])^[@B36]^ ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? ? ? ? Yes 6
Lin ([@B45])^[@B33]^ No ? Yes Yes Yes Yes No No ? No Yes 5
Richards ([@B46])^[@B76]^ No ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ? ? ? No 5
Barreto (2017)^[@B44]^ No ? Yes No Yes Yes No No No No Yes 4
Sut (2017)^[@B41]^ No ? Yes Yes ? ? No ? Yes Yes ? 4
Kong ([@B49])^[@B47]^ No ? ? ? No Yes Yes Yes ? ? No 3
?, Cannot determine based on description provided; N/A, not applicable in this publication; full criteria are described in [Supplementary Data](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}.
Intervention components described in included systematic reviews {#s020}
----------------------------------------------------------------
Given the heterogeneity of massage therapies, accurate and detailed reporting about these interventions is necessary to understand what is being included and synthesized in systematic reviews. However, the systematic reviews presented in this study varied in the amount of detail they reported in describing the massage performed in primary studies and how they reported this information (see [Table 2](#T2){ref-type="table"} for an overview of which components were described by each included review). Of the 32 high-quality systematic reviews, all 6 intervention components were reported in 14 reviews; 4 of the 17 reviews with lower AMSTAR ratings reported on all 6 intervention components.
######
Intervention Components Described in Included Systematic Reviews
*First author (year)* *Focused on massage* *Style* *Provider* *Co-interventions* *Duration* *Comparators*
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------- --------- ------------ -------------------- ------------ ---------------
High quality systematic reviews (AMSTAR score 9 or higher)
Bardia ([@B1])^[@B34]^ ○ ○ ○ ○ • •
Chou ([@B2])^[@B38]^ ○ • ○ • • •
Furlan ([@B3])^[@B14]^ ○ • • • • •
Furlan ([@B4])^[@B57]^ • • • • • •
Guo ([@B5])^[@B53]^ • • ○ • • •
Haraldsson ([@B6])^[@B49]^ • • • • • •
Loew ([@B7])^[@B46]^ • • • • • •
Shin ([@B8])^[@B39]^ ○ • • • • •
Smith ([@B9])^[@B55]^ • • • • • •
Wei ([@B10])^[@B45]^ • • ○ • • •
Anthonissen ([@B11])^[@B40]^ ○ • ○ • • •
Boitor ([@B12])^[@B54]^ • • • • • •
Boyd ([@B13])^[@B62]^ • • • • • •
Boyd ([@B13])^[@B59]^ • • • • • •
Crawford ([@B15])^[@B56]^ • • • • • •
Huntley ([@B16])^[@B35]^ ○ • ○ • • •
Kong ([@B17])^[@B63]^ • • ○ • • •
Li ([@B18])^[@B65]^ • • ○ • • •
Miozzo ([@B19])^[@B51]^ • • ○ • • •
Patel ([@B20])^[@B61]^ • • • • • •
Piper ([@B21])^[@B8]^ • • • • • •
Wilkinson ([@B22])^[@B9]^ • • • ○ • •
Ault ([@B23])^[@B60]^ • • • • • •
Bervoets ([@B24])^[@B10]^ • • • • • •
Calixtre ([@B25])^[@B64]^ • • • • • •
Chen ([@B26])^[@B42]^ • • ○ • ○ •
Cherkin ([@B27])^[@B5]^ ○ • ○ • • •
Lee ([@B28])^[@B52]^ • • ○ • • •
Lewis (2006)^[@B48]^ • • • • • •
Nelson (2017)^[@B58]^ • ○ • • • •
Terhorst ([@B31])^[@B29]^ ○ • ○ • • •
van den Dolder ([@B32])^[@B37]^ ○ ○ ○ • • •
Other systematic reviews (AMSTAR score 8 or lower)
Cheng (2014)^[@B68]^ • • ○ • • •
Ezzo ([@B34])^[@B50]^ • • ○ • • •
Kukimoto ([@B35])^[@B69]^ • • • ○ • •
Lee ([@B36])^[@B70]^ • • • • • •
Yeun ([@B37])^[@B71]^ • • ○ • • •
Yuan ([@B38])^[@B11]^ • • • • • •
Ernst ([@B39])^[@B72]^ • • • • • •
Ranjbaran ([@B40])^[@B73]^ • • ○ ○ ○ ○
Ajimsha ([@B41])^[@B74]^ • • ○ • • •
Ernst ([@B42])^[@B75]^ • • ○ • • •
Keeratitanont ([@B43])^[@B43]^ • • ○ • • •
Pan ([@B44])^[@B36]^ ○ • • • • •
Lin ([@B45])^[@B33]^ ○ • ○ • • •
Richards ([@B46])^[@B76]^ • • • • • •
Barreto (2017)^[@B44]^ • • ○ ○ • ○
Sut (2017)^[@B41]^ • • ○ ○ ○ •
Kong ([@B49])^[@B47]^ • • ○ ○ • •
•, Yes; ○, no.
AMSTAR, Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews.
Thirty-eight of the systematic reviews focused solely on interventions they categorized as massage, while the other 11 included other types of similar interventions in a broader grouping, with the most common group being some type of complementary and integrative medicine.^[@B5],[@B14],[@B29],[@B33]^ Other broader groups of interventions included exercise,^[@B37]^ noninvasive treatments,^[@B38]^ aromatherapy,^[@B39]^ and conservative treatments,^[@B40]^ which included silicone gel application, ultrasound, pressure therapy, hydration, and combinations of therapies in addition to massage.
A description of massage style was included in all but three of the systematic reviews. There was considerable variability both within individual systematic reviews, as well as between reviews in what is considered to be massage. Six reviews included studies of particular types of massage as follows: aromatherapy massage,^[@B41],[@B42]^ traditional Thai massage,^[@B43]^ Swedish massage,^[@B44]^ Tui Na,^[@B45]^ and deep transverse friction massage.^[@B46]^ Another two systematic reviews included studies of therapeutic massage; however, they included a different range of therapies within this categorization, with one including chiropractic management in their review,^[@B47]^ while the other explicitly excluded manipulation techniques.^[@B48]^ Other systematic reviews had general inclusion criteria for massage interventions, and there was variety in whether related interventions like reflexology or manipulation techniques were included. Some common massage types included Swedish massage, myofascial therapies, Shiatsu, Chinese traditional massage, Thai massage, slow stroke massage, and more general descriptions of massage. As noted in one high-quality systematic review that focused on massage as the sole intervention,^[@B49]^ most of the primary research studies "lacked a clear definition, description, or rationale for massage, the massage technique, or both." Abridged descriptions for each systematic review are provided in the evidence tables ([Appendix Table A1](#T3){ref-type="table"}).
The feature of massage least often described in the systematic reviews was the provider of the massage therapy. Twenty-five systematic reviews did not provide descriptions of the massage provider. Multiple reviews mentioned that primary research study descriptions often did not provide this information, which affected the reviewers\' abilities to abstract and report on provider information systematically.^[@B34],[@B49],[@B50]^
Forty-seven systematic reviews included descriptions of the other interventions against which massage was compared (i.e., comparators), and 46 reviews described the duration or timing of massage treatment. Comparators varied between trials, including no treatment; usual care; active treatment that is not another form of massage, such as exercise therapy or relaxation therapy; and inactive treatment, such as sham or rest. Often there was considerable heterogeneity in comparators within systematic reviews. Forty-two reviews included descriptions of co-interventions or reported that they excluded studies with co-interventions. Comparators, duration, and co-interventions were most often reported for each primary study included in the review, with variability between these primary studies. Some reviews, like the one by Furlan et al.,^[@B14]^ parsed out findings for different comparators, while many did not.
Evidence map {#s021}
------------
[Figure 2](#f2){ref-type="fig"} presents the results of the evidence mapping process. The evidence map displays each of the 49 included systematic reviews as bubbles. As noted in the [Materials and Methods](#s002){ref-type="sec"} section, the bubble label represents the pain indication in that review. The bubble size denotes the number of primary studies included in that review specifically related to massage for pain. Primary studies may be included in multiple systematic reviews. Each bubble was plotted according to the strength of the findings for massage for pain (*y*-axis, color) and the effect massage had on pain (*x*-axis). The evidence tables provide details of included systematic reviews ([Appendix Table A1](#T3){ref-type="table"}).
{#f2}
Specific findings from systematic reviews in the evidence map {#s022}
-------------------------------------------------------------
Of the 49 systematic reviews included in the map, none described moderate- or high-strength findings, 14 high-quality reviews described low-strength findings, 18 high-quality reviews described very low-strength findings, and 17 reviews were of lower quality, and thus, authors were not able to determine the strength of their findings due to multiple potential sources of bias. The authors present details in the Evidence Table ([Appendix Table A1](#T3){ref-type="table"}).
### Low-strength findings from 14 systematic reviews {#s023}
Fourteen high-quality systematic reviews found low-strength findings, which according to the GRADE approach means that there is limited confidence in the effect estimate and "the true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect."^[@B23]^ Of the 14 reviews in this group, 8 reviews summarized their findings using language consistent with the GRADE approach, and the authors relied on their strength of evidence assessment for their overall findings.^[@B14],[@B37],[@B38],[@B40],[@B42],[@B51]^ The authors assigned low strength to the overall findings in three reviews that couched their findings in the need for further research and described uncertainty due to several limitations in the primary research,^[@B8],[@B54],[@B55]^ as these descriptions most closely aligned with a low strength of evidence level. Finally, three reviews had multiple findings that were not aggregated.^[@B56]^ The authors assigned a GRADE strength of evidence to their overall findings that most closely aligned with the most prevalent strength of evidence they had assigned to their multiple findings.
Nine of the 14 reviews found that massage was potentially better than the comparator in a variety of conditions: postoperative pain,^[@B51],[@B54]^ shoulder pain,^[@B37]^ pain during labor,^[@B55]^ low back pain,^[@B32],[@B38]^ cancer-related pain,^[@B52]^ delayed onset muscle soreness,^[@B53]^ and musculoskeletal pain.^[@B56]^ One review broadly studying massage for many painful conditions also reached low strength findings that massage can be beneficial across multiple conditions.^[@B8],[@B56]^ Four systematic reviews described mixed results, with massage sometimes performing better than the comparator, with low-strength findings (see specific findings in the Evidence Tables, [Appendix Table A1](#T3){ref-type="table"}).^[@B14],[@B40],[@B57],[@B58]^ One review focused on massage for low back pain^[@B57]^ and found that massage showed potential benefit compared to inactive controls for pain in the short term, but not in the long-term follow-up. This review also found that massage showed potential benefit compared to active controls for pain in both short and long-term follow-up. A second review from the same group looked more broadly at complementary and alternative medicine for back and neck pain and found that massage was superior to placebo, no treatment, relaxation, or physical therapy.^[@B14]^ These findings were varied based on pain acuity and sometime by type (e.g., chronic low back pain compared with nonspecific low back pain). The third review with mixed results described evidence related to massage for arthritis,^[@B58]^ with massage showing potential benefits compared to inactive treatments but unclear benefits compared with other types of treatment. The final review in this group examined a range of conservative treatments and described reductions in pain for burn scars in the massage groups in two studies reporting pain outcomes, one of which compared massage to usual care, while the other study did not include a comparator.^[@B40]^ The final review reaching low strength findings found no statistical difference between massage and the comparator groups in a pooled analysis of three studies with cancer pain outcomes.^[@B42]^
### Very low-strength findings from 18 systematic reviews {#s024}
Eighteen high-quality systematic reviews found very low-strength findings, which according to the GRADE approach means that there is "very little confidence in the effect estimate. The true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect. Any estimate of effect is very uncertain."^[@B23]^ Of the 18 reviews in this group, 11 reviews summarized their findings using language consistent with the GRADE approach, and the authors relied on their strength of evidence assessment for their overall findings.^[@B10],[@B34],[@B35],[@B39],[@B45],[@B46],[@B49],[@B59]^ The authors assigned low strength to the overall findings in seven reviews that used language that characterized their findings as preliminary or weak, or described wide variability in the evidence,^[@B5],[@B9],[@B29],[@B48],[@B63]^ as these descriptions most closely aligned with a very low strength of evidence level.
Of the reviews with very low-strength findings, nine reviews suggested that massage may be better than the comparator for pain related to a variety of conditions, including fibromyalgia,^[@B65]^ temporomandibular disorder,^[@B64]^ neck and shoulder, ^[@B63]^ cancer,^[@B9],[@B59]^ postoperative pain,^[@B62]^ burn pain,^[@B60]^ cervical radiopathy,^[@B45]^ and back pain.^[@B5]^ Two reviews with very low-strength findings described mixed results for musculoskeletal pain^[@B10]^ and cancer pain.^[@B34]^ These reviews described studies that were split between showing no difference and improvements in pain with massage treatments, with small sample sizes and other methodological considerations creating additional uncertainty noted by the review authors. Six reviews found very low strength of evidence demonstrating unclear findings for massage.^[@B35],[@B39],[@B46],[@B48],[@B49],[@B61]^ These reviews all described the need for more research before any conclusions could be drawn for topics, including tendinitis, labor, neck pain, headache, cancer, and other musculoskeletal conditions. The final review with very low-strength findings suggested that there was no difference between massage and the included comparators---standard care, discussion groups, yoga, lymph drainage, relaxation, and sham transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)---for fibromyalgia pain.^[@B31]^
### Description of remaining 17 systematic reviews {#s025}
Seventeen systematic reviews were scored as having not met three or more quality criteria using AMSTAR. This indicates that there were flaws in the reporting or methodology of these systematic reviews that make it difficult to determine how their findings should be interpreted. As such, these findings were not able to be categorized by strength, and the conclusions drawn in these systematic reviews should be interpreted with caution. To the extent that higher quality systematic reviews have covered the same topics, these findings may be interpreted with more confidence than the findings in this group of lower quality reviews. Many topics in this group have been the subject of higher quality systematic reviews included in this evidence map, including neck, fibromyalgia, low back, cancer, shoulder, labor, and postoperative pain.
Discussion {#s026}
==========
This evidence mapping process found a range of evidence on massage for pain, including 49 systematic reviews, and identified gaps in evidence, particularly relating to details of massage therapy provided. Findings from 12 high-quality reviews reached low strength findings that there may be potential benefits of massage for pain indications, including labor, shoulder, neck and low back, cancer, postoperative, arthritis, delayed onset muscle soreness, and musculoskeletal pain. One high-quality systematic review broadly studying massage for many painful conditions also reached low strength findings that massage can be beneficial across multiple conditions.^[@B8],[@B56]^ In addition, nine high-quality systematic reviews reached very low strength findings of potential benefits of massage for pain indications, including fibromyalgia, temporomandibular disorder, burn, and cervical radiopathy. However, no findings were rated as moderate or high strength, suggesting that there were methodological limitations pervasive in this literature and that more research is needed to establish confidence in the effect of massage for pain. Of the lower quality reviews, some overlapped in scope with higher quality reviews while others did not, suggesting that these topics be revisited with strong synthesis methodology before conclusions can be drawn from the findings. None of the reviews included in this evidence map found massage to be worse than the comparator.
Systematic review authors found that primary studies often do not provide adequate details of the massage therapy provided, especially in the descriptions of provider type. The lack of information provided about the practitioner affected the reviewers\' abilities to abstract and report on provider information systematically.^[@B34],[@B49],[@B50]^ In addition, terminology is unclear, with no standardized definition of massage types or what specific therapies are included under the umbrella term "massage." Some reviews included terms such as "manipulation reflexology," "cross fiber friction," and "connective tissue release techniques," while others used the general term "Western massage" and "comprehensive massage." Given this lack of standardization and reporting, the authors are unable to determine if there are particular types of massage that are more or less effective for painful conditions more broadly or if there are specific massage types that have distinct utility for particular painful conditions.
Their approach has several limitations inherent to evidence maps and other evidence synthesis methods involving the review as the unit of analysis, rather than synthesizing data from individual studies.^[@B24]^ Included systematic reviews that cover similar topic areas may have large overlap in terms of the primary studies they include, but because their unit of analysis is systematic reviews, rather than primary studies, the inclusion of the same studies in multiple reviews does not create issues of bias, rather the potential for bias arises when multiple reviews reach the same conclusions and create the appearance of more evidence for a particular topic than there actually is. Thus, in interpreting the evidence map, it is imperative that the bubbles not be interpreted as additive. Rather, multiple bubbles with differing results may suggest the maturing of evidence in a certain area when a newer and larger review draws a different conclusion, or may highlight the nascent or unclear nature of evidence in concurrent reviews that reach different findings. Another common limitation anticipated by Ballard was that many of their reviews covered material out of their evidence map scope. To address this concern, the authors extracted only the information relevant to pain and massage. The range of quality of identified systematic reviews was assessed using AMSTAR, and findings were discussed separately for lower quality reviews. Thus, the potential for bias that these lower quality reviews introduce rendered us unable to determine the strength of their findings. And while the authors did rely on the strength of evidence provided by the high-quality reviews whenever possible, it is possible that their determination of strength of evidence may have been different from those determined by the authors. The authors did review and agree with all GRADE strength of evidence assignments reported in the map based on the descriptions of the evidence presented in the reviews, but the authors did not retrieve all primary studies, and thus must caution readers that the authors have not conducted their own independent evaluation of the quality of evidence within the reviews presented. Finally, because the authors relied on past literature syntheses as their source of evidence, any publications not included in those reviews, such as newer trials or those that were not identified in the past systematic reviews, are not taken into account in the findings of this evidence map. While this mapping approach does capture the evidence across the various conditions and massage types in a broad sense, any detailed analysis of a particular condition or massage type should include an update search within that more focused scope to answer questions related to efficacy or effect.
The evidence mapping process can also inform future research priorities. When multiple systematic reviews within the evidence map overlap in pain indications, cross-checking of these reviews may be necessary to determine if the same primary studies are being described, the extent of the overlap, and applicability of some or all findings in a review for a particular research or policy question. For example, the four fibromyalgia systematic reviews had differing findings, with one each in the no difference, unclear mixed results, and potentially better categories. While there are some studies that overlap between these systematic reviews, there are also unique primary studies, with each review drawing conclusions from different sets of data. A future synthesis could compile studies included in all four reviews and develop new findings inclusive of all potential evidence. In addition, the topics with multiple bubbles, especially with differing findings, may be areas that are ripe for an updated systematic review. Other areas where future synthesis efforts would be beneficial include updating pain indications for which existing reviews are outdated (e.g., critical care). Date of publication and quality of review are also important considerations, especially when multiple systematic reviews have been conducted in the same topic area. As the evidence base grows, newer publications may have a larger amount of evidence to draw from, but newer reviews can also be of lower quality, and reviews identified during this mapping process varied in quality across time. In these cases, older higher quality syntheses offer more robust findings.
Learning from past research through evidence synthesis in a broad area such as massage for pain can require an iterative and tailored approach. Different audiences will be interested in parsing out the evidence most relevant to their needs and interests, and scopes will accordingly vary. Recently, a diverse set of stakeholders and subject matter experts were convened as the Evidence for Massage Therapy (EMT) Working Group to make recommendations about the use of massage for pain.^[@B66],[@B67]^ The evidence synthesis work to support this group\'s recommendation process was broad, and the three resulting publications are of high quality and are included in their map.^[@B56],[@B59],[@B62]^ The EMT working group highlights the promise massage offers to help "overcome the current opioid-focused old thinking that has devastated many lives."^[@B67]^ A separate effort to update the American College of Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline for nonpharmacologic therapies for low back pain included other synthesis work from multiple groups included in the current evidence map.^[@B26],[@B32]^ This evidence map provides a broad overview that may serve as an entry point to better understand these various efforts.
Conclusion {#s027}
==========
Prior reviews have conclusions of low strength of evidence because few primary studies of large samples with rigorous methods had been conducted, leaving evidence gaps about specific massage type for specific pain indications. Primary studies often do not provide adequate details of massage therapy provided, limiting the extent to which reviews are able to draw conclusions about characteristics such as provider type.
Supplementary Material
======================
###### Supplemental data
This review is part of a larger review commissioned by the Department of Veterans Affairs, funded by the Veterans Affairs Quality Enhancement Research Initiative.
Author Disclosure Statement {#s028}
===========================
No competing financial interests exist.
Supplementary Material {#s029}
======================
[Supplementary Table S1](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}
[Supplementary Data](#SD1){ref-type="supplementary-material"}
Appendix 1. Criteria Used in Quality Assessment {#s030}
===============================================
Modified AMSTAR---a measurement tool to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews.
NOTE: where alterations were made to original AMSTAR criteria, language is bolded. Removal of original criteria is displayed with a strikethrough, and additions are displayed in italics.
1. Was an "*a priori*" design provided?
2. The research question and inclusion criteria should be established before the conduct of the review.
3. Note: Need to refer to a protocol, ethics approval, or predetermined/*a priori* published research objectives to score a "yes."
4. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
5. Was there duplicate study selection and data extraction?
6. There should be at least two independent data extractors, and a consensus procedure for disagreements should be in place.
7. Note: 2 people do study selection, 2 people do data extraction, consensus process, or one person checks the other\'s work.
8. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
9. Was a comprehensive literature search performed?
10. At least two electronic sources should be searched. The report must include years and databases used (e.g., Central, EMBASE, and MEDLINE). Key words and/or MESH terms must be stated and where feasible the search strategy should be provided. All searches should be supplemented by consulting current contents, reviews, textbooks, specialized registers, or experts in the particular field of study, and by reviewing the references in the studies found.
11. Note: If at least 2 sources ~~**+ one supplementary strategy used,**~~ select "yes" (Cochrane register/Central counts as 2 sources; a gray literature search counts as supplementary).
12. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
13. Was the status of publication (i.e. gray literature) used as an inclusion criterion?
14. The authors should state that they searched for reports regardless of their publication type. The authors should state whether or not they excluded any reports (from the systematic review), based on their publication status, language etc.
15. Note: If review indicates that there was a search for "gray literature" or "unpublished literature," indicate "yes." SIGLE database, dissertations, conference proceedings, and trial registries are all considered gray for this purpose. If searching a source that contains both gray and nongray, must specify that they were searching for gray/unpublished lit.
16. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
17. Was a list of studies (included ~~**and excluded**~~) provided?
18. A list of included ~~**and excluded**~~ studies should be provided.
19. Note: Acceptable if the excluded studies are referenced. If there is an electronic link to the list but the link is dead, select "no."
20. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
21. Were the characteristics of the included studies provided?
22. n an aggregated form such as a table, data from the original studies should be provided on the participants, interventions, and outcomes. The ranges of characteristics in all the studies analyzed, e.g., age, race, sex, relevant socioeconomic data, disease status, duration, severity, or other diseases, should be reported.
23. Note: Acceptable if not in table format as long as they are described as above.
24. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
25. Was the scientific quality of the included studies assessed and documented?
26. "*A priori*" methods of assessment should be provided (e.g., for effectiveness studies if the author(s) chose to include only randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled studies, or allocation concealment as inclusion criteria); for other types of studies alternative items will be relevant.
27. Note: Can include use of a quality scoring tool or checklist, e.g., Jadad scale, risk of bias, sensitivity analysis, etc., or a description of quality items, with some kind of result for EACH study ("low" or "high" is fine, as long as it is clear which studies scored "low" and which scored "high"; a summary score/range for all studies is not acceptable).
28. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
29. Was the scientific quality of the included studies used appropriately in formulating conclusions?
30. The results of the methodological rigor and scientific quality should be considered in the analysis and the conclusions of the review and explicitly stated in formulating recommendations.
31. Note: Might say something such as "the results should be interpreted with caution due to poor quality of included studies." Cannot score "yes" for this question if scored "no" for question 7.
32. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
33. Were the methods used to combine the findings of studies appropriate?
34. For the pooled results, a test should be done to ensure the studies were combinable, to assess their homogeneity (i.e., Chi-squared test for homogeneity, I2). If heterogeneity exists a random effects model should be used and/or the clinical appropriateness of combining should be taken into consideration (i.e., is it sensible to combine?).
35. Note: Indicate "yes" if they mention or describe heterogeneity, i.e., if they explain that they cannot pool because of heterogeneity/variability between interventions.
36. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
37. Was the likelihood of publication bias assessed?
38. An assessment of publication bias should include a combination of graphical aids (e.g., funnel plot and other available tests) and/or statistical tests (e.g., Egger regression test and Hedges-Olken).
39. Note: If no test values or funnel plot included, score "no". Score "yes" if it mentions that publication bias could not be assessed because there were fewer than 10 included studies.
40. **For strictly narrative systematic reviews (i.e., no quantitative methods employed), some narrative discussion of publication bias is required to score yes.**
41. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
42. Was the conflict of interest included?
43. Potential sources of support should be clearly acknowledged in ~~**both**~~ the systematic review ~~**and the included studies**~~.
44. *Note: To get a "yes," must indicate source of funding or support for the systematic ~~**review AND for each of the included studies**~~*.
45. Yes/ No/ Can\'t answer/ Not applicable
Original source: Shea BJ, Grimshaw JM, Wells GA, et al. Development of AMSTAR: A measurement tool to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews. BMC Med Res Methodol 2007;7:1.
######
Evidence Table for Included Systematic Reviews
*First author (year)* *Description of systematic review* *Description of massage* *Description of pain* *Findings relevant to massage; SOE*
---------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bardia ([@B1])^[@BA1]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 4/18 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 11 Style: not provided; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: unclear; Duration: provided; comparators: provided Cancer pain Mix of results from methodologically weak studies; very low SOE.
Chou ([@B2])^[@BA2]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 21/156 includes relevant to massage; Quality Score: 11 Style: massage techniques were variable; Provider: not provided; Co-intervention: provided; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided Low back pain (nonradicular low back pain, radicular low back pain, and symptomatic spinal stenosis) For subacute low back pain (SOE: low for pain); For chronic low back pain, (SOE: low for pain). For subacute to chronic low back pain, a systematic review found massage associated with better effects on short-term pain in seven of nine trials and better effects on short-term function in three of four trials (SOE: moderate for pain); low SOE.
Furlan, (2010)^[@BA3]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 35/356 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 11 Style: myofascial pressure release, transverse friction, connective tissue, traditional chinese massage, soft tissue, Swedish, Thai, bone setting, reflexology, accupressure, underwater, roptrotherapy, undescribed styles; Provider: included: licensed or experienced massage therapists, physical therapists, reflexologists, acupressure therapists, folk healers, general practitioners, manual therapists, bone setter, chiropractic students, and not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Acute and chronic low back pain, neck pain Massage was superior to placebo or no treatment in reducing pain (grade: moderate) immediately post-treatment only in subjects with acute/subacute but not in subjects with chronic low back pain (grade: low). Massage was significantly better than relaxation (clinical importance of difference: medium degree) or physical therapy (clinical importance of difference: large degree) in reducing chronic nonspecific low back pain intensity immediately after the treatment (grade: low to moderate). Massage was better than no treatment in reducing immediate-term post-treatment pain intensity in subjects with chronic or unknown duration of nonspecific pain (grade: low). Massage was better than placebo in reducing neck pain intensity immediately after the treatment in subjects with acute/subacute or unknown duration of nonspecific pain (grade: low); low SOE.
Furlan, (2015)^[@BA4]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 25/25 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 11 Style: soft-tissue manual manipulation; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Acute and chronic low back pain Massage was better than inactive controls for pain in the short term, but not in the long-term follow-up. Massage was better than active controls for pain both in the short and long-term follow-ups. There were no reports of serious adverse events in any of these trials. The most common adverse events were increased pain intensity in 1.5%--25% of the participants; low SOE.
Guo ([@B5])^[@BA5]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 11/11 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 11 Style: most of the trials used western massage techniques or Swedish massage techniques, including effleurage and petrissage; Provider: not provided; Co-intervention: provided; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided DOMS Pooled analysis from eleven articles demonstrated that muscle soreness rating decreased significantly when the participants received massage intervention compared with no intervention at 24 h. The current evidence suggests that massage therapy after strenuous exercise could be effective for alleviating DOMS and improving muscle performance; low SOE.
Haraldsson ([@B6])^[@BA6]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 19/19 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 11 Style: soft tissue manual manipulation, including Swedish techniques, fascial or connective tissue release techniques, cross fiber friction, and myofascial trigger point techniques; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Chronic neck pain No recommendations for practice can be made at this time because the effectiveness of massage for neck pain remains uncertain; very low SOE.
Loew ([@B7])^[@BA7]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 2/2 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 11 Style: deep transverse friction massage; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Lateral elbow or lateral knee tendinitis The authors do not have sufficient evidence to determine the effects of deep transverse friction on pain, improvement in grip strength, and functional status for patients with lateral elbow tendinitis or knee tendinitis, as no evidence of clinically important benefits was found; very low SOE.
Shin ([@B8])^[@BA8]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 6/19 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 11 Style: massage with carrier oil, aromatherapy; Provider: provided; Co-intervention: none; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided Cancer-related pain There was a lack of evidence on the clinical effectiveness of massage for symptom relief in people with cancer. Most studies were too small to be reliable and key outcomes were not reported; very low SOE.
Smith ([@B9])^[@BA9]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 6/6 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 11 Style: massage applied for 30 min during each phase of labor, 30 min during contractions, slow rhythmic long stroke massage, effleurage; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: none; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Labor pain The six studies were of reasonable quality but more participants are needed to provide robust information ... women who used massage felt less pain during labor compared with women given usual care during first stage. However, more research is needed; low SOE.
Wei ([@B10])^[@BA10]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 3/5 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 11 Style: Tui Na; Provider: not provided; Co-intervention: provided; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided Cervical radiculopathy Tui Na alone or Tui Na plus cervical traction may be helpful to cervical radiculopathy patients, but supportive evidence seems generally weak; very low SOE.
Anthonissen ([@B11])^[@BA11]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 2/22 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 10 Style: soft tissue mobilization, massage with cocoa butter, skin rehabilitation massage (detailed descriptions provided); Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: standard care, no treatment Scar pain A reduction of pain was shown in two studies ... these findings were based on subjective rating scales and mostly based on trials with small sample sizes; low SOE.
Boitor ([@B12])^[@BA12]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 12/12 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 10 Style: Swedish massage, effleurage, petrissage, and the application of moderate pressure over different body areas, including the feet, back, and hands; Provider: provided for some studies; Co-intervention: provided; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided Postoperative pain from postcardiac surgery Massage reduced the intensity of acute postoperative pain of critically and acutely ill patients postcardiac surgery compared to sham massage or attention control and compared to standard care alone. Their findings suggest that massage therapy can be of benefit to patients postcardiac surgery; however, more RCTs are needed to evaluate its effect; low SOE.
Boyd ([@B13])^[@BA13]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 16/16 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 10 Style: Swedish massage, M technique massage, effleurage; Provider: provided; Co-intervention: provided; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided Postoperative pain Weak recommendations are suggested for massage therapy, compared to active comparators, for reducing pain intensity/severity in patients undergoing surgical procedures; very low SOE.
Boyd ([@B13])^[@BA14]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 13/16 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 10 Style: Thai massage, therapeutic massage, lymphatic drainage; Provider: provided; Co-intervention: provided; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided Cancer pain Based on the evidence, weak recom- mendations are suggested for massage therapy, compared to an active comparator, for the treatment of pain. No recommendations were suggested for massage therapy compared to no treatment or sham control based on the available literature to date; very low SOE.
Crawford ([@B15])^[@BA15]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 67/67 includes relevant to massage; Quality Score: 10 Style: massage therapy, myofascial release therapy, traditional Thai massage, and ischemic compression; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Musculoskeletal pain Massage therapy for musculoskeletal pain, compared to no treatment, should be strongly recommended as a pain management option. Massage therapy for musculoskeletal pain is weakly recommended for reducing pain, compared to other sham or active comparators; low SOE.
Huntley ([@B16])^[@BA16]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 2/12 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 10 Style: provided; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Labor pain Both of the massage trials showed positive effects for the relief of pain during labor. These trials did not rate highly on the Jadad scale because it is impossible to make any definitive conclusions regarding effectiveness in labor pain control; very low SOE.
Kong ([@B17])^[@BA17]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 12/12 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 10 Style: massage therapy, Chinese traditional massage, soft tissue massage, slow-stroke back massage, manual pressure release, strain/counterstrain technique, myofascial band therapy, Thai massage; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: none; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Acute and chronic neck pain, acute and chronic shoulder pain In immediate effects, the meta-analyses showed significant effect of manual therapy for neck pain (SMD: 1.79; 95% CIs: 1.01--2.57); very low SOE.
Li ([@B18])^[@BA18]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 9/9 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 10 Style: Swedish massage, connective tissue, Shiatsu, Therapeutic Touch, unspecified, Chinese traditional massage, myofascial therapy; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: none; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Fibromyalgia Massage therapy with duration ≥5 weeks had beneficial immediate effects on improving pain in patients with fibromyalgia. The meta-analyses showed that massage therapy with duration ≥5 weeks significantly improved pain (SMD: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.05--1.20; *p* = 0.03); very low SOE.
Miozzo ([@B19])^[@BA19]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 10/10 includes relevant to massage; Quality Score: 10 Style: massage therapy was performed covering different parts of the body, such as hands, legs, and back; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Cardiac postoperative pain Massage therapy was associated with decreased pain in the postoperative period compared to the control group. Massage therapy might be a useful method to reduce pain and anxiety in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, but large-scale and high-quality RCTs are needed; low SOE.
Patel ([@B20])^[@BA20]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 15/15 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 10 Style: included Swedish techniques, fascial or connective tissue release techniques, cross fiber friction, and myofascial trigger point techniques; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: included no treatment, hot packs, active range-of-movement exercises, acupuncture, exercises, sham laser, manual traction, mobilization, and education Acute and chronic neck pain without radiculopathy, cervicogenic headache, neck disorders with radiculopathy No firm conclusions could be drawn, and the effectiveness of massage for improving neck pain and function remains unclear. There was very low level evidence that massage may have been more beneficial than education in the short term for pain bothersomeness; very low SOE.
Piper ([@B21])^[@BA21]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 6/6 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 10 Style: soft-tissue therapy; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: placebo/sham, waiting list (wait and see), or no intervention Carpal tunnel syndrome, lateral epicondylitis, subacromial impingement syndrome, plantar fasciitis Myofascial release therapy was effective for treating lateral epicondylitis and plantar fasciitis. Localized relaxation massage combined with multimodal care may provide short-term benefit for treating carpal tunnel syndrome. More high quality research is needed to study the appropriateness and comparative effectiveness of this widely utilized form of treatment; low SOE.
Wilkinson ([@B22])^[@BA22]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 4/10 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 10 Style: soft tissue manual manipulation, including foot massage, Swedish, unspecified, aromatherapy/carrier oil massage; Provider: a therapist with recognized qualification; Co-interventions: not provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Cancer symptoms, including pain In the four studies using pain as an outcome measure, there was a nonstatistically significant trend toward improvement; very low SOE.
Ault ([@B23])^[@BA23]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 2/8 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 9 Style: rehabilitation massage (effluerage, friction, and petrissage massage); Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Burn scar Pain, as measured by a visual analogue scale for pain, was shown to decrease postintervention in two studies. It appears that there is preliminary evidence to suggest that scar massage may be effective to decrease scar pain in hypertrophic burn scaring. This review reflects the poor quality of evidence and lack of consistent and valid scar assessment tools; very low SOE.
Bervoets ([@B24])^[@BA24]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 26/26 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 9 Style: Swedish massage, Thai massage, self-massage, combination of techniques, not described; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Low back pain, shoulder pain, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis of the knee, chronic musculoskeletal pain, neck pain, chronic patellar tendinopathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, hand pain, and hand osteoarthritis Low-to-moderate level evidence indicated that: (1) massage reduces pain in the short term compared to no treatment in people with shoulder pain; (2) massage reduces pain in the short term compared to no treatment in people with osteoarthritis of the knee; (3) massage does not reduce pain in those with low back pain; (4) massage does not reduce pain in those with neck pain. Low-to-very-low-level evidence from single studies indicated no clear benefits of massage over active treatments in people with: (5) fibromyalgia, (6) low back pain, and (7) general musculoskeletal pain; very low SOE.
Calixtre ([@B25])^[@BA25]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 8/8 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 9 Style: provided; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Acute and chronic temporomandibular disorder Widely varying evidence that manual therapy improves pain and pressure pain threshold in subjects with temporomandibular disorder signs and symptoms, depending on the technique; very low SOE.
Chen ([@B26])^[@BA26]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 3/3 includes relevant to massage; Quality Score: 9 Style: massage with essential oil; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: none; Duration: not provided; Comparators: provided Cancer pain Compared with the control group in the meta-analysis, the massage with essential oil group had nonsignificant effect on reducing the pain. Further rigorous studies should be conducted with more objective measures; low SOE.
Cherkin ([@B27])^[@BA27]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 8/17 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 9 Style: included to therapeutic massage, comprehensive massage, unspecified; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Back pain Two reviews, including five studies in total, concluded that high-quality trials were needed before the value of massage for back pain could be determined. The three RCTs that evaluated massage reported that this therapy is effective for subacute and chronic back pain. Initial studies suggest that massage is effective for persistent back pain; very low SOE.
Lee ([@B28])^[@BA28]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 12/12 includes relevant to massage; Quality Score: 9 Style: body massage, foot reflexology, aroma massage; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: none; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Cancer pain The authors report that massage therapy largely reduced cancer pain in patients in 12 studies. Comparing massage therapy with no treatment or conventional care, massage therapy was effective in relieving pain in cancer patients. The current study also noted that massage effectively relieved cancer pain, in all types of cancer included in the study. In addition, foot reflexology appears to be the most effective type of massage, by comparison with body massage and aroma massage; low SOE.
Lewis (2006)^[@BA29]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 20/20 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 9 Style: therapeutic massage, including Swedish; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: none; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Musculoskeletal pain (low back, neck, various chronic, shoulder, diffuse, eccentric exercise limb, postrunning soreness) Research on the effectiveness of therapeutic massage (TM) to relieve pain of musculoskeletal origin is inconclusive. TM was superior to no treatment in 5 out of 10 comparisons, superior to sham laser treatment in 1 out of 2 comparisons, and superior to active treatment in 7 out of 22 comparisons; very low SOE.
Nelson (2017)^[@BA30]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 7/7 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 9 Style: not provided; Provider: provided; Co-intervention: none; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided Arthritis Their results found low-to moderate quality evidence that massage therapy is superior to nonactive therapies in reducing pain and improving certain functional outcomes. It is unclear whether massage therapy is more effective than other forms of treatment; low SOE.
Terhorst ([@B31])^[@BA31]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 6/60 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 9 Style: Swedish massage, connective tissue massage, tui na and yoga, massage; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Fibromyalgia Of the five pooled studies, four showed no effect; and the composite effect indicated that massage was not effective in reducing Fibromyalgia pain in this set of studies. All studies scored low or very low quality; very low SOE.
van den Dolder ([@B32])^[@BA32]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 7/23 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 9 Style: not provided; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Acute and chronic shoulder pain There is low-quality evidence that soft tissue massage is effective for improving pain in patients with shoulder pain in the short term; low SOE.
Cheng (2014)^[@BA33]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 15/15 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 8 Style: Chinese traditional massage, common Western massage, manual pressure release, strain/counterstrain technique, and myofascial band therapy; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Chronic neck pain This systematic review found moderate evidence of manual therapy on improving pain in patients with neck pain compared with inactive therapies and limited evidence compared with Traditional Chinese Medicine; unable to determine SOE.
Ezzo ([@B34])^[@BA34]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 14/19 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 8 Style: soft tissue manual manipulation, including Swedish techniques, fascial or connective tissue release techniques, cross fiber friction, and myofascial trigger point techniques; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Acute and chronic neck pain The contribution of massage to managing cervical pain remains unclear; unable to determine SOE.
Kukimoto ([@B35])^[@BA35]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 9/10 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 8 Style: a variety of massage therapy methods, but most used Swedish massage; Provider: provided; Co-intervention: unclear; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided Postoperative pain Massage therapy may alleviate postoperative pain, although there are limits on generalization of these findings due to low methodological quality in the reviewed studies; unable to determine SOE.
Lee ([@B36])^[@BA36]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 3/23 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 8 Style: Thai massage, therapeutic massage, lymphatic drainage; Provider: provided; Co-intervention: none; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided Breast cancer-related symptoms Three studies evaluated the impact of massage therapy on pain. Two studies compared massage therapy and standard care, with a significant change in pain levels favoring massage. The other study compared reflexology, lay foot manipulation, and standard care, and trends toward improvement were noted; unable to determine SOE
Yeun ([@B37])^[@BA37]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 14/15 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 8 Style: provided; Provider: unclear; Co-intervention: provided; Duration: provided; Comparator: provided Shoulder pain The findings from this review suggest that massage therapy is effective at improving shoulder pain. The results indicate that the effect size of short-term efficacy was large and robust, thereby supporting the hypothesis that massage is an effective treatment for reducing shoulder pain. The effect size of massage therapy was greater compared with no treatment or placebo treatment. However, there were no significant differences in comparisons with the effect sizes of other active treatments such as physical therapy, rest intervention, acupuncture, and self-training; unable to determine SOE.
Yuan ([@B38])^[@BA38]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 10/10 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 8 Style: Swedish massage, connective tissue massage, manual lymphatic drainage, myofascial release, shiatsu, a combination of different massage styles; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Fibromyalgia There is moderate evidence that myofascial release has positive effects on multiple fibromyalgia symptoms, especially pain, anxiety, and depression, for which the effect sizes are clinically relevant. Shiatsu improves pain, and Swedish massage does not improve outcomes; unable to determine SOE.
Ernst ([@B39])^[@BA39]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 8/14 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 7 Style: style not directly addressed aside from: Classical massage was defined as a manual treatment using effleurage (long slow strokes), friction (small circular strokes), percussion (chopping and drumming motions), and petrissage (kneading action on muscles); Provider: excluded lay persons; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Cancer palliation Collectively, studies suggest that massage can alleviate pain; however, the methodological quality was poor, preventing definitive conclusions; unable to determine SOE.
Ranjbaran ([@B40])^[@BA40]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 8/10 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 7 Style: effleurage, stroking, superficial stroking, vibration, ice massage on Hoku point; Provider: not provided; Co-intervention: not provided; Duration: not provided; Comparator: not provided Labor pain This study showed that massage therapy reduces labor pain in overall, as well as separately in the latent, active, and transitional phase of labor; unable to determine SOE.
Ajimsha ([@B41])^[@BA41]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 19/19 includes relevant to massage; Quality Score: 6 Style: myofascial release; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Various conditions Nine studies concluded that myofascial release therapy (MFR) may be better than no treatment or sham treatment for various musculoskeletal and painful conditions. Seven studies demonstrated that MFR with a conventional therapy is more effective than a control group receiving no treatment (three studies), sham treatment (one study), or with a conventional therapy; unable to determine SOE.
Ernst ([@B42])^[@BA42]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 4/4 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 6 Style: gentle stroking back massage, light effleurage, soft tissue lumbosacral massage, underwater massage; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: none; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Low back pain It is concluded that too few trials of massage therapy exist for a reliable evaluation of its efficacy. Massage seems to have some potential as a therapy for low back pain; unable to determine SOE.
Keeratitanont ([@B43])^[@BA43]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 6/6 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 6 Style: traditional Thai massage; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: not provided Chronic myofascial pain syndrome, chronic low back pain, scapulocostal syndrome Traditional Thai massage benefits of pain reduction appear to maintain for up to 15 weeks; unable to determine SOE.
Pan ([@B44])^[@BA44]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 3/21 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 6 Style: Swedish massage, unspecified; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Palliative care patients\' pain Massage with or without aromatherapy, might provide short-term relief for patients with intractable cancer pain. Evidence level 3.3 (second lowest rating of 6); unable to determine SOE.
Lin ([@B45])^[@BA45]^ Includes a variety of interventions, of which massage is one; 7/32 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 5 Style: Swedish massage, nonspecified massage; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Chronic pain (neck pain, nonspecific neck pain, nonspecific chronic low back pain, and knee osteoarthritis) Only one of the seven studies was classified as having strong positive evidence, and the other six were classified as having weak positive evidence. Overall, this treatment was categorized as having preliminary positive evidence for efficacy in pain management; unable to determine SOE.
Richards ([@B46])^[@BA46]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 4/22 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 5 Style: therapeutic massage, myofascial trigger point therapy, Swedish, unspecified; Provider: provided; Co-interventions: provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Pain in critical care setting In studies in which the effect of massage on discomfort was investigated, it was found to be effective in reducing pain; unable to determine SOE.
Barreto (2017)^[@BA47]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 8/11 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 4 Style: Swedish massage; Provider: not provided; Co-intervention: not provided; Duration: provided; Comparator: not provided Various conditions Swedish massage has shown beneficial effects for multiple populations; unable to determine SOE.
Sut (2017)^[@BA48]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 6/6 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 4 Style: aromatherapy massage; Provider: not provided; Co-intervention: not provided; Duration: not provided; Comparator: provided Dysmenorrhea Abdominal aromatherapy massage with essential oils is an effective complementary method to relieve pain in primary dysmenorrhea. Aromatherapy massage with essential oils was superior to massage with placebo oils in the meta-analysis; unable to determine SOE.
Kong ([@B49])^[@BA49]^ Focused solely on massage as the intervention; 10/10 includes relevant to scope; Quality Score: 3 Style: Swedish massage, tui na, other soft tissue manual manipulation; Provider: not provided; Co-interventions: not provided; Duration: provided; Comparators: provided Fibromyalgia All studies reported an association between the therapeutic massage and improved clinical symptom of pain. The meta-analysis results showed that four studies with 3--10 weeks of therapy had a decrease in pain versus either other therapies or no treatment controls. The pooled effect size was −0.92 (95% CI: −1.28 to −0.56) favoring therapeutic massage. The studies are very heterogeneous, and there is insufficient evidence for a definitive conclusion; unable to determine SOE.
CI, confidence interval; DOMS, delayed onset of muscle soreness; RCTs, randomized controlled trials; SMD, standardized mean difference; SOE, strength of evidence.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
Apple Byte
Apple looks to Virtual Reality
Apple is pursuing virtual reality harder than it ever has before. The iPhone 6 can play 4K video, and the best Black Friday deals for Apple products.
4:55 / 27 November 2014
Transcript
[MUSIC]
What's going on, Brian Tong here and welcome to the applebyte for everything inside the world of Apple.
Plus my killer black Friday deals worth paying attention to so lets get to it.
Now a new job posting by Apple reveals that they are looking for engineers experience with 3D Graphics, virtual reality, and augmentive reality.
Now Apple's specifically looking for developers to help build high-performance apps that integrate with virtual reality systems for prototyping and user testing, according to the job post.
Now, we can all pretty much guess.
The new platform will end up being iVR or IveR.
IveR, get it?
Okay, no.
Now, this isn't the first mention of the big A dabbling with virtual reality.
A patent was filed by the big A about a year ago, showcasing their own head-mounted display system for viewing entertainment or playing video games, and even mentioned.
The idea of a fingerprint or retina scan and voice-print analysis to identify users.
Now, they were just awarded the patent for the headset in September of this year, and is there any coincidence with the timing of everything?
Maybe.
We've also seen 3D UI patents in the past for iPhone.
And a few weeks ago we talked about a report claiming that Apple was developing their own glassless 3D tech for the next upcoming iPhone.
VR still has a long ways to go but there's clearly momentum around it for multiple companies including the Oculus Rift team and Sony so we'll continue to track this story.
Alright if we fast forward to the future, maybe we could eventually see that virtual reality tech for a 4K movie experience.
Well, the hardware is all there after the developers of the Walter app discovered the current iPhone 6 with it's A8 processor is capable of playing 4K video without any problems.
Now, the feature hasn't been unlocked yet, and there's really no advantage for users right now because the iPhone doesn't have a 4K screen, but bottom line, the iPhone 6 and 6+ are capable of playing 4K video even if the file sizes are pretty big.
And it's a sign we might see future mobile hardware support sooner rather than later.
Ok I'm still waiting for my iPad Pro Something, anything.
Again, I know I'm not in the majority.
Apple will need something to really help invigorate its tablet sales.
According to the latest report from IDC, worldwide tablet growth.
Is expected to have significantly declined with just a 7.2% year over year growth in 2014 compared to a 52.5% in 2013.
We know there's cheaper alternatives that continue to hurt Apple's worldwide market share.
Then dropped under 23% this year compared to 29% last year, and people really just aren't upgrading their tablet every year or two.
It's more like three or four.
All right Black Friday might already be here, depending on when you're watching this.
And a lot of Black Friday sales are already going on right now, but if you're looking for some great deals this year, my advise is you do not go to an Apple store for those deals.
See, Apple is offering $50 iTunes gift cards when you buy most iPhones and iPads, and $100 iTunes gift cards for Mac, but no actual cash off the retail price, just iTunes cards.
So, don't fall for that.
And here's my top Black Friday deals for you guys to check out.
All right, so if you're looking for iPad deals, Target is doing a $140 Target gift card when you buy a 16 gig iPad Air 2 that's regularly $499.
And $100 with a target gift card with an original iPad air or an iPad mini two.
That's basically like cash that can be used to buy anything in yes, the Tarjay.
Alright, Sam's Club is doing a $99 iPhone 16 gig with a two year contract that beats out anyone out there, but you have to be a member and there will only be 15 units per store, but still a pretty killer deal.
And quite possibly the best deal of all.
Best Buy's MacBook Air is the core i5 1.4 ghz 11 inch laptop will be selling for $780.
It's really the best deal we've seen on an 11 inch anywhere and also they're selling the thirteen inch model for just $1050.
And my personal sleeper deal for you is an Apple TV.
Just go to the actual Apple online store, go to the refurbished section and get one for $75 with free shipping that has the same warranty as a brand new one out of the box.
So there's just a few things that.
Help to save some cash this Black Friday.
Alright another short and sweet show.
That's gonna do it for this week.
Email me anytime at [email protected] or tweet me @briantong.
We're collecting another viewer feedback show and we want to hear everything from you.
Good and bad and come on, I can take it.
And remember to enjoy the holidays with your friends and family, and really there is something we all of us can be thankful for.
I know it sounds corny but.
It's true.
So thanks so much for watching and we'll catch you all next time for another Byte of the Apple.
[MUSIC]
Coming up next
Three iPhone Xs are coming this year -- and one is extra-large
Which new iPads are coming in March?
Apple confirms the HomePod leaves 'white rings' on some wood...
HomePod review: My first week with Apple HomePod
Outcast is the best podcast app for the Apple Watch
The Apple HomePod reviews are here!
iOS 12 will delay new iPhone features
Turn off throttling of your older iPhone with iOS 11.3
Apple HomePod: Everything to know before you buy
The Apple Byte: Viewer feedback special 2017
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1:3612 October 2017
New reports point to Russians using Kaspersky software to steal NSA secrets -- and Israel warned the US about it. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN), one of the most prevalent diabetic complications, asymptomatically progresses in the early stages of the disease. Although early diagnosis is critical, as therapeutic intervention is often delayed, no consensus has been established for early diagnosis. However, fortunately, the recent development of objective quantitative tests that contribute to the diagnosis of DPN has been remarkable. The nerve conduction study (NCS) has long been known as the gold standard test for DPN diagnosis. In an attempt to further develop the possibilities of NCS, Baba *et al*.[1](#jdi13188-bib-0001){ref-type="ref"} proposed an NCS‐based diagnosis and severity classification of DPN (Figure [1](#jdi13188-fig-0001){ref-type="fig"}). Using this classification, it was reported that the cardiovascular prognosis deteriorated significantly after 5 years in the moderate‐to‐severe DPN groups[2](#jdi13188-bib-0002){ref-type="ref"}. Given this result, the reliability of this classification was validated; at the same time, the severity of DPN was recognized as an important factor to define the prognosis of diabetes patients. As NCS requires expensive equipment and well‐trained examiners, it is difficult to clinically popularize the use of NCS. However, the usefulness of the simple NCS device, NC‐stat/DPNCheck™ (Neurometrix, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA), which can reproduce a part of NCS, has been proven. Among studies considering the Asian population, Hirayasu *et al*.[3](#jdi13188-bib-0003){ref-type="ref"} evaluated the difference in normal thresholds of the device between people of Japanese and Caucasian descent. Furthermore, the authors showed the reproducibility of the device for the Japanese population and the strong correlation with conventional NCS[4](#jdi13188-bib-0004){ref-type="ref"}. In the future, researchers should establish further effectiveness of this device in the diagnosis and severity assessment of DPN. Another aspect that can be used for diagnosis and evaluation of DPN is autonomic nervous dysfunction. R‐R interval variability in the electrocardiogram has mainly been used for the diagnosis of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, which is a major diabetic autonomic neuropathy[5](#jdi13188-bib-0005){ref-type="ref"}. However, a recent study reported that orthostatic hypotension, one of the symptoms of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, was found in the so‐called non‐dippers whose blood pressure does not show a normal fall during sleep, in which the cardiovascular prognosis was poor[6](#jdi13188-bib-0006){ref-type="ref"}. It would be necessary to verify the usefulness of the night‐time blood pressure variability as a new parameter of diabetic autonomic neuropathy.
{ref-type="ref"}, *Japanese Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology*, 2018, by permission of Japanese Society of Clinical Neurophysiology. This image/content is not covered by the terms of the Creative Commons license of this publication. For permission to reuse, please contact the rights holder.](JDI-11-25-g001){#jdi13188-fig-0001}
The relationship of DPN to newly‐highlighted diabetic complications has been illuminated by recent findings. Among musculoskeletal complications of diabetes, Charcot neuroarthropathy, also called diabetic neuropathic arthropathy, which is one of the conditions contributing to diabetic foot, has been identified for a long time, although its pathology has not been fully elucidated. One of the most popularly supported hypotheses is that the disease develops in patients with DPN and abnormal bone metabolism, when their condition is compounded by trauma or vascular disorders. It has been suggested that local inflammation, rather than DPN, is a critical factor in its pathogenesis[7](#jdi13188-bib-0007){ref-type="ref"}, [8](#jdi13188-bib-0008){ref-type="ref"}. However, using a corneal confocal microscope, Khan *et al*.[9](#jdi13188-bib-0009){ref-type="ref"} showed that severe impairment of small nerve fibers was associated with the disease. Although it is still difficult to explain the overall pathology of the disease, it was reconfirmed that the coexistence of DPN is an important factor in the underlying pathology.
Sarcopenia has recently attracted attention in older adults with diabetes. Especially in advanced countries with an aging population, sarcopenia and subsequent frailty are becoming a major social issue that needs to be addressed[10](#jdi13188-bib-0010){ref-type="ref"}, [11](#jdi13188-bib-0011){ref-type="ref"}. It has been reported that the prevalence of sarcopenia increases in diabetes patients[12](#jdi13188-bib-0012){ref-type="ref"}, and the prevalence further increases in patients with DPN[13](#jdi13188-bib-0013){ref-type="ref"}. Furthermore, it has been reported that the same functional deterioration of the musculoskeletal system is remarkable not only in the lower limbs, but also in the upper limbs[14](#jdi13188-bib-0014){ref-type="ref"}. We professionals should attend to the importance of DPN in upper limb dysfunction. Considering these new findings, in addition to the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot associated with severe DPN, countermeasure strategies against sarcopenia and frailty associated with mild DPN should be fully considered. In other words, the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of DPN must be recognized.
However, there is no well‐established worldwide treatment protocol for DPN, although preferred regional treatments exist. For example, an aldose reductase inhibitor, epalrestat, is widely used in Japan. Epalrestat is highly effective in mild DPN, but has limited effectiveness in advanced DPN[15](#jdi13188-bib-0015){ref-type="ref"}. Although it is important to diagnose DPN at the early stage when epalrestat can be effective, early diagnosis and intervention are rarely achieved due to the limited availability of medical resources. Fortunately, a more effective aldose reductase inhibitor, ranirestat, has been developed in recent years. As ranirestat has been shown to ameliorate the parameters of NCS[16](#jdi13188-bib-0016){ref-type="ref"}, [17](#jdi13188-bib-0017){ref-type="ref"}, it might improve the treatment of advanced DPN. In addition, preclinical studies are actively developing new treatments for DPN. Based on the reports that chronic inflammation associated with metabolic abnormalities also partially comprise the pathology in DPN[18](#jdi13188-bib-0018){ref-type="ref"}, the effect of omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids that have anti‐inflammatory/anti‐oxidative effects was investigated[19](#jdi13188-bib-0019){ref-type="ref"}. The report showed that omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids exerted neuroprotective effects through Nrf‐2 signaling[19](#jdi13188-bib-0019){ref-type="ref"}.
Furthermore, it should be noted that attempts to elucidate new pathologies of DPN are steadily underway. As male sex has been shown as a risk factor for DPN in humans[20](#jdi13188-bib-0020){ref-type="ref"}, male rodents have been conventionally used as animal models for DPN. Paradoxically focusing on the current convention, one preclinical study attending to the insusceptibility of females to DPN has reported that DPN was less frequently induced in female rats, similarly to human females[21](#jdi13188-bib-0021){ref-type="ref"}. It is expected that the detailed mechanisms of their insusceptibility to DPN will be elucidated in the future. Additionally, there are prospective attempts to elucidate the pathophysiology of DPN; for example studies focusing on microribonucleic acids[22](#jdi13188-bib-0022){ref-type="ref"}, studies using metabolomics[23](#jdi13188-bib-0023){ref-type="ref"} and studies focusing on sphingolipids[24](#jdi13188-bib-0024){ref-type="ref"}. We should carefully observe the future developments of DPN research.
Disclosure {#jdi13188-sec-0002}
==========
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
Insulin binding to erythrocytes incubated in vitro at physiological temperature.
We have investigated the previously described time-dependent increase in specific insulin binding to freshly isolated human erythrocytes incubated at 37 C. We found that at 37 C, specific insulin binding to erythrocytes rose to and remained at equilibrium for the first 90 min of incubation; thereafter, it rose in a rapid linear fashion, directly related to the increase in the degradation of unbound insulin and paralleling the intensity of visible hemolysis. The rise in specific binding was intensified by conditions in which hemolysis was enhanced and attenuated by conditions designed to limit hemolysis or by agents capable of inhibiting the degradation of insulin despite hemolysis. Thus, gentle handling of the cells prevents hemolysis, the degradation of insulin, and the increase in apparent insulin binding. Furthermore, 5% albumin, 2.5 mM N-ethylmaleimide, or excess unlabeled insulin (100 micrograms/ml) inhibited insulin degradation (even in the presence of hemolysis) and prevented the rise in insulin binding. The rise in cell-associated radioactivity after 90 min of incubation at 37 C was due to cellular uptake of products of insulin degradation, since degraded [125I]insulin rapidly associated with freshly prepared erythrocytes. Acid extraction studies suggested that about 60% of the cell-associated degraded material was intracellular, while the remaining approximately 40% was bound to the cell surface. The data suggest that the rise in binding in erythrocytes incubated at 37 C is a result of insulin degradation products which associate with the cells. The generation of degraded insulin is due to hemolysate released from leaky cells, and this phenomenon is unique to the in vitro situation. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
The investigation started with an anonymous call from an employee at Mercy Walworth Medical Center in Lake Geneva, with the allegation that a nurse took pictures of a patient with her cell phone and posted them on her Facebook page.
Last week, the nurse told 12 News she never posted the pictures on the Internet. Investigators have since interviewed the nurse and said she offered more details.
"There were two nurses that independently took a picture each of an X-ray of a patient," Walworth County Undersheriff Kurt Picknell said.
The patient was admitted to the emergency room with an object lodged in his rectum. Police said the nurse explained she and a co-worker snapped photos when they learned it was a sex device. Police said discussion about the incident was posted on her Facebook page, but they haven't found anyone who actually saw the pictures.
The nurse removed her Facebook page from the Internet last week. Without more, Picknell said this conduct does not appear to violate any state laws. He has referred the case to the FBI.
"We've notified federal authorities of this allegation to see if there are federal violations, most notably HIPAA violations, patient rights," he said. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Green Lady
Green Lady may refer to:
Chinese Girl, a painting by Vladimir Tretchikoff
Lady of the Green Kirtle, the main villain in C.S. Lewis's book The Silver Chair
Legends
Green Lady of Fyvie, a ghost that supposedly wanders the corridors of Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Green Lady of Ashintully Castle in the county of Perthshire, Scotland
Green Lady of Ballindalloch Castle in the Moray region of Scotland
Green Lady of the Barony of Ladyland in North Ayrshire, Scotland
Green Lady of Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Green Lady of Knock Castle (Isle of Skye)
Green Lady of Longleat in Somerset, South West England
The Green Lady (Hawaii), a female ghost haunting the gulch of Wahiawa, Oahu
See also
Glaistig
Reportedly haunted locations in Scotland | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
Cow shit kills farming family
Exposure to methane gas led to the deaths of four family members and a farmhand, but whether they suffocated from the fumes or drowned in 18 inches of liquefied cow manure may never be known, authorities said. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Q:
how to change the field name of the input box when cloning dynamically in jquery
how to change the field name of the input box when cloning dynamically in jquery.
I am having like this
<script>
var i=0;
var input_name=null;
$('#box').each(function(){
$('#sub').click(function(){
var cln= $('#box').clone()
.attr('name', input_name + '[' + i + ']');
i++;
});
});
</script>
Thanks!!!!
A:
Yes Puppy, You have to replace'id' with class. Because you cant use same id value for more than one input field.
<script>
var i=0;
var input_name=null;
$('.box').each(function(){
$('.sub').click(function(){
var cln= $('#box').clone()
.attr('name', input_name + '[' + i + ']');
i++;
});
alert('i love you puppyma');
});
</script>
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
All relevant data are within the paper.
Introduction {#sec005}
============
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a worldwide public health problem affecting nearly a third of global population \[[@pone.0170758.ref001], [@pone.0170758.ref002]\]. NAFLD has a higher prevalence in China and its incidence is approximately 15% in adults of Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and other developed areas \[[@pone.0170758.ref003]\]. It encompasses a spectrum ranging from non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) \[[@pone.0170758.ref004]\]. There is evidence showing that NAFL is a stable disease regardless of slow histologic progression \[[@pone.0170758.ref005]\]. However, NASH is a progressive disease and may further develop into cirrhosis or even HCC \[[@pone.0170758.ref006], [@pone.0170758.ref007]\].
At present, liver biopsy is still the gold standard for the diagnosis of NAFLD and the evaluation of its progression \[[@pone.0170758.ref008]\]. However, it is invasive and has some disadvantages such as high cost, insufficient sampling tissues, complications (such as bile leakage), sampling error and others \[[@pone.0170758.ref009]\]. Thus, it is not recommended as a technique in the population screening. In clinical practice, clinical imaging examinations such as ultrasonography (US), computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are also able to identify increased fat accumulation in the liver parenchyma. CT has higher sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of middle and severe hepatic steatosis, but it is not suitable for patients with mild hepatic fat deposition \[[@pone.0170758.ref010]\]. MRI is more sensitive than CT in the detection of hepatic steatosis, but, it is not reliable in the measurement of fat content \[[@pone.0170758.ref011]\]. US is widely used for the screening of NAFLD due to its easy availability, simplicity, low cost and no radiation. However, the results of US are operator-dependent and there is significant intra- and interobserver variability \[[@pone.0170758.ref012]\]. Moreover, it is qualitative technique and may not quantify the degree of fat accumulation. Therefore, clinical imaging examination may not be used to evaluate the liver function in NAFLD patients as well as the liver inflammation and fibrosis. Thus, it is imperative to develop new clinical non-invasive markers for the identification of individuals with high risk for NASH in NAFLD patients, the prediction of its progression and the early intervenetion.
Betatrophin is a novel active peptide that is secreted primarily from adipose tissues and the liver \[[@pone.0170758.ref013]\]. Yi et al found that betatrophin dramatically promoted the proliferation of pancreatic islet beta cells, increased functional beta cells mass over time and improved glucose tolerance in mice \[[@pone.0170758.ref014]\]. Moreover, rencent reports show that betatrophin is likely to inhibit lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity by decomposing angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) and releasing the N-terminal domain, which, in turn, inhibits LPL. LPL activity inhibition weakens the clearance of triglycerides (TG), and eventually dramatically increases serum TG in mice \[[@pone.0170758.ref015]\]. Therefore, betatrophin is likely to regulate glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism in mice. The \'two-hit\' hypothesis \[[@pone.0170758.ref016]\] has been proposed in the pathogenesis of NAFLD: in the first hit, the triglycerides accumulated in hepatocytes promote the development of hepatic steatosis; in the second hit, oxidative stress and peroxidation lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, and then hepatic stellate cell proliferate and induce hepatocyte injury, inflammation, and fibrosis. Therefore, we speculate that betatrophin plays an important role in the occurrence and development of NAFLD. However, few studies focus on the role of betatrophin in the occurrence of NAFLD and its progression.
In our study, the improved US quantitative method was employed, in which computer was combined with ultrasound images to evaluate the liver fat content (LFC) \[[@pone.0170758.ref017]\]. Xia et al \[[@pone.0170758.ref018]\] found that the new method could effectively avoid the subjective bias of the traditional ultrasound operator by measuring objective data, relatively accurately estimate LFC and detect mild hepatic steatosis with higher sensitivity. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the association between serum betatrophin and LFC detected with US quantitative method in a Chinese population, aiming to evaluate the role of betatrophin in the prediction of NAFL and its progression.
Patients and Methods {#sec006}
====================
Patients {#sec007}
--------
A total of 300 subjects who received detection of LFC by ultrasonography were recruited from the Huai'an Diabetes Prevention Program (ChiCTR-TRC-14005029) between May 2015 and July 2015 at the Health Examination Center of Huai'an Second Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College in Huaian (Jiangsu, China). Exclusive criteria were as follows: (1) patients had excess alcoholic drinking, (\>20g/day for men and \>10g/day for women) (n = 16); (2) patients were medicated with drugs known to induce steatosis; (3) patients had viral hepatitis (HBV or HCV), rare autoimmune liver disease, Wilson disease, α1-antitrypsin deficiency, liver malignant tumor, infection or biliary diseases (n = 15); (4) the ultrasonic images were unclear (n = 20). Finally, 249 subjects (120 males) were included for analysis.
According to previously reported \[[@pone.0170758.ref018]\], optimal cut-off value in the diagnosis NAFLD by ultrasonic detection of LFC is 9.15%, and in our study, the median LFC is 20%. In this study, subjects were divided into three groups according to LFC: (1) Control group: LFC \< 9.15% (n = 84); (2) low liver fat content (LLFC): 9.15% ≤ LFC ≤ 20% (n = 82); (3) high liver fat content (HLFC): LFC \> 20% (n = 83). There were no significant differences in the age and sex among these groups.
The study was conducted in accordance with the guidelines and regulations of the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Huaian Second Hospital, XuZhou Medical University and written informed consent was signed and obtained from all the participants.
Data collection {#sec008}
---------------
The demographic characteristics, medical history, medication history, and history of smoking and drinking were recorded via questionnaire in a blind manner. The height and weight were measured for the calculation of body mass index (BMI) (weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters). Blood pressure was measured after resting for 10 mins. After overnight fasting (at least 10h), blood samples were collected from the antecubital vein between 8:00 and 10:00 am. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting glucose (FPG), creatinine (CREA), urea nitrogen (BUN), and uric acid (UA) were measured in a certified laboratory with standardized procedures. HbA1c was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (Variant II and D-10 Systems, Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Hercules, CA, USA).
Serum betatrophin was measured using a commercially available human ELISA kit (Beijing Cheng Lin biological technology co, LTD, Beijing, China). Detection was carried out according to the manufacturers' instructions \[[@pone.0170758.ref015], [@pone.0170758.ref019]\]. The optical density (OD) measured at 450 nm wave size is proportional to the concentration of betatrophin. Thus, the concentration of betatrophin was calculated on the basis of standard curve delineated according to OD. The lower and upper limits of detection were 1.5 and 60 ng/mL, respectively. The difference in intra-assay and inter-assay is less than 9% and 11%, respectively.
Hepatic ultrasonography was performed in all participants by a trained expert using an ALOKA Prosound a6 scanner (HITACHI ALOKA, Japan) with a 3-MHz probe. The parameters used were as follows: gain was 77dB and depth was 15cm, which were standardized using a tissue-mimicking phantom before measurement. The ultrasound hepatic/renal echointensity ratio (H/R) and ultrasound hepatic echo-intensity attenuation rate (HA) were obtained from ordinary ultrasound images using the NIH-image software (Image J 1.41o, National Institutes of Health, USA). LFC was measured according to previously reported \[[@pone.0170758.ref020]\].
Statistical analysis {#sec009}
--------------------
All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 22.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). Each variable was tested for normal distribution using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Non-normally distributed variables were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U-test for two groups and Kruskal---Wallis test for three groups. Data are presented as a percentage, median (25th and 75th percentiles) or mean±standard deviation (SD). FPG, HbA1C, TG, ALT, AST and BUN were log transformed due to their non-normal distribution for correlation. The Student's t-test was used for comparing normally distributed variables and the Mann-Whitney U-test for comparing non-normally distributed variables. Chi-square test was used for comparisons of categorical variables. Multiple comparisons among three groups were done with Kruskal---Wallis test. Relationships of betatrophin with liver enzymes, blood glucose, lipids and renal function were evaluated by calculation of partial correlation coefficients. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was done to find the independent variables associated with LFC. The association of betatrophin with NAFLD was estimated using multivariate logistic regression analysis in three models described below. A value of *P*\< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results {#sec010}
=======
Characteristics of study population {#sec011}
-----------------------------------
The clinical characteristics of subjects (Control and NAFLD) at baseline are shown in [Table 1](#pone.0170758.t001){ref-type="table"}. Among 249 subjects, there were 165 age- and sex- matched individuals who were diagnosed with NAFLD due to LFC higher than 9.15%. There were no significant differences in the gender and age between two groups (*P*\>0.05). Compared with the control group, the DBP, serum FPG, TG, ALT, and AST in NAFLD group were increased signficantly (*P*\<0.01 or *P*\<0.05), while HDL-C decreased markedly (*P*\<0.01). Serum betatrophin was significantly higher in NAFLD patients than in controls (*P*\<0.05). Then, subjects were divided into three groups, LFC\<9.15% (Control), 9.15%≤LFC≤20% (LLFC), LFC\>20% (HLFC), ([Fig 1](#pone.0170758.g001){ref-type="fig"}). Subjects in HLFC group with more LFC had higher serum betatrophin, TG and ALT as compared to subjects in LLFC group and control group.
10.1371/journal.pone.0170758.t001
###### Characteristics of subjects in this study.
{#pone.0170758.t001g}
Variables Control (n = 84) NAFLD(n = 165) P-value
----------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- ---------
Age (years) 60.43±0.705 59.73±0.421 0.098
Male gender, n(%) 43 (51.19) 7 (46.67) 0.500
Smoking, n(%) 14 (16.67) 32 (19.39) 0.601
SBP (mmHg) 129.44±1.60 136.52±1.31 0.133
DBP (mmHg) 80.43±0.93 83.91±0.82 0.019
BMI (kg/m^2^) 23.56±0.31 26.50±0.21 0.495
FPG (mmol/L)\* 5.08 (4.76--5.5) 5.34 (4.92--5.86) 0.019
HbA1C(%)\* 5.10 (4.80--5.57) 5.1 (4.80--5.50) 0.720
TC (mmol/L) 4.82±0.10 4.94±0.08 0.198
HDL-C (mmol/L) 1.58±0.04 1.34±0.02 \<0.001
LDL-C (mmol/L) 2.71±0.08 2.80±0.06 0.302
TG (mmol/L)\* 1.3 (1.0--1.6) 2.0 (1.6--2.8) \<0.001
ALT (U/L)\* 19 (15--26) 25 (18--32) \<0.001
AST (U/L)\* 21 (18--24) 22 (20--26) 0.012
CREA (μmol/L) 71.49±1.83 70.08±1.21 0.360
BUN (mmol/L)\* 5.57 (4.56--6.47) 5.29 (4.66--6.15) 0.243
UA (μmol/L) 302.11±9.96 335.22±6.78 0.082
Betatrophin (pg/mL)\* 252.95 (182.74--327.51) 265.64 (205.51--364.04) 0.035
All variables are expressed as n(%) for categorical data or as mean±SD or \*medians (25th and 75th percentiles) for continuous data with or without a normal distribution, respectively. SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; BMI, body mass index; FPG, fasting glucose; TC, totalcholesterol; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; TG, triglyceride; ALT, alanine transaminase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; CREA, creatinine; BUN, urea nitrogen; UA, uric acid; NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
{#pone.0170758.g001}
Correlation between serum betatrophin and traditional risk factors for NAFLD {#sec012}
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As shown in [Table 2](#pone.0170758.t002){ref-type="table"}, the associations of serum betatrophin with various clinical and biochemical parameters were investigated. In partial correlations analysis, serum betatrophin was positively associated with TG (*r* = 0.168, *P* = 0.008) and LFC (*r* = 0.213, *P* = 0.001), which remained after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, FPG and HbA1c.
10.1371/journal.pone.0170758.t002
###### Correlations of circulating betatrophin with clinical parameters.
{#pone.0170758.t002g}
Variables Betatrophin[\*](#t002fn001){ref-type="table-fn"} Betatrophin (adjustment for age, sex, and BMI) Betatrophin (adjustment for age, sex, BMI, FPG, HbA1c)
-------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------- ------- -------- -------
Age -0.035 0.578
BMI 0.076 0.231
SBP 0.111 0.081 0.079 0.213 0.085 0.184
DBP 0.086 0.175 0.089 0.165 0.093 0.145
FPG[\*](#t002fn001){ref-type="table-fn"} 0.066 0.297 0.098 0.126
HbA1c[\*](#t002fn001){ref-type="table-fn"} 0.069 0.280 0.099 0.120
TC 0.046 0.473 0.082 0.202 0.080 0.213
HDL-c -0.085 0.184 -0.013 0.840 -0.009 0.888
LDL-c -0.041 0.524 -0.027 0.676 -0.024 0.707
TG[\*](#t002fn001){ref-type="table-fn"} 0.168 0.008 0.207 0.001 0.195 0.002
ALT[\*](#t002fn001){ref-type="table-fn"} 0.032 0.614 -0.017 0.786 -0.026 0.685
AST[\*](#t002fn001){ref-type="table-fn"} 0.055 0.385 0.002 0.975 -0.004 0.945
CREA 0.046 0.473 -0.016 0.805 -0.005 0.943
BUN[\*](#t002fn001){ref-type="table-fn"} 0.004 0.954 0.023 0.716 0.016 0.802
UA 0.042 0.510 0.014 0.830 0.023 0.723
LFC 0.213 0.001 0.191 0.003 0.185 0.004
\* Log-transformed variables. BMI, body mass index; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; FPG, fasting glucose; TC, totalcholesterol; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; TG, triglyceride; ALT, alanine transaminase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; CREA, creatinine; BUN, urea nitrogen; UA, uric acid; LFC, liver fat content.
Association of serum betatrophin with LFC {#sec013}
-----------------------------------------
As shown in [Table 3](#pone.0170758.t003){ref-type="table"}, stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that TG (*β* = 0.152, *P* = 0.082), BMI (*β* = 0.158, *P* = 0.013), CREA (*β* = -0.170, *P* = 0.008), HDL-C (*β* = -0.140, *P* = 0.043) and serum betatrophin (*β* = 0.152, *P* = 0.009) were independently related to LFC.
10.1371/journal.pone.0170758.t003
###### Association of clinical and biochemical parameters with LFC.
{#pone.0170758.t003g}
LFC
------------- -------- ------- -------
Age --- 2.360 ---
BMI 0.158 7.514 0.013
SBP --- 6.846 ---
ALT --- 5.123 ---
CREA -0.170 4.987 0.008
FPG --- 4.294 ---
TG 0.152 4.815 0.082
HDL-C -0.140 4.662 0.043
Betatrophin 0.152 4.898 0.009
R^2^ 0.118 0.043
*F* value was set at 4.0 at each step. BMI, body mass index; SBP, systolic blood pressure; FPG, fasting glucose; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; TG, triglyceride; ALT, alanine transaminase; CREA, creatinine; LFC, liver fat content.
Prediction of NAFLD with serum betatrophin {#sec014}
------------------------------------------
As shown in [Table 4](#pone.0170758.t004){ref-type="table"}, after adjustment for age and gender (model 1), subjects in the highest tertile of serum betatrophin were more likely to have NAFLD (OR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.14--4.64) (*P* = 0.019). After adjustment for BMI, FPG, TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C, the correlation remained. Compared to subjects in the lowest tertile of serum betatrophin, those in the highest tertile had higher odds of having NAFLD (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.13--6.62) (*P* = 0.025). After adjustment for ALT, AST, CREA, UA, BUN, SBP and DBP, subjects in highest tertile of serum betatrophin still had higher odds of having NAFLD (OR = 2.88, 95% CI = 1.15--7.19) (*P* = 0.024).
10.1371/journal.pone.0170758.t004
###### Correlation of NAFLD with betatrophin.
{#pone.0170758.t004g}
Betatrophin[\*](#t004fn002){ref-type="table-fn"} (pg/mL) T1,n = 82 NAFLD,n = 48 T2,n = 85 NAFLD,n = 55 T3,n = 82 NAFLD,n = 62
---------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------- ---------
Models
NAFLD Reference OR (95% CI) P-value OR (95% CI) P-value
Model 1 1 1.34 (0.70--2.54) 0.374 2.31 (1.14--4.64) 0.019
Model 2 1 1.23 (0.54--2.79) 0.616 2.74 (1.13--6.62) 0.025
Model 3 1 1.56 (0.66--3.69) 0.315 2.88 (1.15--7.19) 0.024
Model 1: adjustment for age and gender; Model 2 adjustment for BMI, FPG, TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C + Model 1; Model 3 adjustment for ALT, AST, CREA, UA, BUN, SBP, DBP + Model 2. Tertiles of betatrophin are expressed as T1 (\< 216.00), T2 (216.00--320.00), and T3 (\> 320.00).
\* Betatrophin is presented as Median (range).
Conclusions {#sec015}
===========
The present study showed that serum betatrophin was independently positively associated with TG after adjustment for a wide range of risk factors for NAFLD in a Chinese population. Serum betatrophin was an independent risk factors for LFC. Subjects with HLFC had higher serum betatrophin and TG as compared to those with LLFC and controls. Multiple logistic regression showed that the odds for NAFLD were 2.88 fold higher in third levels of serum betatrophin as compared to those in first level after adjustment for traditional risk factors of NAFLD.
Our study differed from previous investigations. Firstly, LFC was measured with the ultrasonic quantitative method. Secondly, to our knowledge, this was the first population-based study to explore the association between serum betatrophin and LFC. Thirdly, risk factors for NAFLD including glucose, lipids, BP and betatrophin are improved.
The diagnosis of NAFLD and the evaluation of its progression based on non-invasive markers are still a challenge in clinical practice. Liver biopsy as gold standard for the diagnosis of NAFLD and the evaluation of its progression is unsuitable for population based screening. Furthermore, common imaging examinations cannot determine liver function of patients with NAFLD and fail to identify the inflammation and fibrosis of fatty liver. In addition, the application of biological markers in clinical practice is still immature. Therefore, establishing a new non-invasive diagnostic method to timely identify NAFLD and evaluate its progression is imperative for its treatments and prognostic prediction.
Betatrophin/ANGPTL8, is a new adipokine secreted from hepatic or adipose tissues. It has been found to significantly stimulate pancreatic β-cell growth, increase β-cell mass and improve glucose tolerance in mouse models \[[@pone.0170758.ref014]\]. Betatrophin is able to inhibit LPL activity by promoting ANGPTL3 cleavage, releasing the N-terminal domain, which, in turn, inhibits LPL, dramatically increases serum TG levels in mouse models \[[@pone.0170758.ref015]\]. The present study showed that serum betatrophin was positively associated with TG even after adjustment for a lot of risk factors for NAFLD, which indicates that serum betatrophin is associated with the pathogenesis of NAFLD in human.
In our study, results showed LFC positively correlated with serum betatrophin even after adjustment for many risk factors. With the accumulation of LFC, patients are more likely to have NASH, which has been shown by Chalasani et al \[[@pone.0170758.ref021]\]. As shown in [Fig 1](#pone.0170758.g001){ref-type="fig"}, ALT levels were higher in HLFC patients than in LLFC subjects and in controls. The increase in ALT may prompt the progression from NAFLD to NASH to a certain extent \[[@pone.0170758.ref022]\]. Therefore, plasma betatrophin may indirectly reflect the progression of NAFLD, namely NASH incidence, which was consistent with the findings from the study of Arias-Loste et al \[[@pone.0170758.ref023]\]. In that study, a total of 55 subjects were recruited including liver cirrhosis according to histological criteria and healthy individuals, and results showed that plasma betatrophin increased in patients with cirrhosis and this increase was related to the severity of cirrhosis.
Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that serum betatrphin was an independent factor for LFC, but the potential mechanisms remain elusive. Previous studies have shown betatrophin is able to inhibit the LPL activity by increasing TG in mice \[[@pone.0170758.ref015]\]. In our study, elevated serum betatrophin was also accompanied by the rise of TG in human. Therefore, we speculate that the rise of betatrophin inhibits of LPL activity in humans and decreases TG decomposition from chylomicron (CM) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) \[[@pone.0170758.ref024]\], which aggrandizes TG of CM and VLDL into hepatocytes, resulting in TG accumulation in these cell. Finally, liver steatosis occurs. Of course, more studies are required to confirm our findings. Additionally, Yong et al \[[@pone.0170758.ref025]\] showed that hyperlipidemia or lipotoxicity could activate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the expression of betatrophin was highly induced by ER stress in hepatocytes, however, this not confirmed in human. However, findings from a study \[[@pone.0170758.ref026]\] conducted in 69 patients with NAFLD and 69 healthy subjects were inconsistent with our results. This study indicated that β-trophin was lower in individuals with biopsy-proven NAFLD than in healthy controls. With the deterioration of fibrosis, serum betatrophin further reduced. The conflicting findings may be ascribed to that NAFLD subjects recruited had progressed to fibrosis and the disease was more severe than that in our study. To our knowledge, betatrophin mRNA is almost uniquely expressed in the liver \[[@pone.0170758.ref027], [@pone.0170758.ref028]\] of humans. In patients with liver fibrosis and hepatocyte necrosis, hepatocytes release a large number of inflammatory cytokines \[[@pone.0170758.ref029]\], which may influence the betatrophin expression. Therefore, more population based studies are required to explore the relationship between serum betatrophin and liver fibrosis.
Previous studies have shown that serum betatrophin is significantly related to plasma glucose \[[@pone.0170758.ref013], [@pone.0170758.ref014]\]. However, in our study, there were no significant correlations of betatrophin with FPG and HDL-c (P \> 0.05). This may be explained as that the glucose metabolism of subjects recruited in our study was normal at baseline, therefore, serum betatrophin was not affected.
Our study also had some limitations. Firstly, this was a cross-sectional study than could not reflect causative relationship of betatrophin with NAFLD and its progression. Secondly, identification of NAFLD and the propensity to NASH are dependent on the ultrasonic method instead of liver biopsy which is the gold standard for the diagnosis and staging of NAFLD. Thirdly, subjects were limited to the same ethnicity, and studies on large populations from heterogeneous ethnicities will provide more information on the role of serum betatrophin in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and its progression.
In conclusion, the present study shows that serum betatrophin increases in NAFLD patients and is independently associated with LFC. With the rise of serum betatrophin, LFC accumulates gradually. The accumulation of fat may indirectly reflect the progression into NASH. Thus, serum betatrophin may be a potential non-invasive marker for identification of NAFLD and NASH. Further investigation is needed to investigate the role of betatrophin in the pathogenesis NAFLD and its progression.
The authors thank all participants for their cooperation and sample contribution.
[^1]: **Competing Interests:**The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
[^2]: **Conceptualization:** WH XJS.**Data curation:** HRH.**Formal analysis:** YZ.**Funding acquisition:** WNY.**Investigation:** YQF.**Methodology:** MFX YYG.**Project administration:** HWZ.**Resources:** DXG.**Software:** MFX.**Supervision:** WNY.**Validation:** WH.**Visualization:** XJS.**Writing -- original draft:** XJS.**Writing -- review & editing:** WH.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
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Ashley Detrick | Tribune file photo Former Gov. Jon Huntsman once again was singled out by President Barack Obama's campaign aid | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
HMS Ark Royal (91)
HMS Ark Royal (pennant number 91) was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that served during the Second World War.
Designed in 1934 to fit the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, Ark Royal was built by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead, England, and completed in November 1938. Her design differed from previous aircraft carriers. Ark Royal was the first ship on which the hangars and flight deck were an integral part of the hull, instead of an add-on or part of the superstructure. Designed to carry a large number of aircraft, she had two hangar deck levels. She served during a period that first saw the extensive use of naval air power; several carrier tactics were developed and refined aboard Ark Royal.
Ark Royal served in some of the most active naval theatres of the Second World War. She was involved in the first aerial and U-boat kills of the war, operations off Norway, the search for the German battleship , and the Malta Convoys. Ark Royal survived several near misses and gained a reputation as a 'lucky ship'. She was torpedoed on 13 November 1941 by the and sank the following day; one of her 1,488 crew members was killed. Her sinking was the subject of several inquiries; investigators were keen to know how the carrier was lost, in spite of efforts to save the ship and tow her to the naval base at Gibraltar. They found that several design flaws contributed to the loss, which were rectified in new British carriers.
The wreck was discovered in December 2002 by an American underwater survey company using sonar mounted on an autonomous underwater vehicle, under contract from the BBC for the filming of a documentary about the ship, at a depth of about and approximately from Gibraltar.
Design
In 1923, the Admiralty prepared a 10-year building programme which included an aircraft carrier and 300 aircraft for the Fleet Air Arm. The economic downturn following the First World War caused it to be postponed. In 1930, the Director of Naval Construction, Sir Arthur Johns, began to update the plans for the carrier by incorporating recently developed technology. His aim was to increase the number of aircraft carried by shortening the landing and take-off distances of aircraft using arrestor gear and compressed steam catapults respectively, which would make more deck space available for storage and aircraft preparation. Along with the inclusion of two hangar decks, this allowed Ark Royal to carry up to 72 aircraft, although the development of larger and heavier aircraft during the carrier's construction meant that the actual number carried was between 50 and 60. Ark Royal featured an enclosed hangar design where the flight deck was the 'strength deck' and was strongly built with .75in (19mm) thick Ducol steel plating.[2] The two hangar decks were thus enclosed within the hull girder, which also gave splinter protection to the hangars. The machinery spaces were protected by belt armour. Three lifts moved aircraft between the hangars and the flight deck.
Another feature was the length and height of the flight deck. At , the flight deck was longer than the keel; the latter dictated by the length of Royal Navy drydocks in Gibraltar and Malta. Due to the twin hangar decks, the flight deck rose to above the waterline.
The Washington and London Naval treaties had restricted warship tonnage for a number of nations after the end of the great war and were both to expire by the end of 1936. With a potential naval arms race developing between Britain, Japan and Italy, the British government sought a second treaty, which included limiting the maximum displacement of an aircraft carrier to . Ark Royal would have to fit this anticipated limit; to conserve weight, armour plating was limited to the belt, engine rooms, and magazines, while welding instead of riveting 65% of the hull saved . Installation of an armoured flight deck was not possible, as the weight would have placed Ark Royal above the proposed limit, while reducing her endurance and stability. The ship was designed with a three layer side protection system based upon a void-liquid-void scheme very similar to that used on the King George V-class battleships, and was designed to protect against torpedoes with up to a warhead.
The ship was fitted with six boilers, which powered three Parsons geared turbines. The turbines were connected via three driveshafts to three propellers in diameter, to produce a maximum theoretical speed of . Speed was important, as with catapults and arrestor gear, Ark Royal would have to turn into the wind to launch and recover aircraft. To avoid endangering other ships with the frequent course changes associated with flight operations, Ark Royal would have to break away from accompanying ships, and catch up on completion. Additionally, as the carrier was not armed for ship-to-ship combat, speed was her main protection against enemy warships.
Construction
The deteriorating international situation by 1933, typified by Germany's rearmament and the expansion of Japan and Italy, convinced the British to announce funds for the carrier's construction in the 1934 budget proposals. The plans were finished by November 1934 and were tendered in February 1935 to Cammell Laird and Company Ltd., which calculated the cost of the hull at £1,496,250 () and the main machinery at approximately £500,000 (equivalent to £31,850,000 in 2016). The overall cost was estimated to be over £3 million, making Ark Royal the most expensive ship ordered by the Royal Navy. Construction began on Job No. 1012 when Ark Royals keel was laid down on 16 September 1935.
Ark Royal spent nearly two years in the builder's yard before being launched on 13 April 1937 by Lady Maud Hoare, wife of Sir Samuel Hoare, then First Lord of the Admiralty. The bottle of champagne thrown against Ark Royals bows did not smash until the fourth attempt. The carrier spent a year fitting out, was handed over to her first commander, Captain Arthur Power, on 16 November 1938, and was commissioned on 16 December. Although intended for the Far East, events in Europe during the carrier's construction, including the Italian invasion of Abyssinia in 1935 and the Spanish Civil War in 1936, caused the Admiralty to mark her for deployment with the Home and Mediterranean Fleets. After her crew joined at the end of 1938, Ark Royal underwent sea trials to prepare for service, during which the carrier proved capable of sailing above her theoretical speed, reaching over and in trials during May 1938 Ark Royal achieved with at a deep displacement of .
Armament and aircraft
Ark Royals armament was designed with anti-aircraft warfare in mind, as aircraft were expected to be the main threat; ships and submarines could be outrun or dealt with by escorts. Her main armament was sixteen quick-firing dual purpose guns in eight double turrets, four on each side of the hull, controlled by four Directors using the High Angle Control System. The original design placed the turrets low on the hull, but was later altered to locate them just below the flight deck, which increased each turret's field of fire. Six 8-barrelled 2-pounder () "pom-pom" guns were located on the flight deck, in front of and behind the superstructure island, while eight 4-barrelled machine guns were installed on small projecting platforms to the front and rear of the flight deck.
Sixteen Fleet Air Arm squadrons were posted aboard Ark Royal during her career; an average of five squadrons at any time. On entering service, most of Ark Royals squadrons were equipped with either Blackburn Skuas—used as fighters and dive bombers—or Fairey Swordfish, for reconnaissance and torpedo bombing. From April 1940, squadrons equipped with Skuas were upgraded to Fairey Fulmars; like their predecessors, these were used as fighters and bombers. On occasion, the carrier operated Blackburn Roc fighter-bombers (from April 1939 – October 1940) and Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers (during October 1941); these were replacement aircraft used to boost squadron numbers. In June 1940, Ark Royal was host to 701 Naval Air Squadron, a training squadron which operated Supermarine Walrus reconnaissance amphibians.
Service history
With the hunter-killer groups
The outbreak of the Second World War on 3 September 1939 had been presaged by Germany's U-boat fleet taking up positions off the British coast, where they could intercept British shipping. Within hours of the war starting, the passenger ship was torpedoed by , the first of over 65,000 tons of shipping sunk by U-boats during the first week of the war. Ark Royal was deployed with the Home Fleet in the North Western Approaches as part of a "hunter-killer" group, consisting of a flotilla of destroyers and other anti-submarine vessels grouped around an aircraft carrier; either , or Ark Royal. Carrier-borne aircraft could increase the area searched for U-boats, but made the carriers tempting targets.
On 14 September, Ark Royal received a distress call from , which was away under pursuit from the surfaced U-30. Ark Royal launched aircraft to aid the merchant ship, but was spotted by , which launched two torpedoes. Lookouts spotted the torpedo tracks and Ark Royal turned towards the attack, reducing her cross-section and causing the torpedoes to miss and explode harmlessly astern. Three F-class destroyers escorting the carrier began to depth charge U-39, and forced her to the surface. The German crew abandoned ship before U-39 sank—the first U-boat lost during the war. Ark Royals aircraft reached Fanad Head, which was in the hands of a German boarding party. The Skuas unsuccessfully attacked U-30: two crashed when caught by the blast of their own bombs. The U-boat escaped after rescuing the boarding party and the pilots of the downed aircraft (both observers had drowned), and torpedoing the Fanad Head.
Ark Royal returned to base in Loch Ewe, where she and her crew were inspected by Winston Churchill. The sinking of U-39 was hailed as important to morale. However, the failed attack on Ark Royal, and the successful attack on Courageous on 17 September, convinced the Admiralty it was too dangerous to risk aircraft carriers in this way, and carrier-centred hunter-killer groups were abandoned.
Another near miss
On 25 September, Ark Royal helped rescue the submarine , which had been damaged by German warships off Horn Reefs, in the Kattegat. While returning to port with Spearfish and the battleships and on 26 September, the ships were located by three Luftwaffe Dornier Do 18 seaplanes. Ark Royal launched three Blackburn Skuas to disperse them; one Dornier was shot down in the first British aerial kill of the war.
The air commander aboard Ark Royal—aware that the surviving Dorniers would report the location of the British ships—ordered the aircraft to be secured and the anti-aircraft weapons readied. Four Junkers Ju 88 bombers of the Luftwaffe bomber wing KG 30 soon appeared: three were driven away by anti-aircraft fire, but the fourth launched a bomb at the carrier. Ark Royal turned hard to starboard, heeling over and avoiding the bomb, which landed in the ocean off her starboard bow and sent a spout of water over the ship. The German pilots did not see if the carrier had been hit, and a reconnaissance flight later located the two battleships, but not Ark Royal. Based on this information, the Germans incorrectly claimed that Ark Royal had sunk. To prove the German propaganda false before it had a negative effect on Britain's allies, Winston Churchill personally reassured United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that the carrier was undamaged and invited the US naval attaché to view Ark Royal in dock. The British naval attaché in Rome was instructed to assure Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini that the ship was still in service. This was an embarrassment for Goebbels and Nazi propaganda.
Hunting the Graf Spee
In October 1939, Ark Royal was redeployed to Freetown to operate off the African coast in the hunt for the German commerce raider . The carrier was assigned to Force K, and sailed with the battlecruiser to the South Atlantic. On 9 October, aircraft from Ark Royal spotted the German tanker Altmark, which supplied Graf Spee. The tanker was disguised as the US vessel Delmar, which fooled the British into passing her by. On 5 November, Ark Royal captured the German merchant , which was attempting to reach Germany. The ship was later taken into British service as a cargo ship and renamed Empire Ability. Several neutral merchant ships were also spotted by the carrier's aircraft, twice causing crews to believe they were under attack and abandon ship. A note explaining the situation was dropped in a bag to a Norwegian vessel's crew, and they re-boarded; an attempt to repeat this exercise with a Belgian crew failed when the bag was dropped down the ship's funnel.
On December 14, 1939, Graf Spee had put into Montevideo to repair damage received during the battle of the River Plate. Two Royal Navy cruisers followed the raider, and patrolled the harbour entrance while reporting Graf Spees position to the fleet. Ark Royal and Renown were dispatched to join the British ships outside the harbour, but as they were 36 hours away, the British naval attaché came up with a plan to make the Germans believe that the two capital ships had already arrived. An order for fuel for Ark Royal was placed at Buenos Aires, west of Montevideo. This was leaked to the press, passed on to the German embassy in Montevideo, and given to Graf Spees captain, Hans Langsdorff. This contributed to Langsdorff's decision to scuttle his ship.
Return to the fleet
With Graf Spee sunk, Ark Royal remained in the Atlantic for a short time before escorting the damaged heavy cruiser back to Devonport Dockyard, where they arrived in February. Following this, Ark Royal proceeded to Portsmouth to take on supplies and personnel, before sailing to Scapa Flow. On arrival, she transferred her Blackburn Skuas to Naval Air Station Hatston to strengthen the anchorage's defences. Ark Royal was then assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet for exercises, departing Scapa Flow on 31 March 1940 and heading for Alexandria with the aircraft carrier . The carriers arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean on 8 April, but the exercises were cancelled a day later. The ships sailed to Gibraltar to await orders.
German forces had invaded Norway as part of Operation Weserübung on 9 April, and had secured sections of the coast. Attempts by the Royal Navy to operate in support of British troops were unsuccessful; air attacks had overwhelmed the ships, sinking and nearly sinking . Realising that the British ships required air cover, but aware that the Norwegian coast was outside the range of British land-based aircraft, the Admiralty recalled Ark Royal and Glorious from the Mediterranean on 16 April.
Norwegian campaign
Ark Royal and Glorious arrived at Scapa Flow on 23 April 1940 and were immediately redeployed as part of Operation DX. Sailing to Norway with the cruisers and and screened by the destroyers , , , , and , this was the first time the Royal Navy had deployed carriers with the primary purpose of providing fighter protection for other warships. The ships took up position on 25 April off the coast; Ark Royal positioned offshore to reduce the chance of air attacks. The carrier's aircraft conducted anti-submarine patrols, provided fighter support for other ships, and carried out strikes against shipping and shore targets. Ark Royal returned to Scapa Flow on 27 April to refuel and replace lost and damaged aircraft, before heading back on the same day with the battleship as escort. During the return, Ark Royal came under air attack from German Junkers Ju 88 and Heinkel He 111 bombers operating from Norway. The carrier was undamaged, and resumed position on 29 April.
By this point, the British high command had realised that they could not hold the Germans in southern Norway. The evacuation of Allied troops from Molde and Åndalsnes began, with Ark Royal providing air cover from 30 April. On 1 May, the Germans tried to sink the carrier, with numerous air attacks through the day. Ark Royals fighters and a heavy anti-aircraft barrage drove off the enemy, and although several bombs were dropped at the carrier, none impacted. The evacuations of Molde and Andalsnes were completed on 3 May, and the carrier was recalled to Scapa Flow to refuel and rearm. While in port, Captain Arthur Power left the ship for a promotion to the Admiralty, and was replaced by Captain Cedric Holland. On return to Norway, Ark Royal was told to provide air cover for operations around Narvik, including the landing of French troops on 13 May. She was joined on 18 May by the carriers Glorious and Furious.
Despite these efforts, it was clear by the end of May that French forces were on the verge of collapse and Norway was a sideshow compared to the German advance to the English Channel. Operation Alphabet was instigated to move Allied troops from Narvik to Britain. Ark Royal and Glorious—screened by the destroyers , , , , and —sailed from Scapa Flow on 1 June to cover the evacuation, which commenced the next day. Ark Royal carried out air patrols and bombing raids from 3–6 June, before redeploying to Narvik on 7 June. Disaster struck the next day, when Glorious, escorted by Acasta and Ardent, were detached to return to Britain. The three ships were attacked and sunk by the German battlecruisers and . A search by Ark Royals aircraft failed to locate the German ships, which had returned to Trondheim.
The last evacuation convoy left Narvik on 9 June. Before the British ships could withdraw, a raid on Trondheim located Scharnhorst. An attack by Ark Royals Skuas took place at midnight on 13 June. The attack was a disaster: the escort destroyers and collided while Ark Royal was launching aircraft in fog and returned to England for repairs, eight of the fifteen attacking Skuas were shot down, while Scharnhorst escaped damage. Ark Royal returned to Scapa Flow the following day, and was reassigned to the Mediterranean Fleet.
Mediterranean deployment
Ark Royal left Scapa Flow with the battlecruiser and three destroyers, arriving at Gibraltar on 23 June 1940. Here she joined Force H, under Sir James Somerville. After the capitulation of France there was concern that a French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir might fall under Axis control and tip the balance of power in the Mediterranean, affecting the whole war. Ark Royals captain, Cedric Holland, had been the British naval attaché in Paris, and was sent to negotiate the surrender or scuttling of the French fleet. Force H was deployed outside the harbour, and when the French admirals refused to agree to the offered terms, opened fire on the French ships. During the attack on Mers-el-Kébir, Ark Royals aircraft provided targeting information for the British ships. The French battleship escaped, despite attacks by Swordfish from Ark Royal. Two days after the attack, aircraft from Ark Royal incapacitated the French battleship , which had been beached in the initial attack.
Having reduced the possibility of a French challenge in the Mediterranean, Force H prepared for attacks on Italian targets, and sailed from Gibraltar on 8 July. The force was attacked by Italian bombers within eight hours of departing, and although Force H escaped damage, Somerville cancelled the raids and ordered the fleet to Gibraltar. During July, the British colony of Malta came under attack from the Italian air force, with Force H ordered to deliver Hawker Hurricanes to reinforce the island's air defences. Force H was deployed from 31 July – 4 August, with the carrier used to deliver the aircraft, while Ark Royal provided air cover for the fleet. On 2 August, Ark Royal launched a successful air attack against the Italian air base at Cagliari.
Force H remained at Gibraltar until 30 September, when it escorted reinforcements for Admiral Andrew Cunningham's fleet to Alexandria. En route, diversionary attacks were planned on Italian air bases at Elmas and Cagliari to direct attention from both the reinforcement operation and a supply convoy sailing to Malta. The attacks were successfully carried out on 1 October, and the fleet reached Alexandria without significant attention from the Italian air force. From Alexandria, Ark Royal was detached and sent to West Africa to support British attempts to encourage Vichy French colonies to switch allegiance to the Free French. During negotiations, several Free French aircraft flew from Ark Royal, but their aircrews were arrested at Dakar. Negotiations failed, and bombers from Ark Royal were directed against military installations during the unsuccessful British attempt to take Dakar by force. Following this, Ark Royal returned to Britain for refit, docking in Liverpool on 8 October after being escorted by , and . The refit—which lasted until 3 November—included repairs to her machinery and the installation of a new flight deck barrier.
Following refit, Ark Royal—accompanied by , , and —sailed for Gibraltar, arriving on 6 November. They were deployed with the rest of Force H to escort convoys from Gibraltar to Alexandria and Malta, performing several runs before being assigned to Operation Collar, one of 35 convoys to support Malta between 1940 and 1942, on 25 November. An Italian fleet—led by the battleships and —was dispatched to intercept the convoy. The Italian fleet was detected by a reconnaissance aircraft from Ark Royal and the carrier launched Swordfish torpedo bombers while the capital ships of Force H turned to meet the enemy. During the engagement, the Battle of Cape Spartivento, the Italian destroyer was damaged, although it is uncertain if torpedoes from the bombers or British gunfire were responsible. The British mistook Lanciere for a cruiser, while the Italian commanders received incorrect reports that the cruiser had been hit. British attacks failed to damage any other Italian ships or sink the disabled destroyer, and a retaliatory attack by the Italian air force saw Ark Royal as the subject of multiple bombing runs, none of which hit. The battle had no clear result, although the British convoy reached its destination unscathed.
On 14 December 1940, Ark Royal and Force H were redeployed from Gibraltar to the Atlantic to search the Azores for commerce raiders. Ark Royal returned to the Mediterranean on 20 December, and escorted the battleship and merchant ships from Malta until 27 December. Force H then became involved in Operation Excess, a plan to move convoys through the Mediterranean to support the Western Desert Force, which was trying to push Italian land forces from Egypt into Libya. Over the next month, British control of the Mediterranean theatre was weakened, particularly by the entry of the Luftwaffe and the near-loss of the aircraft carrier . The Mediterranean Fleet was under pressure from Axis forces in the Eastern Mediterranean, while the British port at Gibraltar was likely to be lost if the Spanish chose to ally with the Germans instead of remaining out of the war. To relieve the Mediterranean Fleet, while demonstrating British strength to the Spanish, the Admiralty and Admiral Cunningham planned to use Ark Royals Swordfish bombers in raids against Italian targets, supported by bombardment from heavy fleet units. The first bombing, on 2 January against the Tirso Dam in Sardinia, was unsuccessful, but Ark Royals Swordfish bombers were more successful on 6 January, when they bombed the port city of Genoa. The carrier's aircraft also covered the battlecruiser Renown and battleship Malaya while they shelled the port. On 9 January, Ark Royal launched aircraft to bomb an oil refinery at La Spezia, and to lay mines in the harbour. Both operations were successful.
Searching for Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
In early February 1941, the battleships and headed into the Atlantic on the orders of Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, commander of the German Navy. They were to disrupt Allied shipping and draw capital ships from other areas. On 8 March, Force H and Ark Royal were ordered to the Canary Islands to search for the battleships, and to cover convoys crossing from the United States. Ark Royal used her aircraft to search for captured ships returning to Germany under the control of prize crews. Three ships were located on 19 March: two scuttled themselves, while the third—SS Polykarp—was recaptured.
On the evening of 21 March 1941 a Fairey Fulmar from Ark Royal stumbled across Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at sea. Because of a radio malfunction, the crew had to return to Ark Royal to report, by which time the German ships had escaped under fog. The next day, Ark Royal re-established air patrols in the hope of re-locating the raiders. During the day, a catapult malfunction destroyed a Fairey Swordfish; flinging the fuselage into the sea ahead of the carrier. Unable to stop, Ark Royal ran over the Swordfish and was overhead when the aircraft's depth charges detonated. Scharnhorst and Gneisenau reached Brest without British harassment, while Ark Royal returned to Gibraltar for repairs, arriving on 24 March.
Malta convoys and Operation Tiger
Ark Royal spent April alternating between covering convoys and delivering aircraft to Malta and forays into the Atlantic to hunt commerce raiders. By May 1941, Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps were driving through North Africa towards the Suez Canal, pushing the Western Desert Force before them. With British forces close to collapse and strategic locations threatened, the British High Command risked sending a reinforcement convoy across the Mediterranean to Alexandria. The convoy consisted of five large transport ships, escorted by Ark Royal, the battlecruiser Renown, the battleship , the cruisers , , , and , and screened by destroyers of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla. Prior to Ark Royals departure, Captain Holland left to recuperate from stress and poor health, and was replaced by Captain Loben Maund. The convoy left Gibraltar on 6 May, and was detected by Italian aircraft. The convoy—limited to and escorted by so many capital ships—was such a tempting target that Italian and German aircraft were mobilised.
The British convoy came under air attack on 8 May, first by the Italian air force, then German Luftwaffe. Over the day, 12 of Ark Royals Fairey Fulmars (the maximum number available) drove off over 50 aircraft, with the assistance of targeting information from Sheffields radar and anti-aircraft fire from the escorts. During the initial waves, one Fulmar was lost, killing Flight Lieutenant Rupert Tillard and Lieutenant Mark Somerville; another was destroyed with the aircrew recovered, while several others were damaged. Consequently, only seven were able to face the main Luftwaffe force of 34 aircraft, while an attack just before dark was driven off by two aircraft and heavy fire from the ships. The convoy survived without serious damage: the only casualties were to mines, with the Empire Song sunk and New Zealand Star damaged but able to reach port. Ark Royal underwent another aerial attack on 12 May, during her return to Gibraltar. Later that month, she and fellow aircraft carrier Furious delivered Hawker Hurricanes to support Malta.
Hunting the Bismarck
On 18 May 1941, the German battleship and heavy cruiser began Operation Rheinübung by breaking into the Atlantic to raid shipping. After sinking the battlecruiser Hood and damaging the battleship during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Bismarck shook off her pursuers and headed for the French Atlantic coast. Ark Royal, Renown, and Sheffield—accompanied by , , , , , and —were dispatched to the Atlantic on 23 May to search for the battleship. On 26 May, a Swordfish from Ark Royal located Bismarck and began to shadow her, while the Home Fleet was mobilised to pursue.
At the time of detection, the British ships were away and would not catch Bismarck before she reached Saint-Nazaire. Fifteen Swordfish bombers were armed with torpedoes and sent to delay the ship. Sheffield, also shadowing Bismarck, was between Ark Royal and Bismarck. The aircraft mistook the British cruiser for their target and fired torpedoes. The torpedoes were fitted with unreliable magnetic detonators, which caused most to explode on contact with the water, while Sheffield evaded the rest. After realising his mistake, one of the pilots signalled 'Sorry for the kipper' to Sheffield.
On return to the carrier, the Swordfish were re-armed with contact-detonator warhead torpedoes, and launched at 19:15 for a second attack; locating and attacking Bismarck just before sunset. Three torpedoes hit the battleship: two detonated forward of the engine rooms, while the third struck the starboard steering compartment and jammed her rudder in a 15° port turn. Bismarck was forced to sail in circles until a combination of alternating propeller speeds was found which would keep her on a reasonably steady course which, in the prevailing force 8 wind and sea state, forced her to sail towards the British warships with almost no manoeuvring capability. The German battleship suffered heavy attack during the night of 26–27 May, and sank at 10:39 hours on 27 May.
Escorting the Malta convoys
Ark Royal and the ships of Force H returned to Gibraltar on 29 May 1941. Despite the boost in Allied morale from the sinking of the battleship Bismarck, the war in the Mediterranean was going against the Allies. Greece and Crete had fallen to the Axis Powers, and the Afrika Korps was preparing to launch a final push into Egypt. Malta remained an important stronghold in the Mediterranean, but was coming under increased pressure from Italian and German air attacks, and could no longer be supplied from the east since the fall of Crete.
Ark Royal was pressed into service, delivering aircraft to Malta during several supply runs throughout June and July, and escorting the convoys of Operation Substance in July and Operation Halberd in September. Despite some losses, the convoys succeeded in keeping Malta supplied and fighting. The continued Allied presence in Malta was a considerable problem for Rommel in Africa, who was losing as much as ⅓ of his supplies from Italy to submarines and bombers based there. Adolf Hitler decided to send a flotilla of U-boats into the Mediterranean to attack Allied shipping, against the advice of Großadmiral Raeder.
Final voyage and sinking
On 10 November 1941, Ark Royal ferried more aircraft to Malta before returning to Gibraltar. Admiral Somerville had been warned of U-boats off the Spanish coast, and reminded Force H to be vigilant. Also at sea was Friedrich Guggenberger's , which had received a report that Force H was returning to Gibraltar.
On 13 November, at 15:40, the sonar operator aboard the destroyer detected an unidentified sound, but assumed it was the propellers of a nearby destroyer. One minute later, Ark Royal was struck amidships by a torpedo, between the fuel bunkers and bomb store, and directly below the bridge island. The explosion caused Ark Royal to shake, hurled loaded torpedo-bombers into the air, and killed Able Seaman Edward Mitchell. A hole was created on the ship's bottom and on the starboard side below the water-line by the torpedo, which was judged to have run deep, striking the bilge keel where it detonated, inboard of the side protection system. The hit caused flooding of the starboard boiler room, main switchboard, oil tanks, and over of the ship's starboard bilge. The starboard power train was knocked out, causing the rear half of the ship to lose power, while communications were severed shipwide.
Immediately after the torpedo strike, Captain Maund ordered the engines to full stop, but discovered that communications were down and had to send a runner to the engine room. The ship's continued motion enlarged the hole in the hull, and by the time Ark Royal stopped she had taken on a great deal of water and begun to list to starboard, reaching 18° from centre within 20 minutes. Considering the list of the carrier, and the fact that other carriers, including Courageous and Glorious, had sunk rapidly with heavy loss of life, Maund gave the order to abandon ship. The crew were assembled on the flight deck to determine who would remain on board to try to save the ship while Legion came alongside to take off the rest. As a result, comprehensive damage control measures were not initiated until 49 minutes after the attack. The flooding spread unchecked, exacerbated by covers and hatches left open during evacuation of the lower decks.
Water spread to the centreline boiler room, which started to flood from below, and power was lost shipwide when the boiler uptakes became choked; Ark Royal had no backup diesel generators. About half an hour after the explosion, the carrier appeared to stabilise. Admiral Somerville, determined to save Ark Royal, ordered damage control parties back to the carrier before taking the battleship Malaya to Gibraltar to organise salvage efforts. The damage control parties re-lit a boiler, restoring power to the bilge pumps. The destroyer came alongside to provide power and additional pumps, while Swordfish aircraft from Gibraltar flew overhead to supplement anti-submarine patrols. The tug Thames arrived from Gibraltar at 20:00 and attached a tow line to Ark Royal, but the flooding had caused the ship to list more severely. Rising water reached the boiler room fan flat, an uninterrupted compartment running the width of the ship. This forced the shutdown of the restored boiler.
The list reached 20° between 02:05 and 02:30, and when 'abandon ship' was declared again at 04:00, had reached 27°. Ark Royals complement had been evacuated to Legion by 04:30; with the exception of Mitchell, there were no fatalities. The 1,487 officers and crew were transported to Gibraltar. The list reached 45° before Ark Royal capsized and sank at 06:19 on 14 November. Witnesses reported the carrier rolling to 90°, where she remained for three minutes before inverting. Ark Royal then broke in two, the aft sinking within a couple of minutes, followed by the bow.
Investigation
Following the sinking, a Board of Inquiry was established to investigate the loss. Based on its findings, Captain Loben Maund was court-martialled in February 1942 for negligence. He was found guilty on two counts of negligence: one of failing to ensure that properly constituted damage control parties had remained on board after the general evacuation, and one of failing to ensure the ship was in a sufficient state of readiness to deal with possible damage. The board tempered their judgement with an acknowledgement that a high standard was being expected of Maund, and that he was primarily concerned with the welfare of his crew.
The Bucknill Committee, which had been set up to investigate the loss of major warships, also produced a report. This report said that the lack of backup power sources was a major design failure, which contributed to the loss: Ark Royal depended on electricity for much of her operation, and once the boilers and steam-driven dynamos were knocked out, the loss of power made damage control difficult. The committee recommended the design of the bulkheads and boiler intakes be improved to decrease the risk of widespread flooding in boiler rooms and machine spaces, while the uninterrupted boiler room flat was criticised. The design flaws were rectified in the Illustrious- and Implacable-class carriers, under construction at the time.
The Board of Inquiry closed its report with the observation that Ark Royal had sunk east of Europa Point, the southernmost tip of Gibraltar. This was accepted as the wreck location for 60 years.
Rediscovery
The location of the wreck was undetermined until mid-December 2002, when the wreck was discovered by an underwater survey company, C & C Technologies, Inc, using a sonar-equipped autonomous underwater vehicle, from Gibraltar, at about 1000 metres depth. The company had been contracted by the BBC as part of a documentary on maritime archaeology related to major battles of the Royal Navy. The Ark Royal wreck lies in two main pieces with the stern section sitting upright and the bow section upside down. of the bow is separated from the rest of the ship's hull. A large debris field, which includes the funnel and bridge island, parts of the ship that came loose as the carrier sank, and aircraft from the hangars, lay between the two hull sections. Analysis revealed that the port side of the ship hit the seabed first.
The wreck was found further east than expected. Researchers originally thought the wreck had been carried by currents farther into the Mediterranean as she sank – that the ship had travelled eastwards underwater before reaching the seabed. The presence near the hull pieces of other debris, including a Swordfish bomber that was tipped off the flight deck before the ship rolled, proved this false. If the current had pushed the hull pieces any significant distance sideways as they sank, debris would have been spread over a much wider area. It seems though that eastward currents had affected her progress towards Gibraltar during the time she was under tow.
Study of the wreck also showed that restarting the engines to provide power increased the stresses placed on the hull, adding to the flooding. Once power was then lost, it was impossible to prevent the ship from sinking — her fate was more the result of design flaws than of the actions of her captain.
Notes
a. The Washington Naval Treaty (signed in February 1922) imposed a limit of 135,000 tons on total British aircraft carrier tonnage, with no one ship allowed to exceed 33,000 tons, and only two to exceed 27,000 tons. The London Naval Treaty (signed in April 1930) prevented signatories from constructing new capital ships, or converting existing capital ships into aircraft carriers, until 1937.
Citations
References
Books
Websites
External links
HMS Ark Royal – Operational History and Photos
Video of HMS Ark Royal engaging high level bombers with her AA armament
Picture of Ark Royal sinking with Swordfish on deck.
Category:1937 ships
Category:Aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy
Category:Maritime incidents in November 1941
Category:Ships built in Merseyside
Category:Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II
Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom
Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
Q:
Serialize type object to concrete type dynamically
Hi I am having a hard time solving the following problem.
I am supplied two parameters
An object (obj) (containing properties with values) which are dynamic
An string (typeName) (containing a type name which can be anything that matches one of a range of concrete defined types).
Take note that obj is dynamic so I do not have any design time access to any its type or properties.
From this I need to convert this anonymous object to its concrete type initialise it with the values as contained in the object and serialise.
What I have at the moment is this:
public class ExampleObj
{
public int A { get; set; }
public string B { get; set; }
}
static void Main(string[] args)
{
var typeName = "ExampleObj";
object obj = new
{
A = 5,
B = "xx"
};
Type type = Type.GetType(typeName);
var serialiser = new XmlSerializer(type);
var sb = new StringBuilder();
serialiser.Serialize(new StringWriter(sb), obj);
}
The last line fail for obvious reasons (the runtime does now know how to convert from type object to concrete type ExampleObj and this is where I am stuck.
I also considered Activator.CreateInstance to get create an instance dynamically but my knowledge and searches does not indicate how I can initialise this instance with the correct values before serialising.
A:
Here is my final solution in a controller method that works as required by using a dynamic type. The key concept to my original question is the fact that you cannot (form what I could gather) automatically do the cast. You need some sort of switching logic doing manual casting based on the types you want to support (or by using a third party tool as suggested in the comments section at the question)
[HttpPost]
public ActionResult SaveRule(int? id, ExpandoObject ruleObj, string ruleTypeName)
{
Type type = GetTypeFromName(ruleTypeName);
var instance = Activator.CreateInstance(type);
foreach (var prop in type.GetProperties())
{
object val;
((IDictionary<string, object>)ruleObj).TryGetValue(prop.Name, out val);
val = AutoMapObjectType(prop, val);
prop.SetValue(instance, val);
}
var serialiser = new XmlSerializer(type);
var sb = new StringBuilder();
serialiser.Serialize(new StringWriter(sb), instance);
if (id != null)
{
RuleDataAccess.SaveRule((int)id, sb.ToString());
}
return new JsonResult();
}
public static object AutoMapObjectType(PropertyInfo prop, object val)
{
if (prop.PropertyType.BaseType.Name == "Enum")
{
return Enum.Parse(prop.PropertyType, val.ToString());
}
else
{
switch (prop.PropertyType.Name)
{
case "Boolean":
return Convert.ToBoolean(short.Parse(val.ToString()));
case "String":
case "Int32":
case "Decimal":
return Convert.ChangeType(val, prop.PropertyType);
default:
return Convert.ChangeType(val, prop.PropertyType); //Attempt to convert with implicit casting/conversion, (will fail if explicit cases are not handled)
}
}
}
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
1. Statement of the Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of application component distribution, and more particularly to the target platform neutral management of application component requirements during the installation of an application component.
2. Description of the Related Art
Though often overlooked, application installation is a prerequisite to interacting with a software application. Specifically, in most circumstances, an application can be properly executed only subsequent to the completion of a successful installation process. At the minimum, a typical software application installation requires a transfer of files to the file structure of a computing system, and the configuration of the computing system to particularly interact with the software application. Ordinarily, the configuration of the computing system includes the addition or modification of registry settings, the addition or modification of entries to one or more initialization files, or both.
In the context of an application installation meant to upgrade the components of an application, oftentimes, simply replacing application out-dated versions of application components with newer versions of components will not alone suffice as a complete application upgrade. Rather, in an era of code re-use, shared libraries, and interdependent program objects, replacing a single application component can have a dramatic effect upon other separate, but independent applications. Common disastrous consequences include altered and now incompatible application programming interfaces (APIs), re-positioned application objects, and removed application objects. In all cases, an application dependency can be broken simply by upgrading the application components of another, unrelated application.
Whereas application component upgrades can be problematic generally, in an autonomic system, the problem can be particularly acute. For the uninitiated, autonomic computing systems self-regulate, self-repair and respond to changing conditions, without requiring any conscious effort on the part of the computing system operator. To that end, the computing system itself can bear the responsibility of coping with its own complexity. The crux of autonomic computing relates to eight principal characteristics:
The system must “know itself” and include those system components which also possess a system identify. II. The system must be able to configure and reconfigure itself under varying and unpredictable conditions. IlI. The system must never settle for the status quo and the system must always look for ways to optimize its workings. IV. The system must be self-healing and capable of recovering from routine and extraordinary events that might cause some of its parts to malfunction. V. The system must be an expert in self-protection. VI. The system must know its environment and the context surrounding its activity, and act accordingly. VII. The system must adhere to open standards. VIII. The system must anticipate the optimized resources needed while keeping its complexity hidden from the user.
Thus, in keeping with the principles of autonomic computing, the installation of application components must not only account for the seamless installation and configuration of the application components, but also the impact of the installation upon existing applications in the target platform. Moreover, it can be important that dependencies required for the nominal operation of the application components exist within the target platform, or can be accessed from the target platform. Finally, it can be critical that the infrastructure provided by the target platform, including its computing resources, meets the resource requirements of the application components. Hence, it will be of paramount concern to the autonomic system that the target platform itself will not become “broken” in consequence of the installation of the application components.
Presently, several application upgrade strategies exist. One such well-known strategy includes the venerable “ReadMe” file. In this strategy, software developers provide a list, typically as standard prose, of components in the application which are to be installed, the required pre-requisite components and any resource requirements to be provided by the target platform. Subsequently, during installation, an application administrator can peruse the contents of the list to determine the nature of the component installation. As it will be recognized by one skilled in the art, however, the creation and use of a conventional ReadMe file can be both tedious and unreliable.
It will also be well understood by those skilled artisans that automated methods exist at least to remediate the tedium associated with the conventional ReadMe file. Specifically, various programming tools have been developed through which application component dependencies can be identified among system elements. Prior to any installation effort, the programming tool can be executed so as to determine the risk of undertaking the application installation. Still, this process lacks the granularity necessary to definitively assess the changing nature of dependencies. Moreover, modern automated methods are target platform specific. As a result, modern automated methods remain product level solutions which are ill-suited for the “write once run anywhere” nature of modern enterprise computing. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | USPTO Backgrounds |
In Ingersoll’s case his manner of doing so was percent secular he would not have wanted anyone to mistakenly think he was channeling a higher power Here are excerpts of his lengthy address I encourage the reader to look up and learn about the entirety of the tribute What follows are but the initial and concluding sections of the essay In the...
A Walla Walla podiatrist has been charged with unprofessional conduct.
On June 11, Washington state’s Department of Health Podiatric Board charged Dr. Curtis W. Long with failure to meet the standard of care in treating two patients who developed infections, one of whom subsequently required a below-the-knee amputation and the other of whom had two toes amputated.
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Podiatrist faces state sanctions]]>New Podiatry 'school' For The USAFri, 08 Jun 2018 22:15:32 +0000https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/new-podiatry-school-for-the-usa.107202/
https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/new-podiatry-school-for-the-usa.107202/[email protected] (NewsBot)NewsBot
The website has been updated with this limited info:
M.D. Degree Programs for College Grads and Podiatry Students
Three Track Program:
Track One: Medical school for qualified U.S. college graduates and currently enrolled podiatry students.
A Rhode Island podiatrist who previously worked at the veterans hospital in Augusta claims the state’s two largest newspapers wrongly accused him of malpractice.
In a civil lawsuit filed Jan. 11 in U.S....
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Podiatrist claims defamation by Portland, Bangor newspapers]]>Working in the StatesSat, 06 Jan 2018 16:34:57 +0000https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/working-in-the-states.109728/
https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/working-in-the-states.109728/[email protected] (JuliaB)JuliaB
I am training to become a Podiatrist in New Zealand which is quite different to what is understood as a podiatrist in the United States. I have dual nationality and I would like to work as a Podiatrist or
more specifically use my podiatry clinical skills in the united states at some stage in my career. I do not want to be a doctor or surgeon but are their roles for a Podiatry...
Robert A. Kornfeld bills himself as the “founder of the Institute for Integrative Podiatric Medicine,” which is not something to be proud of.
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Diagnosis: Classic denialist, really. Probably not among the most influential promoters of pseudoscience, but his name does seem to pop up here and there, so probably not entirely harmless either and he is a thoroughly shitty human...
The question now is what provisions may survive and when the death knell of the others will sound.
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]]>24Jury sides with podiatrist in wrongful death caseMon, 29 May 2017 08:25:14 +0000https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/jury-sides-with-podiatrist-in-wrongful-death-case.108841/
https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/jury-sides-with-podiatrist-in-wrongful-death-case.108841/[email protected] (NewsBot)NewsBotJury sides with podiatrist in wrongful death case
David Bushong died in 2009 from a rare form of cancer discovered two years earlier. Six months before the cancer was diagnosed, Dr. David Huebner saw Bushong for a growth Huebner...
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Jury sides with podiatrist in wrongful death case]]>3The CryopaC Plus / AdvanceThu, 18 May 2017 15:16:09 +0000https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/the-cryopac-plus-advance.26181/
https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/the-cryopac-plus-advance.26181/[email protected] (Dieter Fellner)Dieter Fellner
I have the CryoPac Plus / Advance (UK) together with two probes (1 heel probe, 1 neuroma probe). Evolved from the earlier Cryostar , it is the latest model in the range, and benefits from a number of upgrades. Boasting both greater reliability (freeze temperature) and efficiency,...
The CryopaC Plus / Advance]]>5The Arizona State Board of Podiatry Examiners Expands Scope of Practice to Include AmputationTue, 16 May 2017 00:57:11 +0000https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/the-arizona-state-board-of-podiatry-examiners-expands-scope-of-practice-to-include-amputation.108815/
https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/the-arizona-state-board-of-podiatry-examiners-expands-scope-of-practice-to-include-amputation.108815/[email protected] (NewsBot)NewsBot
May 12, 2017The Arizona State Board of Podiatry Examiners Expands Scope of Practice to Include Amputation
Phoenix, Arizona – The Arizona State Board of Podiatry Examiners (“Board”) is excited to announce that its scope of practice has increased to allow for amputation. The Board’s mission remains the same and they will continue to serve the public by protecting...
A Detroit podiatrist was charged in an indictment unsealed today for his alleged participation in a $13.9 million health care fraud scheme involving fraudulent claims for unnecessary foot surgeries and other...
A grand jury has indicted podiatrist Adam Frasch in the death of his French model wife.
Eight months ago, Samira Frasch was found dead floating in the swimming pool at her upscale Tallahassee home.
Her husband, Dr. Adam Frasch, has denied guilt...
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Podiatrist indicted in death of model wife]]>6Noveon Laser - any USA Pods got a review for me?Sat, 14 Jan 2017 12:29:43 +0000https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/noveon-laser-any-usa-pods-got-a-review-for-me.108104/
https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/noveon-laser-any-usa-pods-got-a-review-for-me.108104/[email protected] (Leah Claydon)Leah Claydon
I was visited by a Noveon rep this week - the research they provided is very sketchy and I can't find anything particularly positive on-line about any type of laser for onychomycosis - I believe this system has been available State-side for some time - can you tell me what you guys think about it?
From 1957 to 1985, Dixon worked as a podiatrist for the VA. Just three years after VA officially ended racial segregation in its hospitals, Dixon was hired as the first woman and full-time podiatrist to work...
The jury determined that Wells had not been negligent in his treatment of Beezub.
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Full story]]>Podiatrist in trouble with the feds did runner to BrazilTue, 09 Aug 2016 03:01:50 +0000https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/podiatrist-in-trouble-with-the-feds-did-runner-to-brazil.106044/
https://podiatryarena.com/index.php?threads/podiatrist-in-trouble-with-the-feds-did-runner-to-brazil.106044/[email protected] (NewsBot)NewsBotBroward podiatrist who hotfooted it under scrutiny, is jailed
...found out in August he was under investigation on allegations of theft of government money
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But while his lawyer at the time was trying to negotiate a deal, Garcon "continued to stall" and flew from...
A woman who alleges she received treat*ment for physical and mental illness, in*cluding bipolar disorder, from the Hamp*ton-Newport News Community Services Board healthcare provider who represented that he was a psychiatrist, but who... | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
In 1998, Andy Clark and David Chalmers published an essay in Analysis entitled "The Extended Mind" that proposed and defended a radical claim. They argued that minds can and sometimes do extend beyond our skin out into the broader world, in non-biological representational systems and devices. To properly understand minds, they claimed, we need to recognize not just how they interact with the outside world; we also must recognize that aspects of the non-biological world are, in certain situations, actually constitutive of them. Clark and Chalmers' article has since prompted a variety of responses. Richard Menary's new volume presents fourteen such reactions that (along with Clark and Chalmers' original essay) defend, criticize, or further develop and advance the extended mind hypothesis (hereafter, EMH). Despite varying widely in quality, these essays offer an interesting and often provocative array of perspectives on the physical boundaries of mentality.
The volume has two apparent but unstated agendas. One goal is to defend the general outlook of EMH from various challenges. All but 3 of the essays are strongly supportive, and even the introduction openly endorses the EMH stance. There is, of course, nothing wrong with this, but readers should not expect equal treatment by both sides of this issue. The second objective is to help develop a "second-wave" version of EMH that pushes EMH in a different direction. To better see how these agendas play out, it will help to first consider two central principles that inform many of the discussions.
The first principle is endorsed in Clark and Chalmers' cornerstone essay and has come to be known as the "parity principle":
If, as we confront some task, a part of the world functions as a process which, were it done in the head, we would have no hesitation in recognizing as part of the cognitive process, then that part of the world is … part of the cognitive process. (p. 29)
Like many philosophical tenets, the parity principle is motivated by a central thought-experiment. Clark and Chalmers ask us to imagine an Alzheimers' victim, Otto, who relies upon a trusty and ever-present notebook to store vital information. Because the notebook functions so much like a normal person's memory, Clark and Chalmers suggest it actually is Otto's memory, with its inscriptions serving as his long-standing beliefs. The parity principle is largely driven by functionalist intuitions. If functional role is what defines mental states and processes, then just as it is prejudicial to claim that minds must be instantiated in neurons, so too, EMH proponents suggest, it is equally prejudicial to assume that minds must be instantiated within the skull. When devices, symbol systems, and other things in the world function sufficiently like things we normally regard as cognitive, then they too should be regarded as cognitive and, indeed, as parts of our minds.[1]
The second credo is an alleged fallacy that, according to Fred Adams and Ken Aizawa, EMH proponents commit -- the "coupling-constitution fallacy":
The fallacious pattern is to draw attention to cases, real or imagined, in which some object or process is coupled in some fashion to some cognitive agent. From this, one slides to the conclusion that the object or process constitutes part of the agent's cognitive apparatus or cognitive processing. (p. 68)
In their contribution, Adams and Aizawa insist that there is no good reason for treating Otto's notebook as part of his cognitive system, as opposed to external tools that assist his cognitive activity. It is one thing to be causally or computationally relied upon by a mind when it engages in various intellectual tasks, it is another thing to actually be a component of such a mind. To bolster their claim, Adams and Aizawa propose their own criterion for mentality: non-derived intentionality, which is lacking in external symbol systems like Otto's notebook.
There is an obvious tension between these two precepts. If it is a fallacy to treat things coupled to a cognitive agent as parts of a cognitive system, then the parity principle is in trouble. If, on the other hand, functional parity is sufficient for mentality, then certain coupled elements really are parts of our minds. In certain respects, the first four chapters of Menary's volume, and many parts of subsequent chapters, involve a debate over which of these two principles should be given priority. Clark's second essay, "Memento's Revenge", is partly designed to re-affirm and defend the parity principle from various criticisms. It is followed by a further rebuttal by Adams and Aizawa in which they answer criticisms of their own coupling-constitution fallacy. This, in turn, is followed by a further (re)rebuttal by Clark, which, as might be expected, further defends parity and rejects the charge of fallacious reasoning.
The exchanges in these first four chapters adopt a dialectic that has become commonplace in debates about EMH. Because of the emphasis upon parity, proponents emphasize how much extra-cranial systems function just like intra-cranial systems and critics emphasize how much they don't. Or, alternatively, proponents emphasize how dissimilar from one another conventional inner cognitive operations can be (thereby suggesting various functional differences are not critical), while critics emphasize their core uniformity. For instance, Clark repeatedly highlights the ways in which external elements help us in the same ways that internal elements do, and also the degree to which we already acknowledge different types of capacities like memory. Adams and Aizawa, on the other hand, stress how much things like Otto's notebook is unlike biological memory (because it must be read and interpreted) and how biologicality provides a unified base for mentality.
While these exchanges are often insightful, they fail to accomplish any clear consensus or advance the discussion very far. The debate would have benefitted from some prior agreement on what counts as getting it right -- on, say, how we might discern the difference between a cognitive system's parts and non-parts. Without this, the two sides often talk past each other. For example, Clark (along with Menary) criticizes Adams and Aizawa for confusedly thinking that the extended mind position entails that objects (like Otto's notebook) can be intrinsically cognitive, irrespective of whatever role they are playing. As Clark points out, no proponent of EMH thinks that; it is essential that the object be properly conjoined or integrated with a brain. Yet, in fact, this is an uncharitable interpretation of Adams and Aizawa, whose whole argument is designed to show that integration with a brain is not enough.
The other critics of EMH in this volume also emphasize a lack of functional parity between the inner and outer. Robert Rupert focuses on language processing and persuasively argues that the usual explananda of cognitive science undermine the EMH outlook. Developmental psychologists want to know how children come to learn a language, and for that we need to regard the cognitive agent as a persisting, unified system. But extended coupled systems are short-lived -- unlike biological sub-systems, external components attach only for brief periods. It is thereby hard to see how we could have a science about a series of short-lived hybrid systems. John Preston, like Adams and Aizawa, describes dissimilarities between the inscriptions in Otto's notebook and beliefs as understood by common sense. Preston's focus is upon access; as he notes, while we have first-person authority regarding what we believe, externally stored information lacks this access: Otto needs to use perception to discover not just what is in the world, but also what he believes. He claims that these functional dissimilarities undermine EMH.
Although Clark does not directly respond to Rupert or Preston, it is easy to imagine his rebuttal: yes, these dissimilarities do exist, but they are not essential and are no more interesting than other dissimilarities between conventional internal states and sub-systems. So while critics challenge EMH by emphasizing a lack of functional parity between the inner and outer, proponents insist these functional dissimilarities don't matter. Yet this discussion is in need of a prior and principled way of demarcating those functional properties that make something part of a cognitive system from those functional properties that do not. This is a topic that Michael Wheeler attempts to address in his clear and interesting defense of extended functionalism. Wheeler acknowledges that the debate over parity often slips into the type of standoff between conservative and liberal functionalists that we see here between Clark and his critics. Wheeler offers a reasonable strategy for resolving this impasse: we should ask, counterfactually, would we continue regarding a conventional cognitive state or process as mental if it happened to lack the property in question? If the answer is "yes", then we should not exclude external elements just because they happen to lack that feature. For example, if a lesion caused a person's memory to stop displaying generation effects, would we stop treating this faculty as real memory? Presumably not. Thus, (contra Rupert, 2004) generation effects are not essential for memory.
Despite this sensible proposal, it is doubtful that it can always break the stalemate. If, say, a person's beliefs were to lose the property of first-person access, would they still count as real beliefs? I suspect Clark would claim that they would (insisting that this difference doesn't matter), whereas Preston would say they wouldn't (insisting this difference does matter).
But even if Wheeler's strategy does help, there is another worry raised by Rupert that deserved greater attention than provided in this volume. Insofar as the adoption of EMH would still require acknowledging the same critical distinctions between what is inner and what is outer, between what is biological and what isn't, the worry is that the adoption of EMH would amount to nothing more than a re-labeling. We now investigate the ways minds interact with non-mental things like public words and symbols. An EMH revolution would involve the same divisions; we would just start talking about investigating the ways the biological parts of our minds interact with the non-biological parts of our minds. Not much would change except the words we use. This worry is substantially exacerbated when we turn to the essays promoting the second goal of this volume. This is because those essays embrace (rather than downplay) the distinctions between what's in the skull and what's outside.
With the type of EMH described thus far, both sides have leaned upon the parity principle -- upon the functional similarity or dissimilarity of outer states and processes with conventional (i.e., inner, biological) cognitive states and processes to make their case either for or against EMH. But there is a completely different outlook that forms the foundation of the second-wave perspective. The proponents of this new outlook openly abandon the parity principle in favor of what one author (Sutton) refers to as the "complementarity principle". This latter principle rejects the idea that external factors must be functionally similar to conventional mental states and processes to qualify as cognitive. Instead, what matters is integration with biological systems to form a broader, hybrid cognitive system. For these authors, Otto's notebook isn't part of Otto's mind because it functions just like Otto's old memory. Instead, it is part of his mind because it is systematically and reciprocally integrated with his biological brain during various episodes of cognition. By replacing the parity principle with the complementarity principle, proponents of second-wave EMH can simply side-step those critics who complain that what's extra-cranial is not functionally similar to what's intra-cranial.
Menary's own contribution, along with his introduction, provides a clear articulation of second-wave EMH. He offers a task-based conception of a cognitive process which is then used to support an externalist conception of cognitive systems. For him, what makes outer items truly cognitive is not parity but rather the distinctive roles they play in the overall performance of a task that is cognitive in nature. If, say, the task is doing long division with pencil and paper, then the pencil and paper serve as components of an extended cognitive system, not because they resemble something neurological when division is done in the head, but rather because they are integral parts of a system performing a cognitive task: "The primary motivation for cognitive integration is the brute fact of our embodiment, especially our bodily manipulation of environmental vehicles" (p. 229).
Along similar lines, John Sutton joins Menary in developing a second-wave EMH position. To illustrate his complementarity principle, Sutton discusses two historical examples. The first involves Elizabethan actors at the Globe theater, who were required to perform an incredibly large number of different roles with minimal rehearsal. This was possible only because the physical lay-out of the sets, social variables, and various props served as information-bearing elements that helped to guide the actors' performance. The second example concerns the medieval memory palaces used by monks and scholars for storing large amounts of information. With this mnemonic strategy, buildings or familiar streets were memorized and then used to store various bits of information for later retrieval. Sutton claims this qualifies as a form of extended cognition, though I had a hard time understanding how it does. Given that the process involves everything being internalized (with memorized images of spatial geography used as mnemonic aids), just how this is supposed to support EMH is a bit mysterious.
Robert Wilson also offers an intriguing essay that can be seen as supporting second-wave EMH, though he initially presents an argument that appears to embrace parity. Wilson focuses upon "meaning making" -- our employment of various different internal and external representational states and devices for various purposes. Just as developmental systems theory helps us to see how various external factors contribute to organismic inheritance and development, so too a proper understanding of our status as "semantic engines" demands that we treat external symbols, signs, and linguistic tools as parts of our own cognitive apparatus. Ultimately, Wilson suggests that the specific form or location of these "mental representations" is less important to our understanding of intentionality than the fact that they play some sort of causal role in perception and behavior.
Language is also the focus of the chapter authored by David Spurrett and Stephen Cowley, who regard language as an outgrowth of more primitive "utterance activities". They propose that communicative gestures and acts sometimes give rise to a type of extended cognition in which two communicators should not be viewed as two distinct individuals, but rather as a complex hybrid. When a Zulu mother deliberately dominates the perceptual and behavioral field of her infant to calm the child, Spurrett and Cowley suggest the infant's mind is "colonized" by the mother's.
All of these authors make a strong case for thinking that various outer, non-biological elements that are markedly different from internal elements are nevertheless important (indeed, necessary) for specific cognitive tasks and activities. They make a strong case for a high degree of integration. Unfortunately, they fail to make a strong case for treating these integrated external structures as parts of an expanded mind. There is nothing here, as far as I can see, that would alleviate the worry that EMH is based upon a coupling-constitution fallacy. We are repeatedly told how second-wave EMH would be a dramatic departure from our current perspective and would have radical new consequences for our conception of mentality, language systems, reasoning, etc. On that we can all agree. But we are told much less about why such a dramatic departure is a good idea, or just what the explanatory pay-off would be.
What these authors need, but do not really provide, is an argument for treating external structures as not only important for (and integrated with) cognitive systems during various cognitive tasks -- something Adams and Aizawa are happy to concede -- but for also treating them as actually mental states. Why, for example, should the actor's stage artifacts and props be treated as elements of an expanded cognitive system, instead of as, more conventionally, non-cognitive mnemonic tools that aid the actor's memory? Sutton doesn't really tell us. Menary offers the proposal that external elements are not mere tools because biological minds act upon them and vice versa -- that they are reciprocally integrated with one another. But that is hardly a convincing justification for thinking something is part of something else (when chopping wood, I am reciprocally integrated with an ax, but that doesn't make the ax part of me). At least with first-wave EMH and the parity principle, there was an intuitive response to the coupling-constitution criticism: outer elements are not mere tools because, in certain circumstances, there is no relevant difference in their functional role and the role of internal elements; hence, treating their location as relevant is a mere prejudice. But with second-wave EMH and its abandonment of the parity principle, a key justification for not regarding external structures as non-systemic aids is lost. In large measure, the essays supporting second-wave EMH in this volume do not answer the coupling-constitution fallacy so much as they simply ignore it.
How could one show that something is a real part of a system, as opposed to merely being causally integrated with it? What sort of distinction is this? Is it objectively real, or is it instead some sort of construct? It is unfortunate that these types of meta-questions don't receive further attention here. Moreover, it is surprising that none of the authors offer either a defense or critique of EMH that appeals to a broader analysis of systems. After all, there are lots of biological systems associated with our selves that are equally plausible candidates for extension. Is an asthmatic's inhaler part of her respiratory system or merely an aid to it? How should one try to answer such a question and what counts as getting it right? Consider what the parity principle might look like applied to our digestion system:
If, as we confront some task, a part of the world functions as a process which, were it done in our gut, we would have no hesitation in recognizing as part of the digestive process, then that part of the world is … part of the digestive process.
Suppose our evolutionary history had been quite different and we had evolved blenders as part of our biological digestive tract. It seems clear that if blending was part of our natural digestive process, we would have no hesitation in recognizing biological blending as part of our digestive system. But that counterfactual truth in no way tempts me to think that the blender on my kitchen counter should now count as part of my digestive system. Why should cognition be treated any differently? Many of the debates that take center stage in this volume lead to no clear resolution in part because basic questions like these are not properly addressed.
Nearly all of the essays discussed so far focus upon the intentional aspect of cognition -- on representational states like memories and beliefs. The phenomenal aspect of the mind has received much less attention in the EMH literature, and in their original essay Clark and Chalmers were careful to avoid claiming that consciousness itself might be located beyond the skull. But two of the most intriguing essays in this collection do not shy away from that proposal.
In her lengthy and complicated contribution, Susan Hurley offers a framework for EMH that distinguishes "What" from "How" externalism, and "Content" from "Quality" externalism. This taxonomy helps her to expose an important and interesting paradox that is the focal point of her essay. Given that there is a large intuitive gap between our understanding of brains and qualitative experience (where we can't really see how the former can instantiate the latter), then why is there such a strong intuition that qualitative experience must be entirely realized by what is inside the skull? As she puts it: "if we have so little understanding of how phenomenal qualities could possibly be explained, why are we so confident that if they can be, the explanation must be internalist?" (p. 145). Hurley offers a diagnosis of this paradox that aims to make externalism toward phenomenal states more palatable. By focusing on perceptual examples where external factors determine the classification of specific qualitative properties (where neural correlates of specific qualia can vary), Hurley argues that external factors are essential to explaining the 'what-it's-likeness' of perceptual states. While this was perhaps the most demanding chapter in the collection, there is much here that makes the effort worthwhile.
Mark Rowlands' careful yet somewhat cryptic essay also promotes the view that conscious experience is at least partially realized in elements that extend beyond the nervous system. Rowlands notes that while standard accounts of phenomenal experience appeal to modes of presentation, they overlook that such a mode has a dual role -- as an object of apprehension, but also as a vehicle or "enabler" of that experience (much like Frege's dual-role notion of sense). To clarify his position, Rowlands invokes Merleau-Ponty's example of a blind man using a cane. Much of the time, the cane itself is not an object of perception -- it is instead a "vehicle" of perceptual experience used to detect objects, as a conduit of the blind's man's phenomenal experience of the world. In similar fashion, Rowlands suggests that saccadic eye scans, "attention-grabbing" mechanisms, and spatial patterns of light also serve as vehicles by which the world is revealed. While Rowland's suggestions are intriguing, his arguments for thinking either that modes of presentations can serve as unapprehended vehicles of conscious experience or that they can be instantiated by things like saccadic eye movements are far from clear.
Finally, undoubtedly the oddest chapter is this volume is one that inadvertently suggests that the whole topic is deeply ill-conceived. In a somewhat condescending tone, Don Ross and James Ladyman tell us that that the coupling-constitution fallacy is based upon a naive and flawed conception of reality, since, at the level of fundamental physics, conventional notions like causation and constitution have no real application. Curiously, they see this as only a problem for the critics of EMH. Given that EMH itself depends on the idea that certain things are parts of other things (minds), their conclusion should have been that EMH is itself a confused non-issue (presumably, their essay isn't "part of" a volume devoted to such a non-issue). Perhaps the real take-home lesson from this chapter is something most of us already believed; namely, that whatever bizarre things physicists tell us about fundamental particles, their statements should have very little bearing on what we think about middle-sized things like cognitive systems.
Beyond these concerns about the individual chapters, it should be noted that there is no discernible organizational scheme behind the ordering of the essays. While the topics may not lend themselves to any obvious sequence, it would have helped if the editor had used the introduction to explain why he adopted the arrangement he did.
Yet despite this and the other concerns mentioned above, this collection is hardly a flop. Quite the contrary, it is easily the most broad-themed and diverse book on the topic of extended cognition. Indeed, one of its greatest virtues may be that it presents so many of the different ways people think about EMH. Insofar as some of those ways have problems that have not yet been addressed, it is enormously beneficial to have these brought to light. Menary's collection does enhance our understanding of extended minds and will thus significantly advance the discussion, though perhaps in ways that were not directly intended.
References
Rupert, Robert (2004): "Challenges to the Hypothesis of Extended Cognition." Journal of Philosophy, 101(8), 389-428.
While some authors draw a sharp distinction between cognitive systems and minds, Clark and Chalmers make it clear that EMH is intended to apply to both. Since the authors in this volume treat the two as (more or less) the same thing, I will do so as well. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Abstract
Ensemble and summary displays are two widely used methods to represent visual-spatial uncertainty; however, there is disagreement about which is the most effective technique to communicate uncertainty to the general public. Visualization scientists create ensemble displays by plotting multiple data points on the same Cartesian coordinate plane. Despite their use in scientific practice, it is more common in public presentations to use visualizations of summary displays, which scientists create by plotting statistical parameters of the ensemble members. While prior work has demonstrated that viewers make different decisions when viewing summary and ensemble displays, it is unclear what components of the displays lead to diverging judgments. This study aims to compare the salience of visual features – or visual elements that attract bottom-up attention – as one possible source of diverging judgments made with ensemble and summary displays in the context of hurricane track forecasts. We report that salient visual features of both ensemble and summary displays influence participant judgment. Specifically, we find that salient features of summary displays of geospatial uncertainty can be misunderstood as displaying size information. Further, salient features of ensemble displays evoke judgments that are indicative of accurate interpretations of the underlying probability distribution of the ensemble data. However, when participants use ensemble displays to make point-based judgments, they may overweight individual ensemble members in their decision-making process. We propose that ensemble displays are a promising alternative to summary displays in a geospatial context but that decisions about visualization methods should be informed by the viewer’s task.
Keywords
Abbreviations
Significance
Understanding how to interpret uncertainty in data, specifically in weather forecasts, is a problem that affects visualization scientists, policymakers, and the general public. For example, in the case of hurricane forecasts, visualization scientists are tasked with providing policymakers with visual displays that will inform their decision on when to call for mandatory evacuations and how to allocate emergency management resources. In other circumstances, the general public may view hurricane forecasts to make decisions about when and how to evacuate. Even though these types of decisions are costly and have a high impact on health and safety, the literature provides few recommendations to visualization scientists about the most effective way to display uncertainty in hurricane forecasts to a novice audience. Previous research has shown that novice viewers misinterpret widely used methods to visualize uncertainty in hurricane forecasts. The current work examines how novice users interpret two standard methods to display uncertainty in hurricane forecasts, namely ensemble and summary displays. We demonstrate how salient elements of a display – or elements in a visualization that attract attention – can influence interpretations of visualizations. We also provide specific recommendations based on empirical evidence for best practices with each technique.
Background
Ensemble data is the most commonly used type of forecast data across many scientific domains, including weather prediction and climate modeling (Sanyal et al., 2010). Scientists create ensemble datasets by generating or collecting multiple data values or ‘ensemble members’ (Brodlie, Osorio, & Lopes, 2012; Potter et al., 2009). Then, scientists plot all, or a subset of, the ensemble members on the same Cartesian coordinate plane, creating an ensemble display (Harris, 2000). Despite ensemble display use in scientific practice, it is more common to utilize summary displays for public presentations (Pang, 2008). Scientists construct summary displays by plotting statistical parameters, such as the mean, median, distribution, standard deviations, confidence intervals (CIs) and, with some advanced techniques, outliers, of the ensemble members (Whitaker, Mirzargar, & Kirby, 2013). Among the studies that have attempted to assess the efficacy of ensemble and summary visualizations, there is disagreement about the best method to communicate uncertainty to the general public. This work aims to test the efficacy of both approaches in the context of hurricane forecasts.
Supporters of ensemble displays suggest that there are benefits to this visualization method, including (1) the ability to depict all or the majority of the ensemble data, making a representative portion of the data visually available (Liu et al., 2016); (2) the fact that ensemble displays depict non-normal relationships in the data such as bimodal distributions, perceived as discrete clusters (Szafir, Haroz, Gleicher, & Franconeri, 2016); (3) the preservation of relevant outlier information (Szafir et al., 2016); and (4) the fact that viewers can, in some cases, accurately report some statistical parameters depicted by ensemble displays such as probability distributions (Cox, House, & Lindell, 2013; Leib et al., 2014; Sweeny, Wurnitsch, Gopnik, & Whitney, 2015; Szafir et al., 2016), trends in central tendency (Szafir et al., 2016), and mean size and orientation (Ariely, 2001) (for comprehensive reviews see, Alvarez, 2011; Whitney, Haberman, & Sweeny, 2014). Sweeny et al. (2015) further showed that children as young as four could accurately judge the relative average size of a group of objects. Researchers argue that viewers perceive the aforementioned data parameters in ensemble displays because they can mentally summarize visual features of ensemble displays by perceiving the gist or integrating ensemble data into rich and quickly accessible information (Correll & Heer, 2017; Leib et al., 2014; Oliva & Torralba, 2006; Rousselet, Joubert, & Fabre-Thorpe, 2005). In relation to this, Szafir et al. (2016) detailed four types of tasks (identification, summarization, segmentation, and structure estimation) that are well suited for ensemble displays because they utilize ensemble coding or the mental summarization of data. In line with this work, Correll and Heer (2017) found that participants were effective at estimating the slope, amplitude, and curvature of bivariate data when displayed with scatter plots. In contrast, researchers found that viewers had a strong bias when estimating correlations from scatter plots but also demonstrated that the laws that viewers followed remained similar across variations of encoding techniques and data parameters such as changes in density, aspect ratio, color, and the underlying data distribution (Rensink, 2014, 2016). In sum, there is evidence that adult novice viewers and children can, in some cases, derive statistical information from ensemble displays and that ensemble displays can preserve potentially useful characteristics in the ensemble data.
While previous research indicates that there are various benefits to ensemble displays, there are also some drawbacks. The primary issue with ensemble displays is that visual crowding may occur, which happens when ensemble members are plotted too closely together and cannot be easily differentiated, increasing difficulty in interpretation. While researchers have developed algorithms to reduce visual crowding (e.g., Liu et al., 2016), visual crowding may still occur when all of the ensemble data is plotted.
Summary displays are an alternative to ensemble displays and are suggested to be easier and more effective for users to understand. Work in cartography argues that choropleth maps, which are color encodings of summary statistics such as the average value over a region, are more comprehensible than displaying all of the individual data values (Harrower & Brewer, 2003; Watson, 2013). Michael Dobson argued that the summarization in choropleth maps decreases mental workload and time to perform tasks while improving control of information presentation and pattern recognition (Dobson, 1973, 1980). Beyond choropleth maps, summarization techniques have been developed that can encode advanced summary statistics, such as quartiles, outlier data, and task-relevant features, in ensemble datasets (Mirzargar, Whitaker, & Kirby, 2014; Whitaker et al., 2013).
However, researchers have also documented drawbacks to summarization techniques. First, displays of summary statistics, such as median, mean, and standard deviations, can hide important features in the data such as bimodal or skewed distributions and outliers (Whitaker et al., 2013). Second, summary displays that include boundaries, such as line plots of summary statistics, produce more biased decisions than scatter plots of the same data (Correll & Heer, 2017). Finally, studies have demonstrated that even simple summary displays, such as statistical error bars, are widely misinterpreted by students, the public, and even trained experts (Belia, Fidler, Williams, & Cumming, 2005; Newman & Scholl, 2012; Sanyal, Zhang, Bhattacharya, Amburn, & Moorhead, 2009; Savelli & Joslyn, 2013).
In the context of hurricane forecasts, there is evidence that summary displays may result in more misinterpretations than ensemble displays (Ruginski et al., 2016). A notable example is the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) ‘cone of uncertainty’ (Fig. 1).
Forecasters create the cone of uncertainty by averaging a 5-year sample of historical hurricane forecast tracks, resulting in a border where locations inside the boundary have a 66% likelihood of being struck by the center of the storm (Cox et al., 2013). Even though the cone of uncertainty is used by the NHC, it does not follow well-established cartographic principles (e.g., Dent, 1999; Robinson, Morrison, Muehrcke, Kimerling, & Guptill, 1995), including hierarchical organization, which asserts that the level of salience should correspond to the importance of information in a display. However, the cone of uncertainty does support the general view that simplifying complex ensemble data will make decisions easier for users. Ruginski et al. (2016) compared five different encodings of ensemble data (three summary displays, one display of the mean, and one ensemble display) of hurricane forecast tracks, using a task where participants predicted the extent of damage that would occur at a given location. The three summary displays included a standard cone of uncertainty, which had a mean line, a cone without the mean line, and a cone in which the color saturation corresponded to the probability distribution of the ensemble data. Results revealed that, with the summary displays, participants believed that locations at the center of the hurricane that were at a later point in time would receive more damage than at an earlier time point. Strikingly, ensemble displays showed the reverse pattern of responses, with damage rated to be lower at the later time. Further, we found that participants viewing any of the summary displays compared to the ensemble display were significantly more likely to self-report that the display depicted the hurricane growing in size over time. In fact, the cone only depicts a distribution of potential hurricane paths and no information about the size (Cox et al., 2013). One consistency between the three summary displays was the growing diameter of the cone boundaries (as illustrated in Fig. 2a). A possible interpretation of this finding is that viewers focused on the increasing size of the cone, rather than mapping increasing uncertainty to the size of the cone.
Examples of the cone (a, c) and ensemble display (b, d) visualization techniques of hurricane one (a, b) and two (c, d)
More generally, one potential source of the misinterpretation of both summary and ensemble displays is their salient visual features. Salient visual features are defined as the elements in a visualization that attract bottom-up attention (e.g., Itti, Koch, & Niebur, 1998; Rosenholtz & Jin, 2005). Researchers have argued that salience is also influenced by top-down factors (e.g., training or prior knowledge), particularly for tasks that simulate real world decisions (Fabrikant, Hespanha, & Hegarty, 2010; Hegarty, Canham, & Fabrikant, 2010; Henderson, 2007). Hegarty et al. (2010) demonstrated that, in a map-based task, top-down task demands influenced where participants looked on the page, and then salience influenced what information they attended to in the region of interest. This work suggests that both top-down processing and salience guide attention. As described above, a salient visual feature of the cone of uncertainty is the border, which surrounds the cone shape and which grows in diameter with time (Fig. 2a). A salient feature of ensemble displays is the individual ensemble members and their relationship to one another (Fig. 2b). It is possible that the salient features of both the cone of uncertainty and ensemble displays of the same data attract viewers’ attention and bias their decisions (Bonneau et al., 2014).
The motivation for this work was to address both an applied and a theoretical goal. The applied goal was to test whether salient features of summary and ensemble displays contributed to some of the biases reported in prior work (Ruginski et al., 2016), whereas the theoretical goal was to examine whether salient visual features inform how viewers interpret displays. In the case of the cone of uncertainty, viewers may associate the salient increasing diameter of the cone with changes in the physical size of the hurricane. To test this possibility, in the first experiment, we expanded on our previous paradigm by having participants make estimates of the size and intensity of a hurricane with either ensemble or summary displays. In a second experiment, we focused further on the ensemble visualization and judgments of potential damage across the forecast, testing whether the role of the individual lines presented in an ensemble display would be misinterpreted because of their salience in the display. Finally, in a third experiment, we replicate the second experiment and extend the findings beyond a forced choice task.
Experiment 1
In line with our prior work (Ruginski et al., 2016), we hypothesized that participants viewing the cone of uncertainty would report that the hurricane was larger at a future time point. It was an open question whether judgments of intensity would also be associated with the depicted size of the cone. We predicted that those viewing the ensemble display would report that the size and intensity of the storm remained the same in the future because the size cue from the cone was not present. On the other hand, for ensemble hurricane track displays (Fig. 2b, d), it is possible that the individual tracks and their relationship to one another are the salient features used to interpret the hurricane forecast. The tracks in the ensemble display employed by Ruginski et al. (2016) became increasingly farther apart as the distance from the center of the storm increased, which could be associated with a decrease in perceived intensity of the storm. We predicted that participants viewing the ensemble display would believe that the storm was less intense where the individual tracks were farther apart (an effect of distance from the center of the storm). However, because the cone of uncertainty lacks this salient spread of tracks, we predicted that judgments of intensity when viewing the cone would not be affected by distance from the center of the storm.
An example of the cone visualization, shown with the 12 possible oil rig locations. Only one location was presented on each trial (and km were not presented)
Methods
Participants
Participants were 182 undergraduate students currently attending the University of Utah who completed the study for course credit. Three individuals were excluded from final analyses for failing to follow instructions. Of the 179 included in analyses, 83 were male and 183 were female, with a mean age of 21.78 years (SD = 5.72). Each participant completed only one condition, either size task with cone (n = 40), size task with ensemble display (n = 42), intensity task with cone (n = 48), or intensity task with ensemble display (n = 48).
Stimuli
Stimuli were presented online using the Qualtrics web application (Qualtrics [Computer software], 2005). In each trial, participants were presented with a display depicting a hurricane forecast. The hurricane forecast images were generated using prediction advisory data from two historical hurricanes, available on the NHC website (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive). The cone of uncertainty and an ensemble display technique were both used to depict the two hurricanes (Fig. 2).
A custom computer code was written to construct the summary and ensemble displays, using the algorithm described on the NHC website (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutcone.shtml). The ensemble and summary displays were created using the code of Cox et al. (2013). The resulting displays were a subset of the five visualization techniques used in Ruginski et al. (2016), which depicted two hurricanes and were randomly presented to participants. All were digitally composited over a map of the U.S. Gulf Coast that had been edited to minimize distracting labeling. These images were displayed to the subjects at a pixel resolution of 740 × 550. A single location of an ‘oil rig’ depicted as a red dot was superimposed on the image at one of 12 locations defined relative to the centerline of the cone and the cone boundaries. We chose the following distances to place the oil rigs relative to the centerline of the cone, 69, 173, 277, 416, 520, and 659 km (Fig. 3), which correspond to 0.386, 0.97, 1.56, 2.35, 2.94, and 3.72 cm from the center line of the hurricane on the map.
Relative points with respect to the center and cone boundary were chosen so that three points fell outside the cone boundary (277, 173, and 69 km), three points fell within the cone boundary (416, 520, and 659 km), and so that no points appeared to touch the visible center line or boundary lines. Underneath the forecast, a scale ranging from A to I was displayed along with visual depictions. For the intensity task, the scale was indicated by gauges, and for the size task the scale was indicated by circles (Fig. 4). Each circle was scaled by 30% from the prior circle. Each gauge was scaled by 1 ‘tick’ from the prior gauge. The starting size and intensity of the hurricane were overlaid on the beginning of the hurricane track forecast for each trial. Three starting sizes and intensities (C, E, G) were presented in a randomized order.
An example of the visual depiction of the Likert scales, which depicts intensity with gauges (top) and size with the diameter of the circle (bottom)
Salience assessment
To test the previously stated prediction about salience of features of ensemble and summary displays, we utilized the Itti et al. (1998) salience model. Prior research has employed the Itti et al. (1998) salience model to test the salience of cartographic images and found that this model is a reasonable approximation of bottom-up attention (Fabrikant et al., 2010; Hegarty et al., 2010). The Itti et al. (1998) salience model was run in Matlab (2016, Version 9.1.0.441655) using the code provided by Harel et al., (2007). The results of this analysis suggest that the most salient visual features of the cone of uncertainty are the borders of the cone and the centerline (Fig. 5a). Additionally, the salient visual features of the ensemble display are the relative spread of hurricane tracks (Fig. 5b).
Example of the visual output generated using the Itti et al. (1998) salience model, which shows example stimuli used in this experiment. Brighter coloration indicates increased salience. a The summary display. b The ensemble display
Design
We utilized a 2 (visualization type) × 2 (hurricane) × 3 (starting size or intensity) × 12 (oil rig location) mixed factorial design for each task (size and intensity). Hurricane starting size or intensity and the oil rig location were within-participant variables, resulting in a total of 72 trials per participant. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two visualization conditions (summary or ensemble display) and one of two tasks (size or intensity) as between-participant factors.
Procedure
Individuals were first given a simple explanation of the task and visualization. Participants completing the size task were provided with the following instructions:
“Throughout the study you will be presented with an image that represents a hurricane forecast, similar to the image shown above. You will be provided with the initial hurricane size (diameter) at a particular point in time, indicated by the circle shown at the apex (beginning) of the hurricane forecast. An oil rig is located at the red dot. Assume that the hurricane were to hit the oil rig (at the red dot). Your task will be to select the size that best represents what the hurricane’s diameter would be when it reaches the location of the oil rig.”
Additionally, each trial included the text as a reminder of the task, “Assume that the hurricane were to hit the oil rig (at the red dot). Your task is to select the size that best represents what the hurricane’s diameter would be when it reaches the location of the oil rig.”
For the intensity task, participants were provided the instructions:
“Throughout the study you will be presented with an image that represents a hurricane forecast, similar to the image shown above. You will be provided with the initial hurricane wind speed at a particular point in time, indicated by the gauge shown at the apex (beginning) of the hurricane forecast. As the arm of the gauge rotates clockwise, the wind speed increases. For example, gauge A represents the lowest wind speed and gauge I the highest wind speed. An oil rig is located at the red dot. Assume that the hurricane were to hit the oil rig (at the red dot). Your task will be to select the gauge that best represents what the hurricane’s wind speed would be when it reaches the location of the oil rig.”
Each trial also contained the instructions, “Assume that the hurricane were to hit the oil rig (at the red dot). Your task is to select the gauge that best represents what the hurricane’s wind speed would be when it reaches the location of the oil rig.”
Following the instructions, participants completed all of the trials presented in a different random order for each participant. Finally, participants answered questions related to comprehension of the hurricane forecasts. These included two questions specifically relevant to the current research question: “The display shows the hurricane getting larger over time.” and “The display indicates that the forecasters are less certain about the path of the hurricane as time passes.” These questions also included a measure of the participants’ understanding of the response glyphs used in the experiment by asking them to indicate which of two wind gauges had a higher speed or to match the size of circles. Participants who did not adequately answer these questions were excluded from the analysis (two participants for the wind speed gauges, one for the size circles).
Data analysis
Multilevel models (MLM) were fit to the data using Hierarchical Linear Modeling 7.0 software and restricted maximum likelihood estimation procedures (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002). Multilevel modeling is a generalized form of linear regression used to analyze variance in experimental outcomes predicted by both individual (within-participants) and group (between-participants) variables. A MLM was appropriate for modeling our data and testing our hypotheses for two major reasons. Firstly, MLM allows for the inclusion of interactions between continuous variables (in our case, distance) and categorical predictors (in our case, the type of visualization). Secondly, MLM uses robust estimation procedures appropriate for partitioning variance and error structures in mixed and nested designs (repeated measures nested within individuals in this case).
We transformed the dependent variable before analysis by calculating the difference between the starting value of the hurricane (either size or intensity) and the participant’s judgment. A positive value of the difference score represents an increase in judged size or intensity. In addition, although an ordinal variable by definition, we treated the dependent variable Likert scale as continuous in the model because it contained over five response categories (Bauer & Sterba, 2011).
For the distance variable, we analyzed the absolute value of oil rig distances, regardless of which side of the hurricane forecast they were on, as none of our hypotheses related to whether oil rigs were located on a particular side. We divided the distance by 10 before analysis so that the estimated model coefficient would correspond to a 10-km change (rather than a 1-km change). The mixed two-level regression models tested whether the effect of distance from the center of forecasts (level 1) varied as a function of visualization (level 2). Visualization was dummy coded such that the cone visualization was coded as 0 and the ensemble display as 1. We tested separate models for the intensity and size tasks. Self-report measures of experience with hurricanes and hurricane prone regions were also collected. As the participants were students at the University of Utah, so few had experienced a hurricane (3%) or had lived in hurricane-affected regions (7%) that we did not include these measures as covariates.
Where i represents trials, j represents individuals, and the β and γ are the regression coefficients. The error term rij indicates the variance in the outcome variable on a per trial basis, and u0j on a per person basis. Though people are assumed to differ on average (u0j) in the outcome variable, we tested to determine whether the effect of distance differed per person (u1j) using a variance-covariance components test. We found that the model including a random effect of distance fit the data better than the model not including this effect, and so the current results reflect that model (χ2 = 955.95, df = 2, P < 0.001). Including this term allowed us to differentiate between the variance accounted for in judgments specific to a fixed effect of distance and the variance accounted for in judgments specific to a random effect of person.
Our primary hypothesis was that we would see greater size judgments with the cone compared to the ensemble display, reflecting a misinterpretation that the hurricane grows over time. Consistent with this prediction, we found a significant main effect of visualization type on average change in size judgments (γ01 = −0.69, standard error (SE) = 0.33, t-ratio = −2.08, df = 80, P = 0.04). This effect indicates that, at the center of the hurricane, individuals viewing the cone visualization had a 0.69 greater increase in their original size judgment compared with individuals viewing the ensemble visualization (Fig. 6). However, the oil rig distance from the center of the storm did not significantly alter change in size judgments (γ10 = 0.01, SE = 0.01, t-ratio = 1.43, df = 80, P = 0.16) and the effect of distance from the center of the storm on change in size judgments did not differ based on visualization type (γ11 = −0.01, SE = 0.01, t-ratio = −1.32, df = 80, P = 0.19). Further, the main effect of visualization type on the average change in size judgment was also supported by results of the post-test question. A t-test, in which yes was coded as 1 and no as 0, revealed that participants viewing the cone (M = 0.70, SE = 0.04) were significantly more likely to report that the display showed the hurricane getting larger over time compared to the ensemble display (M = 0.39, SE = 0.05), t(176) = 4.436, P < 0.001, 95% CI 0.17–0.45, Cohen’s d = 0.66.
The effect of distance from center and visualization type on change in size judgments. Grey shading indicates ± 1 standard error. Accurate interpretation would be indicated by a ‘0’ change score. A one-unit change represents a one-step change in circle size along a 9-point scale (see Fig. 4 for the 9-point scale)
Results – Intensity
The multilevel model used for the intensity data included the exact same variables as the size model. Similar to the first model, we found that the model including a random effect of distance fit the data better than the model not including this effect, and so the current results reflect that model (χ2 = 704.81, df = 2, P < 0.001).
For intensity, we expected to see a greater effect of distance from the center of the storm on judgments with the ensemble display compared to the cone, reflecting participants’ attention to the increasing spread of tracks as the distance from the center increase for the ensemble display. First, we found a significant main effect of visualization type on average change in intensity judgments (γ01 = −0.85, SE = 0.33, t-ratio = −2.58, df = 95, P = 0.01). This indicates that, at the center of the hurricane, individuals viewing the cone visualization increased their intensity judgment by 0.85 (almost a full wind gauge) more than those who viewed the ensemble visualization at the center of the hurricane. Second, we found a significant main effect of distance from the center of the storm (γ10 = −0.02, SE = 0.01, t-ratio = −3.28, df = 95, P = 0.001), which is qualified by a significant cross-level interaction between distance and visualization type (γ11 = −0.02, SE = 0.01, t-ratio = −3.33 df = 95, P = 0.001). To decompose the interaction between distance from the center of the storm and visualization type, we computed simple slope tests for the cone and ensemble visualizations (Fig. 7). This revealed that the association between distance from the center of the hurricane and change in intensity judgment is different from zero for each visualization (cone visualization: Estimate = −0.02, SE = 0.01, χ2 = 64.74, P < 0.001; ensemble visualization: Estimate = −0.04, SE = 0.004, χ2 = 10.74, P = 0.001) and stronger for the ensemble visualization (χ2 = 101.89, P < 0.001). This result suggests that judgments of intensity decreased with distance more for the ensemble display than for the cone, consistent with a focus on the relative spread of hurricane tracks. In addition, using a t-test, a post-test question revealed that participants viewing the ensemble display (M = 0.53, SE = 0.04) were more likely to report that the display indicated the forecasters were less certain about the path of the hurricane over time compared to the cone (M = 0.39, SE = 0.05), t(176) = −1.97, P = 0.04, 95% CI −0.29 to −0.0003, Cohen’s d = 0.29.
Simple slopes of the interaction between distance and visualization type on change in intensity judgments. Grey shading indicates ± 1 standard error. Accurate interpretation would be indicated by a ‘0’ change score. A one-unit change represents a one-step change in gauge intensity along a 9-point scale (see Fig. 4 for the 9-point scale)
Discussion
The results of this experiment showed that novice users interpret the size and intensity of a hurricane represented by ensemble and summary displays differently. Our prior work showed different damage ratings over time with the cone compared to the ensemble display, but it was unclear whether these were being driven by interpretations of size or intensity because a more general concept of ‘damage’ was used (Ruginski et al., 2016). In the current study, we found a similar pattern of greater increase in both size and intensity reported at the center of the hurricane with the cone, compared to the ensemble display. Furthermore, we found an effect of decreasing intensity judgments with distance from the center of the storm that was greater for the ensemble display than for the cone.
These findings support our hypothesis that a salient feature of the cone is the border that shows the diameter of the cone, which is more likely to influence viewers’ beliefs that the storm is growing over time compared to the ensemble display, which does not have this visually salient feature. We saw evidence of the participants’ beliefs that the cone represented the storm growing in size with both objective judgments of size (which increased more relative to judgments made using the ensemble display) and self-reported interpretations of the cone of uncertainty. Our second hypothesis that participants viewing the ensemble display would believe that the storm was less intense where the individual tracks were farther apart was supported by results of the intensity task conditions. Here, while intensity ratings were higher for the cone compared to the ensemble display, the rate of decrease in ratings of intensity as distance from the center of the storm increased was greater for the ensemble display than the cone. Together, these findings demonstrate that, in the context of hurricane forecasts, the salient visual features of the display bias viewers’ interpretations of the ensemble hurricane tracks.
More generally, we suggest that summary displays will be most effective for cases in which spatial boundaries of variables such as uncertainty cannot be misconstrued as presenting physical boundaries. In contexts like cartography, where spatial layouts inherently represent physical space, ensemble displays provide a promising alternative to summary displays. Although our findings suggest that ensemble displays seem to have some advantages over summary displays to communicate data with uncertainty in a geospatial context, it may also be the case that ensemble displays provoke additional unintended biases. We tested one potential ensemble display bias in Experiment 2.
Experiment 2
While the findings of Experiment 1 suggested that viewers of the ensemble visualization are less likely to believe that the hurricane is growing in size, it is possible that ensemble displays also elicit unique biases. One possible bias is that the individual tracks of an ensemble display can lead a viewer to overestimate the impact of the hurricane for locations covered by a path. The storm tracks presented are only a sampling of possible ways the hurricane could go and not an exhaustive list of all routes. It would be a misconception to believe that a hurricane would travel the full extent of any one track. Further, it would also be incorrect to believe that locations that are not covered by a path have little to no possibility of being hit by the storm. Rather, the relative density of tracks indicates the comparative probability of a hurricane being in a given region at future time points.
To test whether viewers’ decisions are biased by the individual paths of the ensemble visualization, we conducted a second experiment in which the locations of the oil rigs were changed so that one oil rig was always superimposed on a hurricane path. We examined whether viewers would maintain the strategy to rate higher damage closer to the center of the storm, as reported in Ruginski et al. (2016) (i.e., selecting the closest rig to the center), or whether the salience of the ensemble track location would decrease the strength of the distance-based strategy (i.e., selecting the rig that was superimposed on a hurricane path, even when located farther away from the center of the storm). In this experiment, participants were presented with two oil rigs, one that was located on a hurricane path and one that was either closer (Fig. 8a) or farther from the center of the storm (Fig. 8b) than the one that was located on the path.
Examples of the stimuli used in Experiment 2 depicting two hurricanes. a Condition in which the farther rig from the center of the storm was located on a hurricane track. b Condition where the closest rig was located on a hurricane track
Participants were then asked to decide which of the two oil rigs would receive the most damage. Our hypothesis was that the likelihood of choosing the rig closer to the center of the storm would decrease if the rig farther from the center of the storm fell on a hurricane path, supporting the notion that the individual paths are salient features of the ensemble display that could lead to biased responses. In the rest of the paper we will refer to the close oil rig, meaning the oil rig that is closer to the center of the hurricane forecast display, and the farther oil rig, which is the rig farther away from the center of the hurricane forecast than the closer oil rig.
Methods
Participants
Participants were 43 undergraduate students currently attending the University of Utah who completed the study for course credit; 12 participants were male and 31 were female, with a mean age of 23.56 years (SD = 7.43).
Stimuli
Stimuli were presented using the previously detailed approach. On each trial, participants were presented with a display depicting a hurricane forecast and two oil rigs (Fig. 8). The distance between the oil rigs was roughly 100 km and remained constant for all of the trials. The 16 locations of the rig pairs were chosen selectively in areas where one rig was always located on a track and the other oil rig was at the same time point but not on a track, with an equal number of locations on each side of the hurricane. The rig on the track was either closer to the center or farther from the center relative to the rig that was not touching a track. Underneath the forecast, radio buttons were presented that allowed participants to indicate which oil rig they believed would receive the most damage. Damage was used for the response measure because it was found that participants were more likely to use a strategy based on distance from the center of the hurricane when making judgments about damage. This measure allowed us to determine if the colocation of an oil rig and a hurricane track modified the types of distance-based damage judgments reported in Ruginski et al. (2016).
Design
We utilized a within-subjects design, 2 (close oil rig on line or far oil rig on line) × 2 (hurricane) × 16 (oil rig pair locations), resulting in a total of 32 trials per participant. Oil rig on line refers to whether the closer or farther oil rig from the center of the hurricane were located on the hurricane track.
Procedure
Individuals were first given a simple explanation of the task and visualization.
“Throughout the study you will be presented with an image that represents a hurricane forecast, similar to the image shown above. An oil rig is located at each of the two red dots. Your task is to decide which oil rig will receive more damage based on the depicted forecast of the hurricane path.”
Additionally, each trial included the text, “Your task is to decide which oil rig will receive the most damage from the hurricane.” Following the instructions, participants checked a box indicating which oil rig they believed would receive the most damage. The trials were presented in a different random order for each participant. Finally, participants answered demographic questions and questions related to hurricane experience.
Data analysis
A multilevel logistic regression model was fit to the data using the lme4 package in R and maximum likelihood Laplace approximation estimation procedures (Bates, Maechler, Bolker, & Walker, 2015). A logistic MLM was appropriate for modeling our data and testing our hypotheses because it uses robust estimation procedures appropriate for partitioning variance and error structures in mixed and nested designs (repeated measures nested within individuals in this case) for binary outcomes (choosing which oil rig would receive more damage in this case).
Far Rig On Line was dummy coded such that the farther rig overlapping with a line corresponded to 1, while the closer rig being on the line corresponded to 0. Our outcome variable, Close Strategy, was coded such that selecting the close oil rig to receive more damage corresponded to 1 and selecting the far oil rig to receive more damage corresponded to 0. We found that the model not including a random effect of On Line fit the data better than the model including this effect, and so the current results reflect the former (χ2 = 5.79, df = 1, P = 0.02). This indicates that there was a consistent fixed effect of On Line across people.
The participants had very high odds of deciding that the closer oil rig would receive the most damage when the closer oil rig was on the line (and by design, the farther oil rig was not on a line) (γ00 = 5.75, SE = 0.52, odds ratio (OR) = 314.19,1 z = 11.19, P < 0.001). Expressed in terms of predicted probability, this effect indicates that participants chose the closer oil rig to receive more damage 99.68% of the time when the closer oil rig was on a line (Fig. 8). This very high proportion makes sense, as this condition combined properties of close location to the center and a location falling on the path. Importantly, our model indicated a strong effect of Far Rig On Line, such that predicted probability of choosing the closer oil rig as receiving the most damage decreased to 64.15% when the farther oil rig was on the line (γ10 = −5.17, SE = 0.37, OR = 0.006, z = −13.85, P < 0.001; Fig. 8). In this condition, the far oil rig was chosen in 304 of the 688 trials, compared to only 12 of the 688 trials when it was not on the line.
In other words, while participants chose the closer oil rig more often in both conditions, the result that the tendency to choose the farther rig increased by about 35% when the farther rig fell on a visual path strongly supports the use of the individual path as a salient feature influencing decisions (Fig. 9).
Predicted probabilities of choosing the close oil rig to receive more damage. Bars represent 95% confidence intervals. Accurate interpretation would be to choose the close oil rig 100% of the time
Discussion
We found that non-experts almost always chose the closer oil rig to the center of the hurricane forecast when the oil rig fell on an individual hurricane track, consistent with prior work showing a strategy to report more damage to locations close to the center (Ruginski et al., 2016). However, when the farther oil rig visually overlapped with a single ensemble track, judgments were significantly biased by the individual path, decreasing the likelihood of choosing the close location. The results of the second study suggest that ensemble displays have their own set of interpretation biases, as individual ensemble members can be over weighted in participants’ judgments.
Experiment 3
In an effort to replicate the prior study and test if the findings were robust to a non-forced choice task, a third study was conducted that was identical to Experiment 2 but with an additional response option of ‘Equal Damage’. By adding an ‘Equal Damage’ response participants could indicate that neither oil rig A or B would receive more damage. The same methods and data analysis were used as Experiment 2. Participants were 35 undergraduate students currently attending the University of Utah who completed the study for course credit; 10 participants were male, and 24 were female, with a mean age of 22.06 years (SD = 4.5).
Results
As in Experiment 2, we used a multilevel logistic regression model to determine the impact of the colocation of an ensemble track and an oil rig. Prior to analysis, trials for which participants reported ‘Equal Damage’ (219 trials, 19.55% of total) were removed. Of the trials where participants reported equal damage, 79 occurred when the close rig was on a line and 140 occurred when the far rig was on a line. Models including fixed effects only and random effects fit the data equally well and results detail the more parsimonious model not including the random effect (χ2 = 0, df = 1, P = 1.00). This indicates that there was a consistent fixed effect of the oil rig touching an ensemble track across people.
Consistent with Experiment 2, participants had high odds of deciding that the closer oil rig would receive the most damage when it was on the line (γ00 = 10.94, SE = 1.52, OR = 56387.34,2 z = 7.2, P < 0.001). In other words, participants indicated that the closer oil rig would receive more damage 99.99% of the time when it was on a line. This finding replicates the results of our prior experiment. Further, our results showed a similar effect compared to Experiment 2 for Far Rig On Line, such that predicted probability of choosing the closer oil rig as receiving the most damage decreased to 54.59% when the farther oil rig was on the line (γ10 = −10.76, SE = 1.29, OR = 0.00002, z = −8.36, P < 0.001; Fig. 10). In this condition, the far oil rig was chosen in 238 of 420 trials, compared to only 1 of 481 trials when it was not on the line. In sum, Experiment 3 replicates the take home points of Experiment 2, but the SE increased in Experiment 3. It is likely that including the response option of ‘Equal Damage’ increased the variability of the responses by decreasing sample size (reducing trials) and choosing the far rig more often (almost 50–50) for those trials that were not decided as equal damage.
Predicted probabilities of choosing the close oil rig to receive more damage. Bars represent 95% confidence intervals. Accurate interpretation would be to choose the close oil rig 100% of the time
Discussion
In Experiment 3, we replicated Experiment 2, showing that participants were significantly biased by the colocation of an oil rig and an individual ensemble track. In the third study, in 19.55% of trials, individuals believed that the two oil rigs would receive equal damage, and about twice as many of these trials occurred when the far oil rig was on the line, providing additional evidence that the line competes with proximity to the center in evaluation of damage. For the rest of the trials where individuals chose either the close or far oil rig, results were consistent with Experiment 2, showing a decrease in the likelihood of choosing the close location when the far oil rig fell on the line. Together, these studies demonstrate that decisions about ensemble displays of hurricane forecast tracks change when making judgments about specific points that intersect with a track. More broadly, this work suggests that individual members of an ensemble display may be overweighed when the ensemble member happens to overlap with a point of interest. For example, individuals may be more likely to evacuate or take precautionary actions if a hurricane forecast track overlaps with their own town, but feel less concerned if not. These results suggest that visualization scientists should consider using ensemble displays in cases where users do not need to make decisions about specific points that may be influenced by an ensemble member. Instead, ensemble displays may be best suited for cases in which viewers are making judgments about patterns in the data or about areas, which is consistent with tasks proposed for ensemble displays by Szafir et al. (2016).
Our findings may be influenced by the nature of the task in a geospatial context, where asking about a single point biases users towards more of an outlier-identification strategy (Szafir et al., 2016). Future work involving interpretation of geospatial uncertainty may help to disentangle this by implementing tasks that require individuals to make judgments about larger areas of space (such as a county), which may force individuals to summarize the visualization and be less biased by individual tracks. Correll and Heer (2017) provide support for the claim that tasks influence the nature of biases by demonstrating that viewers are not affected by outliers when making judgments about the overall trends in ensemble data.
General discussion
Our first study demonstrated that novice users interpret the size and intensity of a hurricane represented by an ensemble display and the cone of uncertainty differently, with relative lower size and intensity judgments over time for the ensemble display compared to the cone. These findings support our hypothesis that viewers of the cone of uncertainty are more likely to incorrectly believe that the visualization depicts the hurricane growing over time, consistent with the results of Ruginski et al. (2016). Furthermore, in the intensity task condition, we found a stronger effect of distance from the center of the hurricane for the ensemble display than for the cone. This result is in line with our predictions, providing evidence that a salient feature of the ensemble display is the tracks and their relationship to one another. In sum, these studies suggest that the type of visualization technique used to depict hurricane tracks significantly influences viewers’ judgments of size and intensity – these effects are likely driven by the salient features of the displays, consistent with prior work (Correll & Heer, 2017; Newman & Scholl, 2012). Beyond hurricane forecasts, this work proposes that salient visual features in a display can attract viewers’ attention and bias their decisions. Attention may bias viewers’ judgments by manipulating the relative importance of features. Viewers may overweight the importance of salient features because they are attending to them more or they may devalue other features that they pay less attention to.
Despite their benefits, ensemble displays are not free of biases that negatively affect uncertainty comprehension. Our second and third studies found that, while novice users predominantly make judgments as if ensemble displays are distributions of probable outcomes, they also indicate that locations that are touching an individual ensemble track will receive more damage. However, we speculate that individual ensemble members may only influence judgments of specific points and may not influence users making judgments about areas. This assertion is consistent with work that suggests ensemble displays are well suited to conveying the gist of a scene (Correll & Heer, 2017; Oliva & Torralba, 2006; Rousselet et al., 2005). Further, the types of tasks that Szafir et al. (2016) propose for ensemble displays all include identifying patterns in groups of data that are spatially organized rather than point-based judgments. This suggests that visualization scientists should consider the types of tasks that their users will be completing when selecting the appropriate visualization technique, and that ensemble displays are most appropriate for tasks that do not require judgments about specific points.
Understanding human reasoning with static ensemble displays is a necessary first step to unpacking ensemble cognition; however, many visualization scientists may desire to present ensemble displays as animations or time-varying displays (Liu et al., 2016). Time-varying displays continually update the visualization with simulations, fading simulations out as a function of their time on the screen, which could reduce the salience of individual simulations. Directly manipulating the salience of features with animations, in line with Fabrikant et al. (2010) and Hegarty et al. (2010), is a possible future direction for this work. While animations may reduce biases produced by individual tracks, they may not be entirely beneficial (Tversky, Morrison, & Betrancourt, 2002) and often show little benefit when learning information from visualizations (Hegarty, Kriz, & Cate, 2003). However, the aforementioned work predominantly examined process diagrams and the negative impact of animations may not generalize to decision-making with uncertainty visualizations. Additionally, many animated visualization techniques also include user interaction capabilities. To determine the specific contributions of animation and user interaction to ensemble cognition, a systematic study is needed that tests both area and point-based judgments using these techniques.
Future work is also needed to address claims of how ensemble and summary displays are used beyond geospatial weather forecasting. Hurricanes are an example of geospatial data forecasting involving movement over space and time. It is possible that interpretations of ensemble versus summary displays differ across data dimensionality (e.g., 1-D bar charts or violin plots, see Correll & Gleicher, 2014) as well as across domains. For example, GPS-location data visualizations elicit top-down influences that can modify viewers’ judgments (Hegarty, Friedman, Boone, & Barrett, 2016). However, it is unclear if viewers of weather forecasting data visualizations demonstrate the same top-down influences. Additionally, the current studies provided limited information about the nature of the displays. This may have led viewers to rely more on visually salient features than they would have if provided with more specific instructions highlighting common misconceptions about uncertainty visualizations, including that changes in size of the display can represent other information than physical size changes and that ensemble members are not always an exhaustive representation of all of the data. If we had given participants more information about what the cone or ensemble represents, they might have misinterpreted it less. Future work could add supplemental instruction before display presentation and assess how effectively that information facilitates desired interpretations. Other biases may have resulted from the specific visual information depicted in the display. Perceptual biases and limitations of the visual system, such as simultaneous contrast effect and just noticeable differences, were not controlled for. Prior work shows that perception interacts with visualization techniques (e.g., Cleveland & McGill, 1986; Kosara & Skau, 2016). As such, future work is needed to generalize these findings beyond a geospatial context and to other visualization techniques.
Conclusions
While there is disagreement about the optimal ways to visualize ensemble data, our work argues that both summary and ensemble displays have inherent biases based on their salient visual features. We propose that summary displays of geospatial uncertainty can be misinterpreted as displaying size information, while ensemble displays of the same information are not subject to this bias. On the other hand, when participants use ensemble displays to make point-based judgments, they may overweight individual ensemble members in their decision-making process. Overall, both user expertise and the intended visualization goal should be considered when visualization scientists decide to implement either summary or ensemble displays to communicate uncertainty. Current practice in visualization tends to emphasize the development of visualization methods more than testing usability (Isenberg, Isenberg, Chen, Sedlmair, & Möller, 2013), although there is a growing acknowledgment of the importance of incorporating human cognition and performance in visualization research (Carpendale, 2008; Kinkeldey, MacEachren, Riveiro, & Schiewe, 2015; Plaisant, 2004). As data availability and associated uncertainty visualization techniques continue to expand across the academic, industry, and public spheres, scientists must continue to advance the understanding of end-user interpretations in order for these visualizations to have their desired impact.
Footnotes
The odds for the γ00 intercept and subsequent odds ratio for the γ10 term are extreme values due to the far oil rig only being chosen in 1 out of 481 trials when the close rig was on a line.
Notes
Acknowledgements
We are thankful to Donald House and Le Liu for their assistance with stimulus generation.
Funding
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1212806.
Availability of data and materials
All datasets on which the conclusions of the manuscript rely were deposited in a publicly accessible GitHub repository link.
Authors’ contributions
LMP is the primary author of this study, and she was central to the experimental design, data collection, interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation. ITR also significantly contributed to experimental design, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. SHC contributed to the theoretical development and manuscript preparation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Authors’ information
LMP is a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah in the Cognitive Neural Science department. LMP is a member of the Visual Perception and Spatial Cognition Research Group directed by Sarah Creem-Regehr, Ph.D., Jeanine Stefanucci, Ph.D., and William Thompson, Ph.D. Her work focuses on graphical cognition, decision-making with visualizations, and visual perception. She works on large interdisciplinary projects with visualization scientists and anthropologists. ITR received his B.A. in Cognitive Science and Religious Studies from Vassar College and his M.S. in Psychology from the University of Utah. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah. ITR’s research interests include applying cognitive theory to uncertainty visualization design and evaluation, as well as the influence of emotional, social, and individual differences factors on perception and performance. SHC is a Professor in the Psychology Department of the University of Utah. She received her MA and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Virginia. Her research serves joint goals of developing theories of perception-action processing mechanisms and applying these theories to relevant real-world problems in order to facilitate observers’ understanding of their spatial environments. In particular, her interests are in space perception, spatial cognition, embodied cognition, and virtual environments. She co-authored the book Visual Perception from a Computer Graphics Perspective, and was previously Associate Editor of Psychonomic Bulletin & Review and Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
The research reported in this paper was conducted in adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki and received IRB approval from the University of Utah, #IRB_00057678. Participants in the studies freely volunteered to participate and could elect to discontinue the study at any time.
Consent for publication
Consent to publish was obtained from all participants in the study.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Copyright information
Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
The video above features the complete compilation of Sasha Alexander’s nude and sex scenes from the sinful Showtime series “Shameless”.
There is no denying that Sasha Alexander is one shameless slut who is perfectly suited for her role on this show. Not only that but from what I can gather from this compilation video, Sasha’s character is a teacher who is having sex with one of her students. This of course is also fitting, as it is an established fact that educated females are the most depraved whores of all.
Thank Allah that in the civilized Islamic world our pious Musliminas are illiterate, for once the tiny feeble brain of a woman begins taking in useless knowledge she immediately forgets all of the hard moral lessons pounded into her (in some cases literally) by her husband and father, as evidenced by Sasha in these nude sex scenes.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced the class of 2020. Whitney Houston, the Notorious B.I.G., Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, T. Rex, and the Doobie Brothers will be inducted into the Rock Hall on May 2. The induction ceremony will take place in Cleveland and broadcast live on HBO.
Trent Reznor said in a statement: “A sincere THANK YOU goes out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voting body—it always feels great to be recognized for your artistic efforts and I am honored. Many congratulations to this year’s fellow inductees (DM finally!)—see you back in Cleveland where it all began for me!”
While Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode had both been nominated multiple times, it was the first year that Whitney, T. Rex, and the Doobies were considered. Biggie was the only artist who was nominated in his first year of eligibility (25 years after an artist’s first commercial release).
After expressing ambivalence about the Rock Hall in previous interviews, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor publicly changed his tune about the institution when he gave a speech inducting the Cure. “I remember distinctly saying to myself, among other things, how can I even take this awards ceremony seriously if they’ll open their doors to X, Y and Z and not acknowledge the Cure,” Reznor said. “Let’s just say I’ve never been as happy to eat my words as I was tonight.”
The nominees who weren’t inducted this year include Soundgarden, Motörhead, Dave Matthews Band, MC5, Kraftwerk, Thin Lizzy, Pat Benatar, Rufus with Chaka Khan, Todd Rundgren, and Judas Priest. DMB were the winners of this year’s Rock Hall fan vote.
The Rock Hall also announced two recipients of the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which honors non-musician industry professionals including songwriters, producers, record executives, and others. One recipient is Jon Landau, the journalist and producer best known for his production work with Bruce Springsteen. The other is Irving Azoff, CEO of Azoff MSG Entertainment.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class of 2019 was Radiohead, the Cure, Janet Jackson, Roxy Music, Stevie Nicks, Def Leppard, and the Zombies. On January 1, Rolling Stone and Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner stepped down as chairman.
Read “What Depeche Mode’s Seduction of Eastern Europe Can Teach Us About Late Capitalism” on the Pitch. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Ikea is sharpening India focus as it plans to double sourcing from the Indian market to 600 million euro by 2020 and will start work on its second store in the country in Navi Mumbai next month.
The global home furnishing giant from Sweden sources products worth 318 million euro from India.
"Ikea works on the principle of optimal sourcing for our global markets. Where it makes sense, we will source locally as well. We currently source products worth 318 million euro from India and will almost double this by 2020 to around 600 million euro," Henrik Gunnerling, purchase development manager, Ikea range and supply, told PTI here.
On Indian operations, Ikea said it will begin work on its second store in Navi Mumbai next month with an investment of about Rs 700 crore.
The ground-breaking ceremony will be held next month and the store is expected to be operational by the middle of 2018, according to the company executives, who spoke of plans to open a large distribution centre in Pune.
"Maharashtra will be one of the key markets for us, and we have plans to open 5-6 stores across the state, going forward," Patrik Antoni, deputy country manager for Ikea India, told PTI here at the headquarters of the world's largest furniture retailer.
"We are also planning to open a large distribution centre in Pune," he added. Ikea had purchased 23 acres in Mumbai last year to set up its store.
With a built-up space of about 4.3 lakh sq ft, the Navi Mumbai store will have over 9,500 home furnishing products as well as an in-store restaurant.
Ikea's first store will come up in Hyderabad later this year, and it is in the process of identifying sites in Delhi- NCR, Bengaluru, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, Antoni said.
Ikea has a target of opening 25 stores in India by 2025 at an investment of Rs 10,500 crore.
Every Ikea store will hire 500-700 direct co-workers and another 1,500 will be engaged in providing services around the store. It has also committed that 50 per cent of its workforce will be women.
India's modern retail policy requires 30 per cent local sourcing, preferably from small enterprises. "India has a lot of potential. We have about 50 suppliers at present and have added 15 last year," Sandeep Sanan, new business manager, purchasing operations for Ikea South Asia, said.
Sanan added: "We are looking for new suppliers and also to give them assistance to grow their business. Many new suppliers will come from other segments who are looking to diversify their business."
Ikea is adding suppliers to existing categories like textiles and rugs as well as new home furnishing like furniture and mattresses. It is also honing suppliers for categories like metals, plastics, and lighting.
About 70 per cent of its export from India is textiles while the rest includes items like sofas, mattresses, and kitchen accessories.
Ikea is also looking at sourcing different kinds of wood for its furniture, including sustainable materials like bamboos and acacia, Sanan said. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Kumasi Hive
Kumasi Hive is an innovation hub located in Kumasi, Ghana. The hub is a collaborative makerspace for entrepreneurs to prototype ideas and developing products that has market value. It seeks to develop a sustainable business in Ghana and has produced some brands in Ghana and beyond.
The hub provides innovative support to projects with business models, provides space for hardware and products for youth entrepreneurs. The Hub has two incubation or accelerator activities; hardware incubator and business accelerator.
Achievements
Kumasi Hive Wins 2018 Miss Africa Digital Prize Worth $5,000
Solar Taxi, a renewable energy project sponsored by MasterCard Foundation
References
Category:Organisations based in Ghana | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
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June 2, 2003
NOTE: I’ve released a set of JavaScript Quicktags (that implement this technique) under the LGPL license. Please look at this code as it has a variety of enhancements and bug fixes. I discovered a real JavaScript gem in PHPMyAdmin this morning. They have code that inserts content into a <textarea> at the cursor position instead…
I’ve released tasks version 1.6b6. This release adds Traditional Chinese and Japanese languages to the list (English, French, German, Dutch, Korean). The demo is updated with the new languages. If you want to do a translation for a language I don’t already have – go for it and send me the language file. I’ll be… | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
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I've been running a Facebook ad for 2 days now and it still isn't tracking the lead and cost. I'm sure its something small i over looked but all of the conversion events are red. Even the lead conversion event is red. Maybe the problem is that I have a landing page that does not direct to a thank you page after the form is submitted. I need someone to look into it for me.
This project requires altering code (xcode 9.2/swift 4) to make the moving ball bounce within new borders:
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Change the project to add three new functions: drawBorder, moveBall, and drawBall. After you add these functions, the contents of the update function will only be the following:
background(gray: 0.5)
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Need some font for a logo that has been designed for a telecommunication / IT company.
Company name: Comfinity / comfinity / COMFINITY
To get an idea of what we're aiming for, we have posted a list of our industry partners for logo font ideas below:
[url removed, login to view] / [url removed, login to view] / [url removed, login to view] / [url removed, login to view]
Logo is att...
We need a Logo & Font for our magazine "Apotek Kini" which translates to "Pharmacy today" or "Pharmacy Up-to-date".
It's a magazine that pharmacies will hand to their customers and it contains articles that answer common health questions in an understandable yet professional way.
Basically the logo should communicate that the information is given to them ...
I want an app to search a large web archive using my own parameters. The website already has its own advanced search feature but it is unreliable and difficult to use. I want a simple, lightweight and fast app to perform advanced searches on that one website.
The app should run natively on Mac.
We have an escort site, so we are going to use 10 designs, for different banners we usue for advertisement in [url removed, login to view]
here in the attached files, you can see the designs we are using now.
the gifs must have 300x250 and a maximum 512,000 bytes
I need a logo designed. I need logo for my own brand, any logo maker plz contact me. [Removed for encouraging offsite communication which is against our Terms and Conditions -Section 13:Communication With Other Users]
I chose font stlye georgia for all fonts on my website. on the Desktop version it works, but not on the mobile version. So i need the fonts on the woocommerce sites and in the footer and in the widgets changed to georgia.
I need a graphic designer who can design 3 connected instagram posts of a cartoon-like 2d Pixel art street. (See pictures)
I will need a side view of the street showing about 4 houses in the background with 3 kids riding bikes with the one at the front wearing a walkman.
Please make sure that each picture is 1080x1080. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Raymond J. Barry
Raymond John Barry (born March 14, 1939) is an American film, television, and stage actor.
Personal life
Raymond John Barry was born in Hempstead, New York. He is married to writer Robyn Mundell. Together they have four children, Oona, Raymond, Liam and Manon.
His father, Raymond Barry, worked in sales. His mother, Barbara Constance Barry (née Duffy), was also an actor, known professionally as B. Constance Barry (April 29, 1913 – October 22, 2006). Her final role in 2001, after a career of small or cameo appearances in films, was in the film L.I.E., as Anne Harrigan, the mother of a Long Island pedophile. Barry's mother was of Canadian, Irish, and Swedish descent, and Barry's paternal grandparents were from Ireland.
Education
A three-letter athlete at Lynbrook High School in Lynbrook, New York, Barry graduated from Brown University in 1962. While there, he earned his degree in Philosophy. Afterwards, he completed the Yale Drama School.
Career
Before appearing in films he appeared in more than 75 plays. Barry is known for his roles in the film Interview with the Assassin, portraying Walter Ohlinger, a man who claimed to be the second shooter on the Grassy Knoll in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and as Ron Kovic's father in the Academy Award-winning film Born on the Fourth of July. Barry also played Pa Cox in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and is known for his character's continuous quote, "The wrong kid died!"
Other films in which he appeared include: Dead Man Walking, Cool Runnings, K2, The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Falling Down, and Training Day.
On television, he has appeared as Jack Shephard's grandfather in Lost, as Fox Mulder's congressional patron, Senator Richard Matheson, in The X-Files, and as Lilly Rush's father in CBS series Cold Case. He had a recurring role on Justified as Arlo Givens, the father of main character Raylan Givens.
Barry appeared in two films, Dead Man Walking and The Chamber, with actor Robert Prosky.
Films
Television
Theatre
Off Broadway
Broadway
References
External links
Official Raymond J. Barry Website
Category:1939 births
Category:Male actors from New York (state)
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male stage actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American people of Irish descent
Category:American people of Scandinavian descent
Category:Brown University alumni
Category:Living people
Category:People from Hempstead (village), New York
Category:American people of Canadian descent
Category:American people of Swedish descent
Category:Yale School of Drama alumni
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:People from Lynbrook, New York
Category:Lynbrook Senior High School alumni | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
Introduction {#sec1-1}
============
Breast cancer in women is a major public health problem throughout the world. It is the most common malignant disease among women both in developed and developing countries (WHO, 2017). Malaysia has the highest mortality rate of breast cancer among the South-Eastern Asia countries which accounts for 18 per 100,000 compared to Singapore and Thailand which at 15 and 11 per 100,000 populations respectively (Globocan, 2012).
In Malaysia, a population based study among breast cancer patients reported an overall median survival time of 68.1 months (Abdullah et al., 2013). An institutional-based study by Ibrahim et al., (2012) revealed a shorter median survival time of 54 months. A collaborative study by Bhoo Pathy et al., (2011) using data from Singapore-Malaysia Breast Cancer Registry revealed median survival times of 164 months for Stage II, 53 months for Stage III and 17 months for Stage IV breast cancer.
Studies concerning survival time among breast cancer patients had also been conducted globally and the findings were heterogeneous. Study in US by Khan et al. (2014) that used database from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER; 1973-2009) revealed overall median survival time of 82.5 months. While in Tehran, study done by Mousavi et al., (2008) using Tehran Cancer Registry found overall median survival time of 60 months. In Sweden, Sundquist et al., (2016) revealed median survival time which ranges between 13 and 33 months, depending on types of treatment received. In French, an improvement in survival time was reported in a study by Andre et al., (2004). In the period from 1987 to 1993 and 1994 to 2000, an increased in median survival time from 23 months to 29 months were reported among metastatic breast cancer patients that were treated in three French cancer centres. Another institutional-based study by Khanfir et al., (2013) in Tunisia, revealed the overall median survival time among metastatic breast cancer who received treatment was 18 months.
Prognosis of breast cancer is relatively favourable compared to other cancers, such as lung, colon, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Hence, recognizing prognostic factors in patients with breast cancer plays an important role in treatment and care of patients as it may improve delivery of health care to at-risk groups. There are multiple factors that influenced the survival of breast cancer patients including age at diagnosis, ethnicity, cancer staging at diagnosis, lymph nodes status, treatment received, immunohistochemistry subtype, access to care and environmental factors (Bello et al., 2016; Cheng et al., 2016; De Camargo Cancela et al., 2016; Ibrahim et al., 2012; Karimi et al., 2014; Khan et al., 2014; Park et al., 2012; Taib et al., 2011)
There are limited population-based breast cancer survival time and its prognostic factors studies in Malaysia being published apart from study by Abdullah et al., (2013). Study by Abdullah et al., (2013) included the different cohort of breast cancer patients who were diagnosed between 2000 and 2005. Meanwhile our current study used the more recent cohort of breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2007 until 2011, which also taken from the population-based cancer registry's data.
Materials and Methods {#sec1-2}
=====================
Study location {#sec2-1}
--------------
North-east of Peninsular Malaysia consisted of three states; Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. Majority of the ethnic in Kelantan were Malay (94.4%), Chinese (3.4%), Indian (0.3%) and others (1.9%). The Age Standardize Rate (ASR) for breast cancer in Kelantan increased from 15.9 to 18.1 per 100,000 populations between 2007 and 2011.
Study design {#sec2-2}
------------
This retrospective cohort study was conducted in Non-Communicable Disease Unit, Kelantan State Health Department from January to April 2017. Data were obtained from Kelantan Cancer Registry which is a population-based cancer registry that collects the notification of cancer cases from all government and private hospitals in Kelantan. All Kelantan resident diagnosed with International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O) codes C50 series was selected and followed-up retrospectively until 31st December 2016.
Inclusion criteria for his study were; 1. Breast cancer cases (ICD-O classification C50.0 -- C 50.9) diagnosed from 1st January 2007 until 31st December 2011, and 2. Kelantan resident. Males breast cancer patients and patients with incomplete data were excluded.
Sample size {#sec2-3}
-----------
The two median survival time's option in Power and Sample Size software (Dupont and Plummer, 1990) was used to determine the required sample size. With type I error of 5%, type II error of 20%, median survival time among younger age group of 50 months (Abdullah et al., 2013), estimated median survival time among older age group of 68 months, ratio between younger to older age groups of 1, accrual time and additional follow-up time of 60 months, the required sample size calculated was 617 after taking into consideration 20% drop-outs. Number of breast cancer cases registered in Kelantan Cancer Registry from 2007-2011 was 598 cases. No sampling method was applied due to smaller number of patients in the registry within the time period than calculated sample size. All available cases that fulfilled the study criteria were included in the study.
Data collection {#sec2-4}
---------------
Proforma checklist was used to guide data extraction and information needed which includes age, sex, ethnicity, cancer morphology, cancer staging, surgical treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, date of diagnosis, status, date of death and cause of death. The required data was retrieved from Kelantan Cancer Registry. Proforma checklist used to extract only relevant data for this study. Data extraction has been done at Non-communicable Disease Unit, Kelantan State Health Department to ensure confidentiality.
Statistical analysis {#sec2-5}
--------------------
Data from the registry was extracted to Microsoft Excel file and subsequently exported to SPSS software version 22 for data analysis. Exploratory data analysis was performed to check for missing values and distribution of numerical data. Numerical data was said to be normally distributed when the histogram with overlaid normal curve showed an approximately normal bell-shaped curve, absence of extreme outliers on boxplot, and a non-significant test of normality (Kolmogorov-smirnov and Shapiro-wilk test). Data were presented as; Mean and it's standard deviation (SD) for numerical variables, and, number (n) and percentage (%) for categorical variables.
Survival analysis (Kaplan Meier and Cox proportional hazard regression) was used to estimate the median survival time and prognostic factors of death. Event for this study was death due to breast cancer and patients who remain alive by 31st December 2016 or died due to other causes was considered as censored.
Kaplan Meier survival analysis was used to estimate the median survival time. It refers to the first observed time when 50% of breast cancer patients died due to breast cancer. In this study, analysis on the median survival time according to the stage at diagnosis was done because it was widely used in patient's management and counselling.
Survival analysis was performed using simple and multiple Cox's proportional hazard regression model to identify the important prognostic factor of death. At univariable analysis, variables with p-value of less than 0.25 were considered to be important, and included in multivariable analysis. At multivariable analysis, preliminary main effect model was obtained using Backward LR, Forward LR and Stepwise methods. All possible two-way interaction were checked using multiplicative method. Hazard Functions plot and Log-Minus-log plot was used to check the assumption of proportional hazard. The final model was presented as crude and adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR), 95% confidence interval (CI), Wald statistics and p-value. Two-tailed p-value of \<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
Results {#sec1-3}
=======
A total of 598 registered breast cancer cases were identified in the registry. However, 46 cases with missing cancer staging and 3 male cases were excluded. Number of death due to breast cancer was 257 (46.8%). Patient's profile was as shown in [Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"}.
######
Profile of Breast Cancer Patients Identified Through the Kelantan Cancer Registry, 2007-2011 (n=549)
Sociodemographic characteristics n (%) Censored Death
---------------------------------------------------------- ------ -------- ---------- --------- ----- --------
Age at diagnosis (years)[\*](#t1f1){ref-type="table-fn"} 50.4 (11.2)
Age at diagnosis
\< 50 281 (51.2) 140 (49.8) 141 (50.2)
≥ 50 268 (48.8 152 (56.7) 116 (43.3)
Ethnicity
Malay 471 (85.8) 231 \(49\) 240 \(51\)
Chinese 65 (11.8) 50 (76.9) 15 (23.1)
Siamese 6 (1.1) 6 \(100\)
Indian 5 (0.9) 4 \(80\) 1 \(20\)
Others 2 (0.4) 1 \(50\) 1 \(50\)
Stage at diagnosis
Stage I 163 (29.7) 110 (67.5) 53 (32.5)
Stage II 161 (29.3) 128 (79.5) 33 (20.5)
Stage III 90 (16.4) 37 (41.1) 53 (58.9)
Stage IV 135 (24.6) 17 (12.6) 118 (87.4)
Morphology
Ductal 448 (81.6) 246 (54.9) 202 (45.1)
Lobular 2 (0.4) 1 \(50\) 1 \(50\)
Adenocarcinoma 68 (12.4) 30 (44.1) 38 (55.9)
Squamous cell carcinoma 7 (1.3) 3 (42.9) 4 (57.1)
Others 24 (4.4) 12 \(50\) 12 \(50\)
Surgical treatment
Yes 274 (49.9) 171 (62.4) 103 (37.6)
No 275 (50.1) 121 \(44\) 154 \(56\)
Radiotherapy
Yes 105 (19.1) 59 (56.2) 46 (43.8)
No 444 (80.9) 233 (52.5) 211 (47.5)
Chemotherapy
Yes 163 (29.7) 76 (46.6) 87 (53.4)
No 386 (70.3) 216 \(56\) 170 \(44\)
Mean(SD)
The median survival time could not be obtained for stage I and II because less than half of patients within these stages died (32.3% for stage I and 20.9% for stage II). Patients diagnosed in stage III had median survival time of 50.77 (95% CI: 25.34, 76.19) months and those diagnosed at stage IV had median survival time of 6.91 (95% CI: 3.21, 10.61) months.
Prognostic factors of death identified by Simple and Multiple Cox Proportional Hazard Regression Model were displayed in [Table 2](#T2){ref-type="table"} and [3](#T3){ref-type="table"}. The final model was obtained after employing backward selection procedure. Significant prognostic factor of death can be defined as factor associated with death caused by breast cancer, which is statistically determined from the multivariable analysis (Cox Proportional Hazard Regression Model).
######
Prognostic Factors of Death Simple Cox Proportional Hazards Regression (n=549)
Variables Crude *b* Crude HR (95% CI) Wald statistic p-value
----------------------------- ----------- ------------------- ---------------- ---------
Age at diagnosis
\< 50 0 1
≥ 50 0.19 1.21 (0.95, 1.55) 2.35 0.125
Ethnicity
Non-Malay 0 1
Malay 1.07 2.91 (1.78, 4.77) 18.13 \<0.001
Cancer staging at diagnosis
Stage I 0 1
Stage II -0.52 0.59 (0.38, 0.91) 5.59 0.018
Stage III 0.7 2.02 (1.38, 2.95) 13.02 \<0.001
Stage IV 1.73 5.64 (4.06, 7.84) 106.47 \<0.001
Surgical treatment
Yes 0 1
No 0.66 1.93 (1.50, 2.47) 26.46 \<0.001
Radiotherapy
Yes 0 1
No 0.23 1.25 (0.91, 1.72) 1.91 0.167
Chemotherapy
Yes 0 1
No -0.23 0.80 (0.62, 1.03) 2.94 0.086
*b*, Regression coefficient; HR, Hazard Ratio; CI, Confidence interval
######
Prognostic Factors of Death by Multiple Cox Proportional Hazards Regression (n=549)
Variables Adj. *b* Adj. HR (95% CI) Wald statistic p-value
----------------------------- ---------- ------------------- ---------------- ---------
Ethnicity
Non-Malay 0 1
Malay 0.92 2.52 (1.54, 4.13) 13.43 \<0.001
Cancer staging at diagnosis
Stage I 0 1
Stage II -0.31 0.73 (0.47, 1.13) 2.01 0.157
Stage III 0.86 2.31 (1.57, 3.39) 18.14 \<0.001
Stage IV 1.83 6.20 (4.45, 8.65) 115.95 \<0.001
Surgical treatment
Yes 0 1
No 0.67 1.95 (1.52, 2.52) 26.64 \<0.001
Adj. b, Adjusted regression coefficient; Adj. HR, Adjusted Hazard Ratio; CI, confidence interval; Interaction terms were not significant in all factors; Proportional hazard assumption by hazard function plot and log-minus-log plot were checked and assumptions were met.
Ethnicity was found as significant prognostic factors by which Malay who diagnosed with breast cancer had 2.5 increase hazard of death as compared to non-Malay (p\<0.001). As compared to stage I, patients diagnosed at stage III and stage IV had 2.3 times and 6.2 times increased hazard to death. Among patients who did not receive any surgical treatment, the hazard of death will increase by 2 times as compared to patients who received surgical treatment (p\<0.001).
Discussion {#sec1-4}
==========
In this study, cancer staging at diagnosis was the factor of interest in evaluating the median survival time because it is an important prognostic factor and widely used in other studies (Andre et al., 2004; Bhoo Pathy et al., 2011; Khan et al., 2014; Walters et al., 2013). Despite that, stage at diagnosis was very important for patient's management and counselling purposes. For stage III breast cancer, the median survival time was shorter than the median survival time from collaborative study by Bhoo Pathy et al., (2011), 53 months. The collaborative study enrolled 4058 breast cancer patients from year 1990-2007 that registered in Singapore-Malaysia Breast Cancer Registry. Majority of the patients in the study were Chinese (72%), followed by Malays (16%), Indians (8%), and other ethnics (4%) compared to our current study which majority were Malays (85.9%). This might be the contributing factor that leads to difference in survival between these two studies. The median survival time for stage IV breast cancer was also lower as compared to other studies. Based on study by Bhoo Pathy et al., (2011), the median survival time for stage IV breast cancer was 17 months. Meanwhile, study by Andre et al., (2004) found ranged of survival time between 23 to 29 months depending on the treatment received.
In Malaysia, there were differences in cultural, health belief and socioeconomic factors among its multi-ethnic groups that may affect their breast cancer survival. This study found that older age at diagnosis; Malay ethnic, late stage of cancer at diagnosis, no surgical and no radiotherapy treatment had increased the hazard of death among breast cancer patients in Kelantan. However, only ethnicity, cancer staging at diagnosis and surgical treatment were statistically significant as the prognosis factors of death.
Approximately 50% of women were diagnosed before the age of 50 years in Malaysia, compared to 20% in Western countries (Yip et al., 2014). Similarly, this study also found that 51.1% of breast cancer cases in Kelantan were diagnosed during pre-menopausal period. Younger age at diagnosis was found as one of the poor prognostic factor for breast cancer survival (Cheng et al., 2016; De Camargo Cancela et al., 2016; El Saghir et al., 2006; Soerjomataram et al., 2008; Taib et al., 2011; Youlden et al., 2014). In this study, age was not found as significant prognostic factors of death among breast cancer patients in Kelantan and this finding was in concordance with study by Karimi et al., (2014).
Ethnicity has been recognized as important prognostic factors worldwide. For example, Caucasian has lower hazard to death as compared to African American (Ren et al., 2016). This study revealed Malay patients who diagnosed with breast cancer had increase hazard of death as compared to other ethnics and this findings is similar as reported by other studies (Ibrahim et al., 2012; Taib et al., 2011). Although Chinese has the higher incidence of breast cancer with ASR 44.2 per 100,000 population as compared to Malay's ASR 25.3 per 100,000 population, the prognosis was worst among the Malay ethnic (Abdullah et al., 2013). Different screening practices, poor health seeking behaviour and poor treatment compliance might be the cause of poor prognosis among Malay as compared to other ethnic group in Malaysia (Taib et al., 2007). According to other studies, Malay presented with more advanced disease compared to Chinese and Indians which might contribute to poor survivorship among Malay (Leong et al., 2007; Taib et al., 2011). Study done by Taib et al., (2007) which was conducted in two different settings namely Kota Bharu, Kelantan and Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) Kuala Lumpur found that 45.3% patients in rural area used traditional medicine as compared to 15.5% in urban. It was the fact that UMMC managed more Chinese patients compared to Kota Bharu that managed more Malay patients. This study might explain that even though 59% of breast cancer cases in Kelantan were diagnosed in early stage, the prognosis of death is worse among Malay as they choose to seek for traditional remedies first before modern medicine. Even though their cancer had been diagnosed in early stage, they might loss to follow-up and presented later on late stage which caused the treatment more difficult and complicated
A standardized staging system, TNM system, is used widely to facilitate management of the patients and able to make comparison between countries. Several studies shows that late stage upon diagnosis have increased hazard to death as compared to early stage (Karimi et al., 2014; Kongsiang et al., 2014; Taib et al., 2011). In this current study, the risk of death increased by two times when patient presented with stage III breast cancer. Meanwhile, the risk of death increased by six times higher when patient presented at stage IV. The significant of stage at diagnosis as a strong prognostic factor of death among breast cancer patients was similar with other studies (Karimi et al., 2014; Kongsiang et al., 2014; Taib et al., 2011).
There are several treatment options available for breast cancer which includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, bisphosphonates, and targeted therapy. Our study found that surgery was a significant factor associated with death caused by breast cancer. The risk of death will increase by two times among patients who did not receive any surgical treatment. This finding was similar with other studies (Bello et al., 2016; Cortadellas et al., 2015; Pathy et al., 2011; Ruiterkamp et al., 2010). A study by Pathy et al., (2011) at UMMC found that the risk of death was lower among patients who undergone surgical treatment. Meanwhile, a meta-analysis by Ruiterkamp et al., (2010) also showed that surgical treatment were associated with lower mortality and improve survival.
In this study, radiotherapy was not found as significant prognostic factor and majority of the patients did not received radiotherapy treatment. Several studies showed that the risk of local recurrence post-breast conserving surgery can be reduced by radiotherapy (McGale et al., 2014; Wang et al., 2017).
There were studies reported that overall survival improved following chemotherapy (Azrif et al., 2011; Liu et al., 2012). However, chemotherapy was also not found as significant prognostic factor in this study and 70.5% of the cases did not receive chemotherapy.
Limitations and recommendations {#sec2-6}
-------------------------------
In this study, data was retrieved from Kelantan Cancer Registry, which was considered as a valid and reliable tool for cancer surveillance system in Malaysia. However, there are many other possible significant prognostic factors that were not available in the registry such as lymph node status, tumour size and immunohistochemistry subtype. To achieve better understanding about the prognostic factors of death among breast cancer patients, future research should be proceed with focusing on a bigger diversity of other factors such as social, cultural, and economic contribution. Meanwhile, in order to achieve more complete understanding on how to improve the survival among breast cancer patients in Kelantan, a more focused study on factors associated with refusal of modern cancer treatment should be carried out to plan for targeted intervention.
In conclusion Identification of the significant prognostic factors might guidance for better treatment among breast cancer patients that can be performed not only during active treatment but also during the survivorship period. The requirements to improve specialties and modalities required could be supported by evidence from this study.
Ethical approval {#sec2-7}
----------------
Ethical clearance was obtained from Human Research Ethics Committee of the University Sains Malaysia USM/JEPeM/16120585 and the Medical Review and Ethical Committee from National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health NMRR-16-2340-33520 (IIR).
Conflict of interest {#sec2-8}
--------------------
No conflict of interest.
Thanks to Director General, Ministry of Health Malaysia for the approval to publish this research.
Funding statement {#sec2-9}
=================
This study and manuscript was not funded.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
To wonder why it's so transphobic here?
Really what's the big deal if a transwoman uses the women's toilets or changing rooms - they are women after all!
Can you not possibly imagine how hard it must be to be born into the wrong body? Imagine the pain and distress that must cause?
I have a friend who is a transwoman and she is the kindest most gentle soul you could ever meet so hearing her being referred to as a bloke in a dress or that she has a perverted fetish is just heartbreaking.
Can't we just show a little bit of empathy for these people who have been through so much pain already?
The hatred towards trans people reminds me of all the hate we used to have towards gay people and black people. Of course we look back at this in horror now so one day we will look back on out hatred towards trans people in horror.
YANBU. I think it's just one of those things. Traditionally the feminist movement, while I agree with 98% of what they say has very anti-trans elements and I think that leaks out to places like this which are very feminist (for the most part I love feminism). There are also some nut jobs that attach themselves to trans movements talking about debunked theories about brain issues so that can give the anti trans people more confidence in their nasty view points.
Trans people suffer more from discrimination than any other marginalised group, are incredibly vulnerable and at high risk of suicide and self harm.
It's just a small handful of virulently anti-Trans posters who are so aggressive in flooding these forums (started in Feminism then took over AIBU and now Chat) they've created an environment where the majority feel unable to stand up against the constant browbeating. Whenever I post against the tidal wave of bigotry I get my inbox flooded with messages of support - literally every single time.
Most posters probably just don't want to deal with people utterly obsessed with one thing (especially as it's something that will probably never affect them in any way).
Trans rights do not and should not trump women's rights. A woman is born and has grown up as such suffering/enjoying/benefiting and fighting as such. A trans woman's has grown up as a trans woman suffering/enjoying/benefiting and fighting as such. One is not the same or better or worse than the other they are though different things. The real problem is self-identifying and gaining access to women's safe spaces whilst in possession of a penis/ that puts women's rights back in the dark ages and we should all be able to see the problem.
I am no more trans phobic than I am anorexia phobic. I have every respect for people who include themselves in either of those categories. They should face absolutely no discrimination at work or in society. I honestly don't care which toilets any of them want to use, how they want to dress, or who they want to sleep with.
However, I don't think either group should be encouraged to damage their bodies.
I don't think people with anorexia should be told 'yes hun, you are a bit fat' and supported to keep losing weight till they die, I think they should be given counselling and support to accept their bodies as they are.
I don't think people with gender disphoria should be told 'yes hun, you really are in the wrong sex body' and supported to take drugs and have surgery to destroy functioning sex organs, I think they should be given counselling and support to accept their bodies as they are.
I also think a lot of women feel invisible and marginalised in their own lives, and instead of taking on toxic masculinity and the patriarchy (of which transwomen are victims too) it's easier to jump on a bandwagon with "cool" names and slogans.
Biology is phobia Born in the wrong body Educate yourself OP. A man cannot decide what makes a womanIt is impossible to know what another person feels like so at best they can feel like their idea of what a woman isA mans idea of a woman | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
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Bombay Jayashri
"Bombay" Jayashri Ramnath, born into a family of musicians, represents the fourth generation of music practitioners in her family. Trained by Lalgudi Jayaraman and T R Balamani, she went on to become one of the most sought after Carnatic musicians today.
Early life and training
Born in Calcutta, Jayashri received her initial training in Carnatic music from her parents, Smt. Seethalakshmy Subramaniam and Shri. N.N. Subramaniam and was later trained by Lalgudi Jayaraman and T R Balamani. She also learnt the art of playing the Veena from G. N. Dhandapani Iyer.
Jayashri received her training in Hindustani Classical Music as well, from K Mahavir Jaipurwale and Ajay Pohankar. Additionally, she also holds a diploma in Indian Music from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Delhi.
Jayashri learnt Bharatanatyam under Guru K Kalyanasundaram Pillai of Shri Rajarajeshwari Bharatha Natya Kalamandir, Mumbai. She was also involved in theatre with the Amateur Dramatic Club, Mumbai .
Jayashri attended the St. Anthony's High School in Chembur, and holds a bachelor's degree in Commerce and Economics from R. A. Podar College, Mumbai.
Performances
Jayashri performed her first concert in 1982. She has performed at various festivals and venues all across India and in over thirty-five different countries. In India, she has performed in all the major festivals. In New Delhi: The Rashtrapati Bhavan, Vishnu Digambar festival, Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Sri Shanmukhananda Sabha, India International Centre, Indira gandhi National University and Bhakti Utsav. She has performed also at Saptak, Ahmedabad; The Music Academy and Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai; ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata;NCPA and Sri Shanmukhananda Sabha, Mumbai; Chowdiah Memorial Hall and Vasantha Habba, Bangalore; Kuthira Malika and Soorya Festival, Trivandrum, The Palace of Mysore and at the Matrimandir Amphitheatre at Auroville. Across India, she has performed for the Spirit of Unity Concerts for National Integration, SPIC MACAY Festivals and All India Radio's Sangeet Sammelan.
In the US, she has performed at the Lincoln centre for the performing arts, Carnegie hall, Kennedy Centre for performing arts World Music Institute – New York; University of Arizona – Tucson; University of Texas – Austin; MIT – Boston; University of Louisiana – New Orleans; Cornell University and Amherst College.
She has performed in Sydney Opera house (The first carnatic Musician to perform there).
Jayashri's Europe tours have included venues such as: Saddlers Wells and Queen Elizabeth Hall – London; Festival of Sacred Voices and Museum Rietberg – Switzerland; Vantaa Festival and The Russian Opera House – Helsinki, Finland; Théâtre de la Ville, Festival of Nantes, The Museum of Sculpture and Arts, Musee des Asiatiques and Citi de la Musique – in France; Casa da Musica a Porto – Portugal; Sala de Camera – Spain and at the University of Cologne.
She has also performed at The Royal Opera House – Durban, Monash University – Melbourne and Esplanade Theatre – Singapore.
On 19 September 2017, she performed at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Canada, with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as they gave the world premiere of Mychael Danna's "Life of Pi" suite.
Jayashri has been supporting SPIC MACAY since more than three decades. She has travelled to many places in India including remote places in Uttarakhand, hill districts of Himachal Pradesh, Port Blair, rural and tribal areas of Wayanad and Idukki in Kerala, Goa and many other places to perform hundreds of Lecture Demonstrations to students, introducing them to the Indian classical music.
Musical collaboration
Musical exchanges and dialogues
Jayashri has performed Jugalbandi concerts with Hindustani Musicians Ronu Majumdar, Shubha Mudgal, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Gaurav Mazumdar. She has dialogued with artistes in dance like Leela Samson, Chitra Visweshwaran, Alarmel Valli, Priyadarsini Govind and Shobana. Jayashri has sung Thirukkural and an Annamacharya verse in the prestigious audio autobiography – Wings of Fire of former President Shri Abdul Kalam.
Jayashri has also collaborated with Carnatic Musicians T. M. Krishna, Jayanthi Kumaresh and Abhishek Raghuram.
She performed in 'Bhaire Baanvari', the story of Meera, conceptualised and directed by Gowri Ramnarayan. She also was a part of 'Mathemagician' with actor V Balakrishnan and written by Gowri Ramnarayan.
Jayashri also performed at the MTV Coke Studio(India) Season 1 with Ustad Rashid Khan and Richa Sharma.
Jayashri also conceptualised 'Listening to Life' – A concert that features the journey of a musician as a lover of music.
Cross cultural collaboration
Her quest to interact and experiment with various forms of music has resulted in collaborations with various eminent artistes from around the world. Jayashri has sung two Sangam Period songs, Veral Veli and Yaadhum Ure in the album 'Sandham- Symphony Meets Classical Tamil', an international collaboration of various artists and Durham Symphony by Composer Rajan Somasundaram. Yaadhum Ure song, a multi genre fusion where Bombay Jayashri sang Carnatic portions along with various international singers was declared the theme song of 10th World Tamil Conference.
She has sung with Egyptian singer Hisham Abbas and Senegalese singer Thione Seck. In 2008, she was part of an Indo-Finnish venture 'Red Earth and Pouring Rain', where she sang Kuṟuntokai – ancient poems from Sangam literature – with Avanti,conducted by John Storgards set to music by Eero Hämeenniemi. This was premiered at Helsinki and was also performed at Lapland. In 2012, she sang the poetry of Mirza Ghalib composed by Eero Hämeenniemi at the Vantaa festival, with the Gamba quartet led by Markku Luolajan-Mikkola, Finland. The performance was also held at Hungary.
In 2014, she worked with Eero Hameenniemi in Yadhum Oore, Sangam Poetry and performed with Finnish Philarmonic orchestra.
Film music
Jayashri is also a playback singer whose film music includes Collaborations with M S Vishwanathan ( Tampathigal),Ilaya Raja, A.R.Rahman, M M Keeravani, Oesappachan, M Jayachandran,Ramesh Narayan, Haris Jayaraj,Shankar-Ehsan-Loy,Imman,Yuvan Shankar Raja, Govind Vasantha. Her song for Harris Jayaraj won her the Filmfare Awards South for Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil for the popular song "Vaseegara" from the Tamil film Minnale.She sang the song "Zara Zara Bahakta Hain" (the Hindi version of "Vaseegara") in the movie Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein with music composer Harris Jayaraj.She sang in Mahesh Dattani's 'Morning Raga' for the music of Amit Heri. She has a sung in various films in Hindi, Tamil,Bhojpuri, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam languages. She collaborated with composer Mychael Danna on "Pi's Lullaby" from the film adaptation of Yann Martel's book Life of Pi in 2012.
Music composition
She has composed music for Kalidasa's Meghadootham, choreographed by Sheejith Nambiar and Parvathy menon, produced by Aim for Seva. She has composed the music for Meera- Soul Divine, choreographed by Chitra Vishweshwaran, produced by Aim for Seva.
Jayashri worked with Ang Lee on his motion picture, Life of Pi. She performed the lyrics for "Pi's Lullaby", which was nominated for the 2012 Oscars in the Best Original Song category. She has also composed music for actor Revathi's films Verukku Neer and Magal in Kerala Cafe.
In 2004, Jayashri composed music for Silappadhikaaram, a dance drama commissioned by the Cleveland Cultural Alliance.
She has composed music for her albums, Shravanam, Smaranam and more.
Passing on an inheritance
In 2001, Jayashri, along with Sanjay Subrahmanyan and T. M. Krishna wrote the book 'Prof. Sambamoorthy, the visionary musicologist', detailing the life and times of Prof. Sambamoorthy – eminent Indian musicologist. The book was published to commemorate his birth centenary. In 2007, Jayashri, T. M. Krishna – leading Carnatic vocalist and Mythili Chandrasekar – Senior Vice-President at JWT together wrote the book Voices Within, – a one-of-a-kind coffee table book that captures the pioneering spirit of 7 of the greatest Carnatic masters of the previous generations.
Jayashri featured in the first full length Carnatic music film 'Margazhi Ragam', conceptualised by Director P Jayendra. This was a ground breaking venture that showed Carnatic music in a whole different light. The movie, released in 2008, used the very best and latest technologies for video and sound recording. In her quest to reach music to the next generation, she along with T. M. Krishna and YACM initiated Svanubhava – a week-long Music Festival, exclusively for students of music, which continues to be conducted annually.
Giving-back
Another dimension of music which Jayashri is focused on is in exploring the therapeutic and healing value of music . Under her Trust Hitham she shared music with Children in the Autism Spectrum. She and her students teach music at Swami Dayananda School at Manjakudi . She has been working closely with institution like Kilikili, Sampoorna in Karnataka and Sankalp in Tamil Nadu which care for autistic children. This domain is a matter of serious engagement for Jayashri and her students. Some other institutions that Jayashri has worked with include: The Banyan Chennai (rehabilitation of homeless/mentally challenged women), Vasantha Memorial Trust (cancer patients), Stepping Stones Orphanage Home, Malaysia, Multiple Sclerosis Society of India, Bangalore and more.
Awards and recognition
2020 - True Beauty Recognition Award along with Alarmel Valli and Suhasini Maniratnam, by Naturals on their celebration of 20 years
2020 - Asianet award for the Best Playback for the film Mamangam_(2019_film)
2019 – Academy of Music Chowdaiah Award 2019, by Academy of Music, instituted by Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Bangalore
2019 – "Mangalampalli BalamuraliKrishna Award" conferred by the Government of Andhra Pradesh
2019 – "Rama Gana Kalacharya" conferred by the Sree Rama Seva Mandali, Bangalore
2015 – "Sangeetha Vedantha Dhurina" from Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira, Bangalore
2015 – Sangeetha Kala Sagara from Kalasagaram, Hyderabad
2014 – "Kamban Pugazh" award from All Ceylon Kamban Kazhakam, Sri Lanka
2013 – The Fourth Indira Sivasailam Endowment Medal Award
2013 – Nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Song (Oscar) for Pi's Lullaby from Life of Pi, 2013
2012 – Vani Kala Sudhakara by Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha at their inaugural function of the December Music Festival
2011 – "Nada Ratna" award from Nada Sudha, Velachery
2011 – Sangeetha Vishwa Kala Bharathi Award from Bharath Kalachar.
2009 – Honorary Doctorate – Degree of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa), awarded by Mother Theresa Women's University, Kodaikkanal
2009 – "Sangeetha Saraswathi" from the South Indian Cultural Association (SICA), during its Golden Jubilee Year
2008 – Vijay Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song 'Yaaro Manathilae' from the movie Dhaam Dhoom
2007 – Sangeetha Kalasarathy award from Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Chennai,conferred by the Vanamamalai Mutt pontiff Ramanuja Swamigal
2007 – "Kalaimamani Virudhu" from the Government of Tamil Nadu
2006 – "Shanmukha Sangeetha Shiromani" from Shanmukhananda Sabha, Bombay
2006 – "M S Subbulakshmi Puraskar" from Vishaka Music Academy, Visakhapatnam. Conferred By Shri Nedunuri Krishnamurthy
2005 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer
2005 – 'Sangeetha Choodamani Award' from Dr. A C Muthiah from Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai in the presence of her Guru Lalgudi Jayaraman
2003 – "Atma Vanishri" from Poojya Shri Shantananda Swami of the Temple of Fine Arts at Varanasi, in the presence Tabla Maestro, Pt. Kishan Maharaj
2002 – 'Mani Makudam' by Rajalakshmi Fine Arts, Coimbatore
2002 – 'Kalki Award' from Cine Director K Balachander, on behalf of the Kalki Krishnamoorthy Trust
2001 – Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil for the song 'Vaseegara' from the movie Minnale
2001 – 'Naadabhooshanam' by Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha, New Delhi
2001 – 'Asthana Vidhushi' of the Shringeri Mutt
1997 – 'Isai Peroli' by Dr. P Chidambaram, Union Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Karthik Fine Arts, in the presence of Music Maestro Balamurali Krishna
1992 – "Yuvakala Bharati" conferred by Bharat Kalachar, Chennai
Controversies
The relatives of Malayalam poet Irayimman Thampi and the Irayimman Thampi Smaraka Trust alleged that the lyrics penned by Bombay Jayshree for "Pi’s Lullaby", which was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Song category for the 2012 film Life of Pi, were copied from Thampi's lullaby Omanathinkal Kidavo.
Jayashri had rendered 'Omanathinkal Kidao' in a Malayalam version back in 2001 on her album Vatsalyam.
Discography
Smaranam: Song of the Soul (2010, Inreco )
WindSong – Classical Jugalbandi by Pandit Ronu Majumdar & Bombay Jayashri (2010, Kosmik)
Confluence of Elements (2007, Saregama)
Kannamma (2007, Rajalakshmi Audio)
Azhaga (2006, Rajalakshmi Audio)
Salokyam (2005, Charsur Digital Workstation)
Margam (2004, Rajalakshmi Audio)
Kashi (2003, Charsur Digital Workstation)
Panchabhutams (2003, Music Today)
Shyama (2003, Music Today)
Vatsalyam (2001, Charsur Digital Workstation)
Shravanam: Music for Meditative Listening (2001, Charsur Digital Workstation 018)
Atma: Soul (2000, Charsur Digital Workstation 6235)
Swapn Sunehere(Jeeva Nadhi) 2015 Baahubali The Beginning
Mamta Se Bhari 2015 Baahubali The Beginning
Semmozhi Anthem
Jayashri was one among the singers who sang the "Semmozhiyaana Thamizh Mozhiyaam" song for the World Classical Tamil Conference 2010. She also appeared on the screen after T. L. Maharajan and was followed by Aruna Sayeeram. The visualisation of the theme song was directed by the renowned director Gautham Menon which had an extremely positive response from the audience. The song features the fusion of various musical cultures including Carnatic, Folk, Acoustic, Sufi, Rock and Rap.
The Lyrics of the song was written by the popular politician M. Karunanidhi and composed by A. R. Rahman. The other popular singers who sang the theme song are T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela, T. L. Maharajan, Aruna Sayeeram, Nithyasree Mahadevan, S. Sowmya, T. M. Krishna, Srinivas, Naresh Iyer, Harini, Chinmayi, Karthik, Hariharan, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Vijay Yesudas, G. V. Prakash Kumar, Blaaze, Lady Kash, Shruthi Hassan and Chinna Ponnu.
Film playback singing
Album Songs
References
External links
Official Website
Whole Collection of Bombay jayashri songs in Hi5songs
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Living people
Category:Indian female classical singers
Category:Female Carnatic singers
Category:Carnatic singers
Category:Tamil playback singers
Category:Tamil musicians
Category:Indian female film singers
Category:Kannada playback singers
Category:Telugu playback singers
Category:Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners
Category:Tamil singers
Category:Filmfare Awards South winners
Category:Malayalam playback singers
Category:Bollywood playback singers
Category:University of Mumbai alumni
Category:Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award
Category:Indian voice actresses
Category:Singers from Kolkata
Category:Indian Idol
Category:Bhajan singers
Category:Indian female composers
Category:20th-century Indian composers
Category:20th-century Indian singers
Category:20th-century Indian women singers
Category:21st-century Indian women singers
Category:21st-century Indian singers
Category:21st-century Indian composers
Category:Women musicians from West Bengal | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
There’s plenty to chew over as Amazon’s show about a German-occupied US enters its second season – but the politics is more complex than you’d think
Warning: contains spoilers.
The increasing occurrence of Difficult Second Season Syndrome – with True Detective and Broadchurch major offenders and Transparent a minor one – means that our pleasure at the return of a recent success is always shadowed with worry.
A particular fear in the case of The Man in the High Castle, which streams its second run on Amazon from today, is that this drama is a prime example of a TV show that, in the past, would have been shot as a whole in one.
The main business of the 1963 Philip K Dick source novel – imagining a world in which Germany and Japan won the second world war and divided the coasts of the US between them – was dealt with in the 10 episodes released in 2015.
The dizzying visual shocks of the reversed world – such as seeing the eagle of the Third Reich atop New York skyscrapers – can merely be repeated in the second series, with further examples of how Hitler’s empire-builder, Albert Speer, might have retooled the US and Japan. Although there are still tremendous chills in the details of the alternative reality – such as the American schoolchild reciting the morning “pledge of allegiance” to the Nazis in the first of the new episodes – the basic shapes of the alternative 20th century are now familiar.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tremendous chills in the details … The Man in the High Castle. Photograph: Liane Hentscher
Ominously, disagreements about where the show should go next were the reason given by series creator Frank Spotnitz for his unexpected departure from the franchise. Certainly, 10 hours would have been enough to satisfyingly conclude the storylines of the main figures: Juliana (Alexa Davalos), a San Franciscan woman entrusted by her now-dead sister with footage depicting a world that we recognise but the characters don’t; Joe (Luke Kleintank), a double-agent posing as a member of the American Resistance; Gruppenführer John Smith (Rufus Sewell), a US Nazi officer; and Tagomi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), a Japanese official who experiences visions he interprets as nightmares or prophecies but which we have seen in documentaries such as The World at War.
The first episode of season two sometimes feels slow, especially in the Tagomi strands. But it recovers by perfectly executing two moves from the playbook of TV long-runners: Complicating the Situation (the Japanese start plotting to nuke New York) and, crucially, Introducing a New Character: Stephen Root portrays the title figure, the obsessive and mysterious Abendsen, a sort of parallel-archivist who collects the films of events that have happened to us but not to them.
One reason for the present appeal of alternate reality stories – including the Stephen King-derived JFK drama 11.22.63 – must be that we live in a time when real-life storylines considered fanciful, such as the Trump presidency and Brexit, have become reality, turning on its head what seemed to be the historical narrative. With its first season screened in the late Obama period and the second going out post-election but pre-Trump, The Man in the High Castle straddles a cusp of uncertainty.
Drawing direct parallels with current events, though, is thwarted by the complex politics on show here. If a leftwing viewer might see it as a prophecy of the US’s susceptibility to fascism, supporters of Trump’s protectionist economics might draw a lesson of US vulnerability to Japanese imperialism. There must be a particular poignancy for actors of Asian heritage in the cast, who are granted unusually large screen-time but in return for playing second world war-era Japanese stereotypes. Similarly, Brexiteers might be reminded of Germany’s dark past, while Remainers could, as the German-Japanese axis conquered an isolationist US, spot a moral of the importance of international alliances to national defence.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Straddles a cusp of uncertainty … The Man in the High Castle. Photograph: Liane Hentscher
An area that might be expanded is the nature of popular culture in Nazi-run America. The rise of alt-reality fiction is influenced – and even scientifically justified – by the work of Professor Stephen Hawking, whose “multiverse” theory, which suggests there may be numerous different versions of our world, uses examples from mass entertainment. Hawking recently consoled teen pop fans with: “It would not be beyond the realms of possibility that somewhere outside of our own universe lies another different universe. And in that universe, Zayn is still in One Direction.”
The haunting German-inflected recording by Jeanette Olsson of the song Edelweiss that is the theme tune to The Man in the High Castle plausibly indicates that there may have been a Third Reich influence on the Billboard charts in this other US. However, the soundtrack also includes hits from the American 60s we know, including Neil Sedaka’s Calendar Girl and Paul Anka’s My Home Town, although Sedaka’s Jewish background would surely have troubled the Nazi minister for popular enlightenment and propaganda – and Anka’s Greek Orthodox roots might inflame Hitlerite purists as well.
Using familiar tunes could be seen as an ironic commentary from our world on the one we are watching: the home town invoked by Anka now includes brown-shirted students getting off a yellow school bus with the Third Reich eagle on its fender. But US popular culture would likely have been very different if the ideas of Goebbels had prevailed. What, for example, might the Nazis in TMITHC make of the Beatles, who are due, at least by our timetable, to reach the US soon? | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Beautician Sirisha suicide: One Big Doubt!
Sun Jun 18 2017 13:35:30 GMT+0530 (IST)
Suicide Case of Beautician Sirisha reminds us of a crime thriller. Few doubts have been expressed by family members and public even after cops gave a detailed explanation over the sequence of incidents which led to the death of the Make-Up Artiste.
Parents of Sirisha kept saying their Daughter isn't a coward to commit suicide and suspect a conspiracy behind the death. Few people raised the doubt - 'Sirisha is 6 feet tall and weighs 80 kilos. How could ceiling fan rod handle such a huge weight?'.
Cops, however, clarified Sirisha is just 5.7 feet tall and weighs anywhere between 65-70. They even informed that ceiling fan could handle weight up to 100 kilos.
Regarding the injury marks, Police Personnel explained Sirisha suffered few injuries when she tried to jump from the car while returning from Kukunoorpally. Sirisha was even assaulted by Rajeev and Sravan. Clothes worn by Sirisha on that night has been sent to forensic lab for further confirmation over 'no' sexual assault. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Q:
Basic SSH connection via JSCH on android
As the fellow user from this question and this tutorial explain, I'm trying to setup a simples ssh connection to perform a single command on a app. It dosen't even need to wait for any response.
Here is the code:
Main Activity:
package com.example.lucas.shutdown;
import android.os.AsyncTask;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import com.jcraft.jsch.Channel;
import com.jcraft.jsch.ChannelExec;
import com.jcraft.jsch.JSch;
import com.jcraft.jsch.Session;
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
}
public void onCLick(View v){
new AsyncTask<Integer, Void, Void>(){
@Override
protected Void doInBackground(Integer... params) {
try {
executeRemoteShutdown();
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return null;
}
}.execute(1);
}
public void executeRemoteShutdown(){
String user = "ssh";
String password = "123";
String host = "192.168.1.4";
int port=22;
try{
JSch jsch = new JSch();
Session session = jsch.getSession(user, host, port);
session.setPassword(password);
session.setConfig("StrictHostKeyChecking", "no");
session.connect();
Channel channel = (ChannelExec) session.openChannel("exec");
((ChannelExec) channel).setCommand("shutdown /s");
channel.connect();
try{
Thread.sleep(1000);
}catch(Exception ee){}
channel.disconnect();
session.disconnect();
}
catch(Exception e){}
}
}
The button that performs the action:
<Button
android:text="Shutdown"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_centerVertical="true"
android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
android:id="@+id/button"
android:onClick="onCLick" />
This same method executeRemoteShutdown() already works on a diferent program in pure java, however the thing I'm having trouble with is that the conection and comand execution seems to never happen. I followed the recomendations from the question I linked above to run the ssh method on a diferent thread, add a delay to wait for the command be executed on the host before the method finishes and gave internet permission on the manifest file.
A:
Ok here we go,
your code is okay, but some little errors are in.. let me correct this,
you have to implement the button right and some little changes and it will work:
MainActivity:
import android.os.AsyncTask;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import com.jcraft.jsch.Channel;
import com.jcraft.jsch.ChannelExec;
import com.jcraft.jsch.JSch;
import com.jcraft.jsch.Session;
public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
Button btn = (Button) view.findViewById(R.id.button);
btn.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
//start execution of ssh commands
@Override
public void onClick(View v){
new AsyncTask<Integer, Void, Void>(){
@Override
protected Void doInBackground(Integer... params) {
try {
executeSSHcommand();
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
return null;
}
}.execute(1);
}
});
}
public void executeSSHcommand(){
String user = "xxx";
String password = "xxx";
String host = "192.168.xxx.xxx";
int port=22;
try{
JSch jsch = new JSch();
Session session = jsch.getSession(user, host, port);
session.setPassword(password);
session.setConfig("StrictHostKeyChecking", "no");
session.setTimeout(10000);
session.connect();
ChannelExec channel = (ChannelExec)session.openChannel("exec");
channel.setCommand("your ssh command here");
channel.connect();
channel.disconnect();
// show success in UI with a snackbar alternatively use a toast
Snackbar.make(getActivity().findViewById(android.R.id.content),
"Success!", Snackbar.LENGTH_LONG)
.setAction("Action", null).show();
}
catch(JSchException e){
// show the error in the UI
Snackbar.make(getActivity().findViewById(android.R.id.content),
"Check WIFI or Server! Error : "+e.getMessage(),
Snackbar.LENGTH_LONG)
.setDuration(20000).setAction("Action", null).show();
}
}
}
additional you can delete the line " android:onClick="onCLick" " in your layout.xml
at my project this is working just fine even without the delay. of curse you need internet permission in manifest file. but i think this permission will grantet immediately on start of the application.
hope it helps, sometimes little things make a difference.
kind regards
chwzr
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
Q:
Why would I match someone in a region neither of my parents do?
I was surprised to find someone show up in FTDNA as a 2nd-3rd cousin to me (168 shared cM, 34 segments with a minimum length of 5 cM) but not among the 17,667 matches of my father or the 18,178 matches of my father.
Fortunately, the person's DNA was also on GEDmatch, where I could compare his DNA to mine and my parents'. The chromosome browser showed me as inheriting most of the segments that my parents had in common with that person; however, on chromosome 14, I had a 3.1 cM match to the person in a region in which neither of my parents matches him. Something similar occurs on chromosome 20, where my match with the unknown person (4.47 cM) is longer than my mother's match to him (3.13 cM) and my father has no match.
Is the likely explanation that my parents have matches too small to show up unless they're combined in me? For example, they could each have a 2 cM stretch:
Mom ------XX-------
Dad --------XX-----
me ------XXXX-----
Or is there a different explanation? In general, what is a reasonable minimum cM threshold?
I am an Ashkenazi Jew. My parents are not closely related to each other.
A:
What I see often said is that any matching segments under 5 cM, if not under 7 cM, are more likely to be identical by chance rather than by descent, and should usually be disregarded as noise.
A Small Segment Round-Up (Blaine Bettinger posted 29 December 2017 on his blog The Genetic Genealogist)
Sharing Large Segments With a Match Does Not Validate Small Segments Shared With That Match (Blaine Bettinger posted 3 September 2017 on his blog The Genetic Genealogist)
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
Q:
Convert 32 bit fixed point value
In my Java application I need to interpret a 32 Bit Fixed Point value. The number format is as follows: The first 15 bits describe the places before the comma/point, the 16th bit represents the sign of the value and the following 16 bits describe the decimal places (1/2,1/4,1/8,1/16,...).
The input is a byte array with four values. The order of the bits in the byte array is little endian.
How can I convert such a number into Java float ?
A:
Just do exactly what it says. Assume x is the 32bit fixed point number as int.
So, put the bits after the point, after the point, and don't use the sign here:
float f = (float)(x & 0x7fff_ffff) / (float)(1 << 16);
Put back the sign:
return x < 0 ? -f : f;
You will lose some precision. A float does not have 31 bits of precision, but your input does. It's easily adapted to doubles though.
Since the sign bit is apparently really in the middle, first get it out:
int sign = x & (1 << 16);
Join the two runs of non-sign bits:
x = (x & 0xFFFF) | ((x >> 1) & 0x7fff0000);
Then do more or less the old thing:
float f = (float)x / (float)(1 << 16);
return sign == 0 ? f : -f;
In case your input is little endian format, use the following approach to generate x:
int x = ByteBuffer.wrap(weirdFixedPoint).order(ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN).getInt();
where weirdFixedPoint is the byte array containing the 32 bit binary representation.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | StackExchange |
211 F.3d 153 (1st Cir. 2000)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, APPELLEE,v.RAFAEL ALGARIN DE JESUS, DEFENDANT, APPELLANT.
No. 99-1902
United States Court of Appeals For the First Circuit
Heard March 8, 2000Decided May 2, 2000
Lydia Lizarribar-Masini for appellant.
Jeanette Mercado Rios, Assistant United States Attorney, with whom Guillermo Gil, United States Attorney, and Jorge E. Vega-Pacheco, Assistant United States Attorney, Chief, Criminal Division, were on brief for appellee.
Before Selya, Circuit Judge, Coffin, Senior Circuit Judge, and Lipez, Circuit Judge.
Coffin, Senior Circuit Judge.
1
Defendant appellant, a correctional officer employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, was convicted after a jury trial of engaging in a sexual act with an inmate, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2243(b). The trial centered on testimony of the female inmate that, while she was in segregated custody in the Center's Special Housing Unit, defendant on several occasions had her submit to oral copulation. She had managed to save some of the sperm in a pill bottle, which was ultimately given to the FBI for DNA testing.
2
The major issue in this appeal is whether the district court abused its discretion in denying defendant's motion, filed on the first day of trial, for funds under the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A(e)(1), to hire a DNA expert to assist the defense. Other issues involve evidentiary and sentencing rulings. After close scrutiny of the motion history, we affirm.
3
We note that the specific motion for funds that triggered the ruling at issue was the last event in a history of motions and responses which does credit to neither side. We find the government's record of less than forthcoming response to defendant's repeated requests to be unintentional, however, and conclude that defendant bears responsibility for lack of focused assertion of rights at critical times.
4
On October 13, 1998, defendant filed a motion under Fed. R. Crim. P. 16, asking for any statements of defendant, reports of tests, and, specifically referencing Rule 16(a)(1)(E), a written summary of any expert opinion with bases and reasons therefor.1 The motion was granted on October 16.
5
On October 20, defendant received from the government a four page report. The first page was entitled "Re: Receipt of DNA Analysis Results." It reported that FBI Examiner Baechtel had examined two semen samples and blood samples of a number of correctional officers and inmates; that one semen sample lacked enough DNA to show a DNA profile; that the other sample revealed DNA contributed by more than one person, and that the blood samples of defendant and another officer did not exclude them as potential contributors to the second DNA sample. It also noted that Baechtel explained that these results "were not as detail [sic] as would be his court testimony on the results of his findings."
6
There was added a brief discussion of two tests performed on the second sample showing that defendant's DNA pattern, though less detectible than his fellow officer's, "could be picked up slightly in the sample." Other pages listed the items examined, gave instructions for storing returned processed DNA samples, and reported Baechtel's findings concerning the extremely low probability of finding someone in the general Black, Caucasian, or Hispanic populations who could have been a contributor to the examined sample.
7
Not content with this, defendant filed, on October 28, a request for complete reports and any expert testimony to be presented by the government. The motion was granted on October 30. On November 2, the government filed responses to a number of discovery motions. Its response to the two requests noted above was simply, "The requested information has been made available in the discovery previously provided on October 20, 1998."
8
On December 22, defendant filed a "motion in limine," referring in part to the Rule 16 motions, asserting that they had not been complied with, and requesting that any evidence of tests and expert testimony be excluded from the trial. On January 8, 1999, the government responded, saying only that defendant was in error in asserting that it had not complied with the early requests.
9
This response, predictably, led to a motion filed February 11, 1999, entitled, "Urgent Motion Requesting Remedy." It rehearsed the familiar history, specifying the failure to supply a written summary of any expert opinion as well as test results, and requested that the government comply with the court's orders within five days or be barred from using DNA evidence and testimony.
10
Nothing happened for almost three weeks. Then, on February 22, defendant's counsel drafted the motion for funds that was filed, fifteen days later, on the first day of trial. A pre-trial conference was held on February 23. We do not know what, if any, mention was made of the motion for funds for a DNA expert for the defense. What we do know is that on the same day the court gave "further consideration" to defendant's "urgent motion" and ordered the government to provide defendant with a written summary of FBI Examiner Baechtel's testimony "forthwith."
11
In the face of this deliberate command, and against this background, one would have thought that the government would have complied without delay or at least recorded its serious efforts. One would also have thought that, armed with this weapon, defendant would have wasted no time in invoking sanctions for delay. Instead, we face only silence on this issue for the next two weeks ending with the first day of trial. On that day, March 9, 1999, defendant no longer sought to suppress evidence and testimony as sanctions for failure of compliance, but rather, in a reversal of approach, requested his own expert. If the request had been granted, the recruitment of an expert, familiarizing such expert with the record, enabling new tests to be conducted and the resulting consultations with defendant's attorney would necessarily have involved substantial delay.
12
What the district court faced on March 9, after attempting to give defendant maximum timely assistance, was the ex parte motion drafted two weeks earlier. It recited that defendant had retained counsel for $6,000, had no further resources, was indigent, and that a financial statement was being prepared. It also stated that "due to special circumstances of the [DNA] evidence, it has become necessary to dispute the same." It then cited the Criminal Justice Act and requested an unspecified amount "for an investigator and an expert witness in DNA."
13
In reviewing the court's denial of the motion, we are mindful of the fact that the burden is on the movant to demonstrate the necessity of the expert services for an adequate defense, see United States v. Mateos-Sanchez, 864 F.2d 232, 240 (lst Cir. 1989), and that we may reverse only for abuse of discretion, see United States v. Manning, 79 F.3d 212, 218 (lst Cir. 1996). Moreover, a request must be made in a timely manner. See Moore v. Kemp, 809 F.2d 702, 710 (llth Cir. 1987)(en banc). In this case, it is clear that the court was well within the bounds of its discretion. The very first hurdle, eligibility for Criminal Justice Act funds, was not even approached. Although the motion had been prepared days before, and had referred to the preparation of an eligibility document, no financial analysis of defendant's economic circumstances was ever, so far as we know, presented. Substantive justifications were similarly lacking. There was no indication of the availability or identification of an appropriate expert or any estimate of the expert's fee and expenses. There was no enlightenment as to why an investigator was needed in addition to an expert witness. Not least, there was no explanation of where and why the assistance of an expert was needed.
14
In oral argument, counsel stated that only on the opening day of trial did she receive a complete summary and only then did she realize the complexity of the DNA issues. But there is nothing in the filed motion to reflect this fact. And this is somewhat inconsistent with defendant's brief, where he charges that "the prosecution never provided complete disclosure" and that certain DNA testing results were only "shown to counsel by Mr. Baechtel during trial recess" - which would have been the third day of trial, March 15. Both sides agree that further materials were made available to defendant but disagree as to the time. All of this becomes academic, however, since nothing is of record.
15
We wind down on this issue, unhappily concluding that (1) the defendant early on was assiduous in pursuing materials, particularly a written summary of expert testimony, to which he was entitled; (2) the government blindly, blandly, wrongly, and repeatedly claimed to have been in full compliance; (3) the court, when it realized the fact of noncompliance, did its best to empower defendant to get what he wanted; (4) defendant, after issuance of the court's order to the government to comply "forthwith," rested on his oars; and (5) after adopting a last minute change of strategy from suppression to obtaining his own expert, defendant confronted the court with a deeply flawed motion for funds. In sum, we find no abuse of discretion in the court's decision.
16
The remaining issues merit only brief discussion. The first is a claim that the court committed error in allowing a corrections officer to testify that a policy contained in a publication, Standards of Employee Conduct, prohibited corrections officers from "personal communications, sharing one's personal life" with inmates. Counsel had objected on the grounds that appellant was not on trial for misconduct and that proof of any such misconduct would have required notice of "other crimes, wrongs, or acts" in advance of trial under Rule 404(b) of the Rules of Evidence.
17
We fail to see any basis for the argument. In the first place, both the Standards and the fact that appellant had acknowledged them had already been admitted into evidence without objection. This was the only evidence alluded to in the closing argument of the prosecutor. In the second place, one of the standards read into evidence without objection was a prohibition of engagement in sexual conduct with an inmate, the very conduct stimulating this prosecution. Objecting to this would be much the same as a reckless driving defendant's objecting to evidence that, while driving recklessly, he had also exceeded a speed limit. To the extent the reference concerned the bar against personal communications, such preliminary interaction between appellant and an inmate was clearly, as the court ruled, part and parcel of the entire transaction, necessary both to place conduct in context and to shed light on appellant's state of mind.
18
Appellant's remaining argument is that the court erred in refusing to depart downward in recognition of aberrant behavior, since he was a first offender and his course of conduct constituted only one crime. See United States v. Grandmaison, 77 F.3d 555, 560-61 (lst Cir. 1996). If the court's refusal was in the exercise of its discretion, we have no jurisdiction. See United States v. Aker, 181 F.3d 167, 173 (lst Cir. 1999).
19
In this case the court said it was not "inclined to depart," reflecting that appellant's conduct was "planned, was done for a certain amount of time," and constituted an abuse of authority over a person in a vulnerable position. It also noted the absence of any sign of remorse or repentance.
20
Appellant's argument rests on the proposition that the court's decision was based on an erroneous view of the law. It was not. Although we have taken the position in Grandmaison that aberrant behavior is not limited to spontaneous or thoughtless acts, see 77 F.3d at 563, we noted that spontaneity and thoughtlessness are among the factors to be considered in assessing the totality of circumstances. So, we add, are their absence. The court properly considered the deliberateness and duration of appellant's conduct, particularly in a position of grossly unbalanced power as between a corrections officer and an inmate.
21
The court's decision being an exercise of discretion within its authority, we are powerless to review.
22
The judgment is therefore AFFIRMED.
NOTE:
1
Since 1993, Fed. R. Crim. P. 16(a)(1)(E) has read in part:
(E) Expert Witnesses. At the defendant's request, the government shall disclose to the defendant a written summary of testimony that the government intends to use under Rules 702, 703, or 705 of the Federal Rules of Evidence during its case-in-chief at trial.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | FreeLaw |
A appealing and breathtaking feature from our large variety of VR cosplay . Your career as a bank-robber just got cut short by the sexy Chanel Preston... we mean... Wonder Woman. Right! You don't have to be into Cosplay to really enjoy the sort of busty, sultry babes that VRCosplayX brings you with every experience. These girls know how to put on a show for the camera, and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy. Watching Chanel's lips on your cock is the perfect way to wrap up the year, and from the first time she spreads her legs for your, you'll be wishing to cum all over that cute pussy. Lucky you, that's exactly what's in store.... | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
A-magasinet Politikk Hun var jenta i Søviknes-saken. 18 år etter snakker hun om hvordan livet falt i grus.
I 18 år har hun måttet leve med å være den jenta.
2. mars 2018 19:15 Sist oppdatert 5. mars 2018
Februar 2001: I en TV-stue på rusbehandlingsinstitusjonen Tyrili sitter 17 år gamle «Thea». Det er obligatorisk morgensamling. De ser på nyhetene på TV, på en pressekonferanse der en gråtende Siv Jensen og en anstrengt Carl I. Hagen innrømmer at en ledende Frp-politiker har hatt sex med en 16 år gammel FpU-delegat.
Jenta reiser seg brått og forlater rommet. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
THE REVIEW: GILLIAN WEARING. ART WEEKLY by Leighann Morris
Whitechapel Gallery, London
28 March – 17 June 2012
Gillian Wearing, Signs That Say What You Want Them To Say, And Not Signs That Say What Someone Else Wants You To Say,1992
Born in Birmingham in 1963, Gillian Wearing shot to fame in Britain in the 90’s with the rising profile of the YBA’s. Having attended Goldsmiths with Damien Hirst, throughout the artist’s 20 years of practice to follow, it seems that that the inevitable comparison with our favourite formaldehyde loving celebrity artist has left Wearing increasingly overshadowed by the formers blinding, inescapable, loud, and controversial artistic statements.
Wearing’s practice is on another level altogether: quieter, subdued, and frankly more effective in engaging with the British public, Gillian Wearing is not an artist for collectors or the market (not saying any names), but rather an artist for the people. To my great pleasure, the Whitechapel Gallery brings Wearing’s array of photographs, works on video, and sculpture to light for the artist’s first and much deserved retrospective.
Wearing’s most effective tool is the video camera, and she uses it to peel back the façade of the individual in the public sphere, to reveal truths behind outward appearance. Wearing films children dubbed with the voices of adults, invites people to reveal their darkest secrets on camera whilst wearing a disguise, and tells members of the public to write down what they are really feeling, to present to the world in a photograph. Wearing’s work is essentially the traditional portrait inverted. Members of the public are encouraged to do the opposite of pose, to exude importance. Instead they are stripped, and invited to reveal truth.
Wearing’s work is all about paradox: given the chance to disguise oneself behind a mask, the individual is liberated and their character is in fact de-masked. Her aim: to question what is true, what is performed or real, to ask WHAT ARE ORDINARY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ACTUALLY THINKING? She cleverly and often heartrenderingly highlights the discrepancy between what exists in our minds and how we present ourselves in the public sphere, drawing attention to the large gap between the two.
The exhibition begins with Wearing’s 1994 video piece Dancing in Peckham. Wearing invites the viewer to watch her dance for 25 minutes in a shopping mall. Contemporary art cynics: give it a chance and allow me to jump to Wearing’s defence. (Many of my friends would be relentlessly shouting “THIS ISN’T ART!!!” If I had taken them to see it). Perhaps the most puzzling piece in the exhibition (why is she dancing like an idiot to no music outside a curries in Peckham for 25 minutes?), I think the piece sums up Wearing’s aims as an artist perfectly. Unaware of passers by, Wearing dances like nobody is watching acting out self-abandonment within a public space to highlight the gap between accepted social norms and what is really going on inside our heads.
Wearing’s now iconic series of photographs, Signs That Say What You Want Them To Say, And Not Signs That Say What Someone Else Wants You To Say makes this point explicitly. In 1992, the artist invited strangers to write down what they were thinking on paper and hold it to the camera. The effect is humorous, sad, and shocking. A personal favourite is an elderly man holding up a sign saying “what a lovely girl”, showing the discrepancy between our expectations of character judged by external appearance. Seeing the elderly man in public, one would assign to him sexless and paternal characteristics. Given the chance to express all, we discover that the truth is far from the expected: the elderly man reveals his inappropriate sexual and erotic desire.
Similarly, a smiley, handsome, and seemingly happy young man holds up a sign declaring: “I am depressed at the moment”. Wearing captures the truth behind the British public, suggesting that our public “face” is in fact a façade. It is something we can all relate to as members of the British public. Last week on the tube, a well dressed suited business man sat next to me. In his lap lay a letter for probation and a leaflet to alcoholics anonymous. Getting on the tube in the morning, we all appear the same: same “work” clothes, same miserable face, same relentless march to the office, but in our private lives we are different people altogether. Wearing creates her work out of a desire to explore this; to turn it inside out: to turn the private into the public.
My favourite parts of the exhibition are Wearing’s works on video:Confess All OnVideo. Don’t Worry, You Will Be In Disguise. Intrigued? Call Gillian… (1994), Trauma (2000), and Secrets and Lies (2000). Through the medium of video, Wearing explores the difference between ones public persona and private life with a darker, more macabre tone. The retrospective leads us to modern day confessional booths; an enclosed space within which we, put in the position of confidante, are presented with a screen. On the screen anonymous members of the public, masked with latex faces and wigs, reveal emotional and traumatic secrets involving rape, murder, incest, and violence.
Wearing asks to consider which is really the mask: our public “face” or the latex face that hides the confessor. Which is fake? Paradoxically, by masking the confessors, they become de-masked. Their true identity is revealed. With her works on video, Wearing captures the truth behind our public personas. And the truth is depressing. This is Britain today, says Wearing. Lies, secrets, and fake smiles. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
The present invention relates to reclosable bags having hooded slider-operated zippers. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for making hooded slider-operated zippered bags on form-fill-seal (FFS) machines.
Reclosable bags are finding ever-growing acceptance as primary packaging, particularly as packaging for foodstuffs such as cereal, fresh fruit and vegetables, cold cuts, snacks and the like. Such bags provide the consumer with the ability to readily store, in a closed, if not sealed, package any unused portion of the packaged product even after the package is initially opened.
Reclosable bags comprise a receptacle having a mouth with a plastic zipper for opening and closing. In recent years, many zippers have been designed to operate with a slider mounted thereon. As the slider is moved in an opening direction, the slider causes the zipper sections it passes over to open. Conversely, as the slider is moved in a closing direction, the slider causes the zipper sections it passes over to close. Typically, a zipper for a reclosable bag includes a pair of interlockable profiled closure strips that are joined at opposite ends of the bag mouth. The profiles of interlockable plastic zipper strips can take on various configurations, e.g. interlocking rib and groove elements having so-called male and female profiles, interlocking alternating hook-shaped closure elements, etc. Reclosable bags having slider-operated zippers are generally more desirable to consumers than bags having zippers without sliders because the slider eliminates the need for the consumer to align the interlockable zipper profiles before causing those profiles to engage.
Various additions to reclosable bags have been made to provide tamper-evident seals or indicators that will reveal when the bag has been opened or otherwise tampered with prior to purchase by the consumer. It is known to provide a reclosable package construction that is designed to undergo some permanent change in the package appearance when the package is opened for the first time. For example, it is known to provide a reclosable package with a tamper-evident, non-reclosable peel seal that gives a positive indication of having been broken when a package is first opened. It is also known to shroud the zipper (with or without slider) inside an enclosed header on the top of the bag. Another type of tamper-evident feature is the provision of a membrane on the product side of the zipper that partitions the interior volume in an airtight manner.
In the formation of reclosable plastic bags when the bags are used for foodstuffs and like material, it is advantageous to have the bags supplied with a tamper-evident seal which not only protects the contents from the ingress of foreign materials and contamination, but also shows if inadvertent or intentional opening has occurred prior to the bag and its contents being in the possession of the buyer. Such a protective seal, if formed externally of the reclosable seal rather than internally, can additionally protect the reclosable zipper elements from dust and dirt and other contaminants with a permanent protective seal located outwardly of the reclosable seal. Moisture and other foreign elements cannot enter the bag and the purchaser can see that he is obtaining a previously unopened and unused bag where the contents are fully protected. This conveys a feeling of safety and comfort to the purchaser who may be concerned about someone criminally obtaining access to the bag and placing dangerous contaminants into the contents.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,857 discloses a reclosable package having a slider-zipper assembly wherein long zipper flanges are wrapped around the zipper profiles and joined to each other above the zipper profiles, thereby forming a tamper-evident hood. This patent also discloses that such reclosable packages can be manufactured on a VFFS machine having longitudinal seal bars adjacent the fill tube for joining the zipper flanges to the walls of the package.
There is a continuing need for improved methods of manufacturing reclosable bags having hooded slider-operated zippers. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | USPTO Backgrounds |
Effects of methylmercury on perineurial Na+ and Ca(2+)-dependent potentials at neuromuscular junctions of the mouse.
The ability of acute application of the neurotoxicant methylmercury (MeHg) to disrupt the function of presynaptic Ca2+ and Na+ channels at intact neuromuscular junctions was examined using mouse triangularis sterni motor nerves. In Ba(2+)-containing solutions, potential changes arising from Na+ and Ca2+ channel function could be recorded from the perineurial sheath surrounding motor neurons when K+ channels were blocked by tetraethylammonium chloride and 3,4-diaminopyridine. MeHg (100 microM) reduced both Na(+)- and Ba(2+)-dependent components to block within 3-5 min at apparently equivalent rates. Time to block was approximately 7 min after exposure to 50 microM MeHg. In 2 of 5 preparations exposed to 50 microM MeHg, the Ca2+ channel-mediated component was blocked prior to the Na+ channel-mediated component. In the remaining three preparations, Na(+)- and Ba(2+)-dependent potentials were blocked at similar times. Following block by MeHg, neither perfusing the preparation in MeHg-free solutions nor increasing the intensity and/or duration of stimulus to the intercostal nerves resulted in recovery of Na+ or Ca2+ potentials. In the presence of K+ channel blockers, repetitive firing of nerves in response to a single stimulus was observed in 20-30% of the triangularis preparations; in the two preparations treated with MeHg in which repetitive firing was observed, it decreased prior to block of the stimulus-induced Na+/Ba2+ potentials. These results corroborate the results obtained in isolated synaptosomes and pheochromocytoma cells, and suggest that MeHg decreases motor nerve excitability by disrupting Na+ channel function and may block neurotransmitter release by disrupting Na+ and Ca2+ channel function. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
Egypt's former military chief of staff, who announced he would run for president in March elections, has called on state institutions to maintain neutrality toward all candidates.
Sami Annan's early Saturday video statement released on his official Facebook page came hours after President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi declared his bid to run for a second four-year term.
He urged civil and military institutions against "unconstitutionally" siding with a president "who may leave his office."
Annan said he formed a presidential team that would include Egypt's former top auditor Hisham Genena, who was sacked by el-Sissi in 2016. Annan also said he is running to "save the Egyptian state" from what he described as "wrong policies."
Other presidential hopefuls include a prominent rights lawyer who has alleged harassment by the authorities. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Contact Beata van Wijngaarden abstract
Beata van Wijngaarden abstract & watercolor is considering offers on this artwork. Please submit your offer below and they'll get back to you shortly. Note, offers are always made in the artist's chosen currency
Artist's description:
Just thought- does the dragonfly plan the travel? My paintings are made from my heart, it is always the story before and after , what is open to imagine, and I stop the time. I would like to find for paintings the new houses, where they can tell the stories :)
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this work. I do my best to take good photos of my paintings but due to different monitors and devices the colours may vary slighty.
If you like I add the personalized CERTIFICATE OF AUTENTICITY.
I will be more than happy if you follow me on my FB : https://www.facebook.com/SzeptySwiatla
Thank you for viewing my Art and I hope you've enjoyed looking.
The artwork is framed in dick, solid wood frame , painted gold, 10 cm widePlease, notice that International deliveries are sent by Polish National, the customs duty is for buyer according to his low
Artist's description:
Just thought- does the dragonfly plan the travel? My paintings are made from my heart, it is always the story before and after , what is open to imagine, and I stop the time. I would like to find for paintings the new houses, where they can tell the stories :)
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this work. I do my best to take good photos of my paintings but due to different monitors and devices the colours may vary slighty.
If you like I add the personalized CERTIFICATE OF AUTENTICITY.
I will be more than happy if you follow me on my FB : https://www.facebook.com/SzeptySwiatla
Thank you for viewing my Art and I hope you've enjoyed looking.
The artwork is framed in dick, solid wood frame , painted gold, 10 cm widePlease, notice that International deliveries are sent by Polish National, the customs duty is for buyer according to his low | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
The portrayal of Gretchen’s depression has resulted in the character I identify with the most from any show.
[WARNING: There are brief spoilers for Veronica Mars Season 1, Breaking Bad Season 5a and obviously discusses You’re the Worst Season 2 (duh)]
This is probably going to be the most personal thing I have ever, and will ever write (unless I ever make it big enough that I end up writing an autobiography) so I’m going to just lay my cards on the table from the outset. I’m a crier. Or at least I’m a crier when it comes to TV.
I get choked up at the final moments of Friends, the final episode of Parks and Rec is such a beautiful testament to that show’s optimism and dedication to making its characters happy that I can’t help but tear up at the final moments, or the final Raptor ride in Battlestar Galactica, I’m a wreck from the moment between Annie and Jeff in the library in Community’s final episode all the way through the use of Lord Huron’s ‘Ends of the Earth’, I always hope that the Angel episode ‘A Hole in the World’ is some kind of sick joke that Joss is playing on me and I won’t have to watch the biggest gut punch in the Whedonverse due to how it’s juxtaposed with the ending of the previous episode. Wesley’s final story beat in ‘Not Fade Away’ is just as hard to watch. I used to be able to make it through ‘The Body’ from Buffy the Vampire Slayer before the waterworks started, but now I’m lucky if I can hold it back any longer than the tracking shot lasts. There are definitely more examples that I could list, but we’d be here too long and we’d start hitting moments in shows that would make you wonder if I was really okay, whatever that means.
However, I wouldn’t say my… frequent and literal outpourings of emotion are necessarily a bad thing. It helps me to know I can feel something. Which was a major concern when I was suffering from the major bouts of depression I had to contend with in my final two years of high school and life just seemed to be a thing that happened rather than be a thing that I lived. I used to use ‘The Body’ as a form of self-medicating, to force myself to cry in the hope it would let me get out emotion related to real life stuff and overcome grief or stress so I could move on.
There’s a piece from Eric Eidelstein on Complex (and it’s in the link dump below) where he discusses TV being like a therapist in his eyes due to how you lie on a couch and discuss what things mean and how they (and characters) make you feel and it’s a piece I agree with wholeheartedly because, as I’ve demonstrated with the examples above, I’ve used TV as a means of confronting my issues.
All of this said, I don’t think I’ve cried at a show more than I have at You’re the Worst which is impressive because Gretchen’s depression is only a factor in Season 2 (although others have had real life experiences that they were reminded of it in Season 1, again it’ll be in the link dump) and even then it’s only fully unpacked in the latter half of the season. If I’m being asked to identify the initial breaking point then it’s Gretchen’s breakdown in ‘There is Not Currently a Problem’, on the rewatch then it’s in ‘All About That Paper’ when Gretchen first leaves in the middle of her night, now knowing what its setting up. TV might be the best means of therapy (without actually going to therapy) for someone, but if a person came to me and wanted a specific therapist [read: show] to sit down with for 30 minutes a week and get to the heart of their issues, then without thinking I would say You’re the Worst because of how strongly it’s committed to portraying depression honestly.
I feel like I should preface the rest of this piece by pointing that, yeah I agree it’s a little strange that I identify with Gretchen Cutler the most out of every character I’ve ever seen (minus the copious amount of drugs and alcohol she consumes). I mean, I’m white and I’m male with brown hair, there’s no shortage of characters that could act as my perfect audience surrogate for me due to looking exactly like them.
But there’s not an abundance of characters like me
That isn’t to say, there are no characters with depression on TV or that there hasn’t been character with mental illness on TV because that would be intellectually dishonest. It would also be a serious counter argument to my claim I know pop culture. The titular character of Bojack Horseman has been trying to put himself on the track to recovery over the course of the show in spite of his depression (and one would hope that he’s able to stay on said track following Season 3’s ending), Maria Bamford’s semi-biographical show Lady Dynamite is a retrospective of sorts after a severe bipolar episode, both Betty and Don in Mad Men could be diagnosed as people who are depressed at various points in that show, Breaking Bad’s Skyler attempts suicide and Logan in Veronica Mars loses his girlfriend and his mother in a short period of time and it knocks him into a real funk. On the flip-side, you have Wonderland which has been criticised for perpetuating stereotypes. When dealt with correctly, you end up with a character like Rebecca in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend who clearly has issues, but even if there are jokes, she and her condition aren’t the joke, when done incorrectly you end up with a character like Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory who hasn’t been confirmed to have Asperger’s, but illustrates tendencies akin to people with Asperger’s and he’s frequently the butt of the joke. I also personally take issue with the idea put forward from Mayim Bialik
“We don’t talk about medicating them or even really changing them”
because it either suggests that they’re not interested in delving into character or working through mental illness. It’s one degree away from romanticising it. [WARNING WARNING WARNING: THIS IS A SUBJECTIVE STANCE, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO AGREE WITH IT]
It’s tricky to portray mental illness because it’s still very much a taboo subject which makes many uncomfortable and you have to commit to confronting it head-on rather than sweeping it under the rug like a character arc or plot that isn’t well received [read: the murder in Friday Night Season 2]. You can’t just say that a mentally ill character ‘got better’. Mental illness is a constant battle, even when you’re not suffering a bout of depression, the knowledge it could come back is ever present and it’s very easy to let that idea consume you followed by the actual depression.
Which is why I identify with Gretchen
Because I’ve been there.
These are the notes I made when rewatching the season for this piece.
Episode 1-3: No real hints, show still humour driven. Gretchen seems fine, maybe’s she forcing herself to be fun and someone people want to be around – butt stuff, cocaine, trying to get the gal pals to stay Episode 4- Isolates Gretchen, she isolates herself – suffering in silence Episode 5 – Joke about suicide, largely ignores the subject Episode 6 – Slobbish, everyone else hesitant to ask, insistence everything is okay, Jimmy convinced by Gretchen about that. Episode 7 – The linchpin of the season, Gretchen lying on the bed, her breakdown, slow decline during the get together. Trying to be/have fun. Others can’t understand it. She’s open about it, insistent she can’t be fixed. Episode 8 – Aimless, reluctant to do things with friends. Jimmy’s need to fix her. Episode 9 – Looking for something, broken on the inside. [Honestly there’s not a lot here for ‘LCD Soundsystem’ in spite of it being the best episode the show has made and the fact it’s in my top 10 episodes of TV ever, but that’s partly due the fact I was watching through a field of tears, but also because it’s an episode that deserves being unpacked in its own article] Episode 10 – Withdrawn Episode 11 – ‘Feel Nothing’, trying to recapture the fun, sorry she doesn’t feel anything. Episode 12 – Finding it hard to talk, doing it through text, scraped out, acceptance she is depressed and there’s nothing she can do. Episode 13 – Looking for others to help – therapy, leaning on Jimmy
Maybe I’m extrapolating, maybe I’ve over-analysed this more than Breaking Bad fans used to over-analyse each individual frame of that show, but I can see myself and experiences I’ve had in Gretchen’s arc.
I broke down in the middle of English as a project I’d meticulously planned and imagined in my head fell apart. I’ve hidden under my duvet for a day and hoped that I’d just get better. I used to make excuses so I didn’t have to interact with people because I knew I couldn’t. I didn’t tell people what was going on because that would mean a giant ‘I HAVE DEPRESSION’ wedge would be stuck between us and it would make it harder for us to interact because I couldn’t explain it and if I couldn’t do that, how could I ask someone to understand it or not to try to help because even if I appreciated the effort, that wasn’t going to make a difference at that moment in time. There isn’t a ‘feel better’ in the world that works like that when it’s got it’s claws stuck in.
I had stretches of time where I couldn’t force myself to shower in the morning and commit to getting on with the day. I had impending exams looming over me and I couldn’t force myself to work and get ahead. I forgot the inane shit like what day it was and where I needed to be next and it fucked me up for the entire day.
I thought that this is how I was going to be from that point onwards. That I wouldn’t get better.
I had multiple points where I wanted to have a general conversation with someone, but we sat in silence because I couldn’t bring myself to force the words out.
I lived vicariously through others when I couldn’t see the point in living any longer, I let them take the lead in things so I could be there and have those memories without needing to be the initiator or active in them. I broke just like Gretchen at the end of ‘LCD Soundsystem’ when I realised that the idealised versions of those peoples’ lives that I’d constructed in my mind to live through were lies because they had problems as well.
And There’s Follow Through
But Gretchen’s doing one thing I didn’t do at the time. (No, I’m not talking about the cocaine or offering to do butt stuff, minds out of the gutter please)
I tried therapy. Once. I didn’t go back; I thought it wasn’t for me. That was probably the worst decision I made, because it meant I committed to keeping all of my problems internal rather than laying them out and working through them. If I’d committed to going, then maybe I wouldn’t have suffered as bad a second bout as I did.
Sure she’s a character and not a real person, but with the decision for Gretchen to go to therapy then it means, regardless of if you see it as Gretchen deciding to or Stephen Falk and his writers’ room deciding she’s going, that she’s looking to work through it. Which is the important thing, the committal to pushing forward in the hope that the darkness is about to pass and the light will be back. One of the reasons I didn’t understand, how I couldn’t understand how to deal with my depression is due to the lack of conversation in pop culture regarding it. Yes there are characters on TV that suffer from depression, but at the time I was suffering from it, none of them were actively having a conversation about it.
Essentially the show is holding a mirror up and making me watch what I’ve already done and experienced. At the time, sure it was easy to acknowledge ‘spend time with friends and go outside’ as a viable coping strategy, but it was a battle to commit to doing that. Now I’m not currently coping with being depressed for an extended period of time, I can identify what I should do and drill it into my head as a plan of action that I can put into effect the second I realise it’s creeping back. In an ideal world, it never comes back and I never have to worry about it being that hard again, but there’s nothing wrong with keeping your guard up. Complacency is how it wins in the first place. You gotta fight it.
And to fight it I gotta have a plan. And I got reinforce that until I can’t forget it.
I love You’re the Worst so much, but writing about it can feel like ripping out my own dumb guts and trying to make sense of the carnage. — Caroline Framke (@carolineframke) August 30, 2016
I’ve been reworking this piece over and over for the better part of the week, trying to make it perfect and slowly resenting my decision to write this piece, because god damnit it’s hard to convey what you mean when you don’t truly understand it. Mental illness is like that. But maybe my time agonising over this is a blessing because it means I held off on publishing this before seeing Caroline’s tweet above and it almost makes this easier. This piece isn’t perfect, I’ve been staring at it for so long I no longer know if it’s even coherent, but it’s helping. It’s making me get all of this stuff out. The show has that effect on you. It throws everything into disarray and makes you think how to put it back together. I don’t fully understand my mental illness, but because of this show I’m going to try. If anything, this piece shows how it’s helping because I now have the stuff to build the foundation. I just need to work at it. I need to reorder it so it makes sense and one day I’ll be able to write How ‘You’re the Worst’ Helped Me Come to Terms with My Mental Illness.
So if TV is therapy and You’re the Worst is the specialist I’m working 1-on-1 with, then for the next 13 weeks, I’m going to sit down and confront it head on in a situation I’m comfortable with, with characters I know and with a surrogate for me that I identify with and can say the things I have been unable to say. I’m going to deal with my problems in a way I can deal with them and with any luck; I’ll be able to deal with them effectively should they rear their ugly heads again.
I don’t know if they’ll read this (I’m going to do my best to show them somehow), but if they do – then thank you Stephen Falk. Thank you Aya Cash. If you worked on You’re the Worst in any capacity then thank you for starting the conversation about depression and coping with it so I could start my own dialogue about it.
Thank you for reading. As always, if you think someone would appreciate reading this, whether they suffer from depression and would benefit having a conversation like this in their lives or if they don’t and you just think they’d want to read this, then I would be eternally grateful for you sharing this on various forms of social media.
P.S Season 3 looks like it’ll be dealing with Edgar’s PTSD with the same respect it’s given to Gretchen and depression. I hope that by the end of the season, a dialogue has started about that as well. At the moment I’m intending to recap Season 3 as well, so I’m going to do my best to help keep that dialogue going.
[UPDATE: My schedule’s looking pretty hectic at the mo, so I’ll do my best to do short write-ups about the episodes and aim to do a season review to make up for it]
Link Dump
https://www.amazon.com/Pilot/dp/B00LT8BQFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472237120&sr=8-1&keywords=you%27re+the+worst
http://www.hulu.com/youre-the-worst
If this piece has inspired you to check out the show, then here’s where you can catch up on the first 2 seasons.
Season 3 starts tonight on FXX at 10/9c.
http://uk.complex.com/pop-culture/2016/06/my-television-became-my-therapist
‘TV as Therapy’ from Eric Eidelstein is a genius piece of writing because it’s not jumping to a conclusion, in retrospect and reflection it makes perfect sense and helped me to realise why I connect more with TV than I do with Film.
http://www.vox.com/2015/12/15/10111656/depression-marriage
Todd VanDerWerff’s piece on being married to someone with depression. It’s interesting for me to read something that puts me in the shoes of someone dealing with someone with depression rather than how someone deals with their own depression.
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-06-15/is-sheldon-autistic-the-big-bang-theory-actress-mayim-bialik-gives-this-brilliant-response
Where I found Mayim Bialik’s response to Sheldon and whether he’s autistic. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Highly successful treatment outcome of multidrug-resistant and genetic diversity of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in Rwanda.
To determine prevalent MDR-TB genotypes and describe treatment outcome and bacteriology conversion in MDR-TB patients. Review of laboratory records of 173 MDR-TB patients from all over Rwanda who initiated treatment under programmatic management of MDR-TB (PMDT) between 2014 and 2015. Fifty available archived isolates were genotyped by mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units - variable number of tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) genotyping. Of the 170 patients whose outcome was known, 114 (66.3%) were cured and 36 (21%) completed the treatment, giving a successful outcome (cured and completed) of 150 (87.3%) patients. Of 20 MDR-TB patients with unfavourable treatment outcome, 18 died, one failed and one defaulted/stopped treatment. Of the 18 patients who died, 11 (61%) were HIV-coinfected. The treatment outcome was successful for 93.9% among HIV negative and 81.8% among HIV-coinfected patients (P = 0.02). Sputum smear conversion occurred in 3, 46, 57 and 78 patients before 2, 3, 4 and 6 months, respectively, with median time of sputum smear and culture conversion at 3 months. The 44 MDR-TB isolates with MIRU-VNTR result, showed high genetic diversity with low clustering rate (9.09%) and Uganda II being the most prevalent sub-family lineage detected in 68.2% of isolates. Beijing family was the least common genotype detected (2.3%, 1 isolate). The high success rates for MDR-TB treatment achieved in Rwanda were comparable to outcomes observed in resource-rich settings with HIV being an independent risk factor for poor treatment outcome. High genetic diversity and low clustering rate reported here suggest that reactivation of previous disease plays an important role in the transmission of MDR-TB in Rwanda. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
Playlist: The Very Best of Sara Evans
Playlist: The Very Best of Sara Evans is the second compilation album from Sara Evans, after 2007's Greatest Hits, released as part of the Legacy Recordings Playlist series. The album features a selection of Evans' biggest hits, as well as album tracks and songs that have not previously been included on any of her albums.
Track listing
Chart performance
References
Category:Sara Evans albums
Category:2013 greatest hits albums
Evans, Sara | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
eCommerce Website Design
Wanting to expand your businesses client portfolio and reach a wider market. You Go Designs can help by designing a professional eCommerce website design or in other words an online store.
Having an eCommerce website is easy to maintain without having to pay for rent, shop assistants or bills. Just like having a store where customers can walk in and browse your products an online store allows you to do the very same without having the physical presence of customers. If your thinking ” I don’t need a store as i do not sell products ” then your very wrong. With an online store you do not have to sell just products, you can also sell your companies services, rent out function area’s and equipment and much more. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Background {#Sec1}
==========
Colorectal cancer (CRC) causes substantial morbidity and mortality throughout the world and the highest incidence is seen in developed countries with a Western culture.^[@CR1]^ The prognosis of CRC is highly dependent on the stage of disease at diagnosis. The 5-year survival rate ranges from 90% for localised stage CRC to 10% for patients with distant metastases.^[@CR2]^ To promote early diagnosis and improve survival rates, many countries have implemented cancer referral guidelines and fast track endoscopy for patients with alarm symptoms indicative of CRC.^[@CR3],[@CR4]^ For CRC, alarm symptoms are specific symptoms such as rectal bleeding or changes in bowel patterns for individuals ≥40 years. However, non-specific symptoms such as weight loss and tiredness could be important markers of malignant disease and, in general, almost half of cancer patients present non-specific symptoms prior to diagnosis.^[@CR5]^ In Denmark, screening for CRC is offered to people in the age of 50--74 years. However, only approximately 25% of all CRC are detected by screening.^[@CR6]^ For the rest of the cases and in the group aged 75 years and older, symptoms will still have a significant role in the diagnostic process of CRC.
It has been demonstrated that both specific and non-specific symptoms of CRC are common in the general population and few consult their general practitioner (GP) when experiencing alarm symptoms of CRC.^[@CR7]^ Positive predictive values (PPVs) for alarm symptoms of CRC have mostly been investigated for persons consulting their GP with alarm symptoms and little is known about the negative predictive values (NPVs).^[@CR8]--[@CR10]^ As campaigns to increase public awareness of alarm symptoms and promote earlier presentation by the patients are progressively carried out worldwide,^[@CR11]^ it is important to gather knowledge about the PVs of alarm symptoms in the general population.
The aims of this study were (1) to determine the 1-year PV of specific and non-specific alarm symptoms of CRC in the general population 40 years or above and (2) to describe the proportion of specific and non-specific alarm symptoms reported by patients prior to diagnosis of CRC.
Methods {#Sec2}
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Study design and population {#Sec3}
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The study was designed as a nationwide cohort study based on questionnaires and national registries, imbedded in the Danish Symptom Cohort (DaSC).^[@CR12]^ This particular study aimed to gather knowledge about the predictive values of specific and non-specific alarm symptoms of CRC in the general population. Other studies have already reported predictive values of gynaecological cancer alarm symptoms^[@CR13]^ and upper gastrointestinal cancer.^[@CR14]^ Parts of the methods described below have therefore been previously described.^[@CR7],[@CR12],[@CR15]^
From the Danish Civil Registration System (CRS), 100,000 adults aged 20 years or above were randomly selected and invited to participate in a survey. All Danish citizens are registered in the CRS with a unique personal identification number. Prior to the sampling procedure, individuals were excluded if they had declared to the CRS that they did not want research-related inquiries. The individuals received a postal letter explaining the purpose of the study. The questionnaire was designed using the internet-based platform SurveyXact.^[@CR16]^ A unique login for a secure webpage was included in the letter. This provided access to a comprehensive web-based questionnaire. To prevent exclusion of people with no access to the internet, participants were offered to complete the survey by telephone interview. When an invited subject was unable to respond due to severe illness or having moved abroad, family or relatives could decline the invitation on behalf of the invited person. The reason for not responding was then registered as illness or moved abroad.
The questionnaire {#Sec4}
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The methodological framework for developing, pilot testing and field testing the questionnaire is described in detail elsewhere.^[@CR12]^ This paper addresses the specific and non-specific symptoms indicative of CRC. These symptoms were selected based on a review of literature, national and international cancer referral guidelines and descriptions of cancer pathways.^[@CR3],[@CR4],[@CR17]^ In total, ten predefined symptoms reported by individuals aged 40 years or above form the base of this paper (Table [1](#Tab1){ref-type="table"}). The four specific symptoms and the age limit were chosen as it is included in the Danish cancer referral guidelines (Supplementary Figure [1](#MOESM1){ref-type="media"}). The respondents were asked whether or not they had experienced one or more of the symptoms in the preceding 4 weeks. The respondents were additionally asked whether or not they had contacted their GP regarding the symptom. The wording of the question regarding symptom experience was: "Have you experienced any of the following sensations, symptoms or discomfort within the past 4 weeks?" with the option to select one or more of the predefined symptoms. With regard to GP contact, the question was worded: "Have you contacted your general practitioner concerning the symptom(s) you have experienced within the preceding four weeks, by appointment, telephone or e-mail?" An item concerning when the symptom(s) occurred for the first time was also included. The response categories were: "less than one month ago", "1--3 months ago", "3--6 months ago" or "more than six months ago".Table 1Specific and non-specific alarm symptoms of colorectal cancerSpecific alarm symptoms of colorectal cancer Abdominal pain Change in stool texture^a^ Change in stool frequency^a^ Blood in stool/rectal bleedingNon-specific alarm symptoms of colorectal cancer Diarrhoea Constipation Abdominal bloating Weight loss Feeling unwell Tiredness^a^Only experience of symptoms more than 1 month earlier was included
Register data {#Sec5}
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Information on CRC diagnoses in the respondent cohort aged 40 years or above was retrieved from the Danish Cancer Registry (DCR). The DCR contains personal and tumour characteristics for all incident cancer cases in Denmark including date of diagnosis and ICD-10 codes for lesions.^[@CR18]^ Only cases diagnosed in a 12-month period after the completion of the questionnaire were included. Furthermore, the cases were excluded if the individual had been diagnosed with the same ICD-10 code in a time period covering 5 years prior to the completion of the questionnaire. The ICD-10 codes used in this study are listed in Table [2](#Tab2){ref-type="table"}.Table 2ICD-10 codes used for incident cancer casesICD-10 diagnose codeNameDC18Malignant neoplasm of colonDC180 − DC189, excl. DC189XMalignant neoplasm in various parts of colon, excluding relapseDC20 + DC209, excl. DC209XMalignant neoplasm of rectum, excluding relapse
Statistical analyses {#Sec6}
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PPVs were calculated by dividing the number of symptomatic individuals diagnosed with CRC by the total number of symptomatic individuals in each category. NPVs were calculated by dividing the number of asymptomatic respondents not subsequently diagnosed with CRC by the total number of asymptomatic respondents. The PVs are presented as percentages. PPVs and NPVs for CRC were calculated for each category. Moreover, we calculated the positive likelihood ratios (LR+) and negative likelihood ratios (LR−) as a relative measure of the association between symptom experience and CRC. The PVs and LRs for CRC were calculated for each of the four specific alarm symptoms of CRC and for each of the six non-specific alarm symptoms for the total population (aged ≥40 years) and separately for two age groups 40--74 and≥75 years. For change in bowel patterns (stool texture and frequency), only experience of symptoms for the first time more than 1 month earlier was included. Moreover, the PVs and LRs were calculated for: (1) at least one of the ten alarm symptoms, (2) at least one of the specific alarm symptoms, (3) at least one of the non-specific alarm symptoms, (4) GP contact with at least one of the ten alarm symptoms and (5) GP contact with at least one specific alarm symptom. The PVs and LRs in these five groups were calculated for both the entire study population of respondents aged 40 years or above as well as for subgroups of individuals under and above 75 years of age. The proportions of specific and non-specific alarm symptoms of CRC reported by individuals aged 40 years or above diagnosed with CRC are presented.
All statistical tests used a significance level of *P* \< 0.05. Data analyses were conducted using STATA statistical software 13.1 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA). In concordance with the Danish data protection act only summary tables with four or more individuals in each count are reported.
Results {#Sec7}
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Of the 100,000 randomly selected subjects, 4474 (4.7%) were not eligible because they had either died, could not be reached due to unknown address, were suffering from severe illnesses, had language problems or had moved abroad. A total of 95,253 subjects were eligible for the study, of these 69,060 were aged 40 years or above and 37,455 completed the questionnaire, yielding an overall response rate of 54.2% (Fig. [1](#Fig1){ref-type="fig"}). The mean age of the respondents in this age group was 58.4 years (95% confidence interval (CI): 58.3--58.6) compared to 60.8 years (95% CI: 60.6--61.0) for non-respondents. Slightly more respondents were women (52.7%) compared to non-respondents (50.2%). The respondents were more often women married/co-habiting and had a higher income and educational level and were more often affiliated to the labour market (Table [5](#Tab5){ref-type="table"}).Fig. 1Study cohort
In total, 64 individuals (0.17%) were diagnosed with CRC 1 year after completing the questionnaire. Of these, 41 (64.1%) were males, and 23 (35.9%) were women. The mean age of the individuals diagnosed with CRC was 69.7 years (95% CI: 67.3--72.1).
Due to too few observations, only PVs for nine of the ten predefined symptoms are reported (i.e. PVs for unintended weight loss is not reported). The PPVs of the four specific alarm symptoms for CRC (abdominal pain, change in stool texture, change in stool frequency, blood in stool/rectal bleeding) ranged between 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1--0.4) (change in stool texture) and 0.6% (95% CI: 0.3--1.1) (rectal bleeding) (Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}). The PPVs of the five non-specific alarm symptoms for CRC (diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal bloating, feeling unwell, tiredness) ranged between 0.1% (95% CI: 0.1--0.3) (constipation and feeling unwell) and 0.3% (95% CI: 0.1--0.5) (diarrhoea) (Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}). The NPVs were 99.8 for all the specific and non-specific alarm symptoms (Table [3](#Tab3){ref-type="table"}).Table 3Number of respondents (*n*, %), cases of colorectal cancers, numbers (*n*, %) (total numbers *n* = 64), PPVs (%) with 95% CI and LR+ and LR− with regard to symptom type (*n* = 37,455)Respondents, *n* (%)Cancer cases, *n* (%)PPV (95% CI)LR+ (95% CI)NPV (95% CI)LR− (95% CI)Specific alarm symptoms Abdominal pain6223 (16.6)17 (26.6%)0.3 (0.2;0.4)1.6 (1.1;2.4)99.8 (99.8;99.9)0.9 (0.8;1.0) Change in stool frequency^a^4207 (11.2)10 (15.6%)0.4 (0.2;0.7)2.1 (1.2;3.7)99.8 (99.8;99.9)0.9 (0.8;1.0) Change in stool texture^a^5407 (14.4)6 (9.4%)0.2 (0.1;0.4)1.0 (0.5;2.2)99.8 (99.8;99.9)1.0 (0.9;1.1) Blood in stool/rectal bleeding1378 (3.7)8 (12.5%)0.6 (0.3;1.1)3.4 (1.8;6.5)99.8 (99.8;99.9)0.9 (0.8;1.0)Non-specific alarm symptoms^b^ Diarrhoea4023 (10.7)11 (17.2%)0.3 (0.1;0.5)1.6 (0.1;0.5)99.8 (99.8;99.9)0.9 (0.8;1.0) Constipation4945 (13.2)7 (10.9%)0.1 (0.1;0.3)0.8 (0.4;1.7)99.8 (99.8;99.9)1.0 (0.9;1.1) Abdominal bloating9775 (26.1)20 (31.3%)0.2 (0.1;0.3)1.2 (0.8;1.7)99.8 (99.8;99.9)0.9 (0.8;1.1) Feeling unwell4301 (11.5)6 (9.4%)0.1 (0.1;0.3)0.8 (0.4;1.7)99.8 (99.8;99.9)1.0 (0.9;1.1) Tiredness16,282 (43.5)26 (40.6%)0.2 (0.1;0.2)0.9 (0.7;1.3)99.8 (99.8;99.9)1.1 (0.9;1.3)*PPV* positive predictive values, *LR+* positive likelihood ratios, *LR−* negative likelihood ratios, *CI* confidence interval^a^Only experience of symptoms more than one month earlier was included^b^Weight loss is missing because of too few observations
The PVs and LRs for CRC among individuals under and above 75 years are given in Table [4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"} and demonstrate the difference between age groups. Generally, the PPVs were lower and the NPVs higher in the group younger than 75 years compared to those aged 75 years and above. For the individuals aged 75 years or above who had reported at least one specific alarm symptom, a PPV of 1.0% (95% CI: 0.4--2.0) and an NPV of 99.5% (95% CI: 99.1--99.7) for CRC was estimated. Individuals aged 75 years or above reporting at least one of the specific alarm symptoms that lead to a GP contact had a PPV of 1.9% and LR+ of 3.0 for being diagnosed with CRC and the NPVs and LR− for this group was 99.5% (95% CI: 99.2--99.7) and 0.8% (95% CI: 0.6--1.0) respectively (Table [4](#Tab4){ref-type="table"}).Table 4Number of respondents (*n*,%), cases of colorectal cancers, numbers (*n*, %), PPVs (%) and NPVs (%) with 95% CI and LR+ and LR− with 95% CI with regard to specific and non-specific cancer alarm symptoms and stratified on age group (under and above 75 years of age)Respondents, *n* (%)Cancer cases, *n* (%)Total37,455 (100%)64 (100%)\<75 years34,323 (91.6%)44 (68.8%)≥75 years3132 (8.4%)20 (31.2%)Respondents, *n* (%)Cancer cases, *n* (%)PPV (95% CI)LR+ (95% CI)NPV (95% CI)LR− (95% CI)At least one alarm symptom Total23,499 (62.7%)42 (65.6%)0.2 (0.1;0.2)1.0 (0.9;1.2)99.8 (99.8;99.9)0.9 (0.7;1.3) \<75 years21,766 (92.6%)30 (71.4%)0.1 (0.1;0.2)1.1 (0.9;1.3)99.9 (99.8;99.9)0.9 (0.6;1.3) ≥75 years1733 (7.4%)12 (28.6%)0.7 (0.4;1.2)1.1 (0.8;1.6)99.4 (98.9;99.8)0.9 (0.5;1.5)At least one specific alarm symptom Total9925 (26.5%)28 (43.8%)0.3 (0.2;0.4)1.7 (1.3;2.2)99.9 (99.8;99.9)0.8 (0.6;0.9) \<75 years9206 (92.8%)21 (75.0%)0.2 (0.1;0.3)1.8 (1.3;2.4)99.9 (99.9;99.9)0.7 (0.5;0.9) ≥75 years719 (7.2%)7 (25.0%)1.0 (0.4;2.0)1.5 (0.8;2.8)99.5 (99.1;99.7)0.8 (0.6;1.2)At least one non-specific alarm symptom Total22,343 (62.3%)40 (62.5%)0.2 (0.1;0.2)1.0 (0.9;1.3)99.8 (99.8;99.9)0.9 (0.7;1.3) \<75 years20,711 (92.7%)29 (72.5%)0.1 (0.1;0.2)1.1 (0.9;1.4)99.9 (99.8;99.9)0.9 (0.6;1.3) ≥75 years1632 (7.3%)11 (27.5%)0.7 (0.3;1.2)1.1 (0.7;1.6)99.4 (98.9;99.7)0.9 (0.6;1.5)Symptom experience and GP contact with at least one alarm symptom Total6523 (17.4%)20 (31.3%)0.3 (0.2;0.5)1.8 (1.2;2.6)99.9 (99.8;99.9)0.8 (0.7;1.0) \<75 years5770 (88.5%)13 (65.0%)0.2 (0.1;0.4)1.8 (1.1;2.8)99.9 (99.8;99.9)0.8 (0.7;1.0) ≥75 years753 (11.5%)7 (35.0%)0.9 (0.4;1.9)1.5 (0.8;2.7)99.5 (99.1;99.7)0.9 (0.6;1.2)Symptom experience and GP contact with at least one specific alarm symptom \<Total2910 (7.8%)14 (21.9%)0.5 (0.3;0.8)2.8 (1.8;4.5)99.9 (99.8;99.9)0.8 (0.7;1.0) \<75 years2596 (89.2%)8 (57.1%)0.3 (0.1;0.6)2.4 (1.3;4.5)99.9 (99.8;99.9)0.9 (0.8;1.0) ≥75 years314 (10.8%)6 (42.9%)1.9 (0.7;4.1)3.0 (1.5;6.0)99.5 (99.2;99.7)0.8 (0.6;1.0)*PPV* positive predictive values, *NPV* negative predictive values, *LR+* positive likelihood ratios, *LR−* negative likelihood ratios, *CI* confidence interval
Of the individuals diagnosed with CRC, 43.8% had experienced at least one of the four specific alarm symptoms. Abdominal pain was the most common specific alarm symptom reported by 26.6% of the 64 individuals diagnosed with CRC. In total, 40.6% had reported tiredness, this being the most common non-specific symptom. Of the individuals diagnosed with CRC, 65.6 % had experienced at least one of the specific and non-specific alarm symptoms.
Discussion {#Sec8}
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Main findings {#Sec9}
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In this study, we investigated the PPVs, NPVs, LR+ and LR− of specific and non-specific alarm symptoms for CRC in the general population. The overall findings are that although the PPVs are low, the LR+s show a relative association with symptoms (e.g. LR+ 3.4 for rectal bleeding), and although the NPVs were high, the LR− estimates were too uncertain to conclude that individuals without symptoms are in no risk of CRC.
In general, the PPVs were higher among individuals aged 75 years and above compared to those aged 40--74 years. The NPVs were highest in the youngest age groups. The highest PPV was found among individuals aged 75 years and above reporting at least one of the specific alarm symptoms that led to a GP contact. The LR+ was substantially higher for individuals experiencing the specific alarm symptoms (LR+ 3.4% for rectal bleeding) when compared to the non-specific alarm symptoms (LR+ 1.2% for abdominal bloating). The lowest LR− was found for individuals aged 40--74 years reporting at least one specific alarm symptom.
Strengths and limitations {#Sec10}
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The major strength of this study is the prospective cohort design following a large cohort of the general population, which gives the opportunity to retrieve information about symptom experiences prior to diagnosis. With this study design we minimised the risk of recall bias that is often seen in studies regarding cancer patients' symptoms prior to diagnosis. The use of register-based diagnoses rather than asking the respondents further reduced the risk of recall bias. The DCR was used to identify cases of cancer. This registry is based on mandatory data from several sources and is a valid source of information on diagnoses.^[@CR18]^
A general weakness of questionnaire-based studies is that respondents may not interpret the questions and categories of answers as intended. Prior to the survey, we conducted several rounds of pilot testing and field testing to reduce this possibility.^[@CR12]^ Based on the results of the pilot testing, it seems reasonable to assume that the respondents understood the questions as intended.
This study reflects self-reported experience of symptoms within the preceding 4 weeks and subsequent contacts with a GP. Although we asked for symptom experiences and GP contacts within a short time period, some memory decay cannot be ruled out. Another limitation to keep in mind is the fact that willingness to respond to a questionnaire regarding symptom experiences may be associated with the presence of symptoms. It has been demonstrated that individuals with many or severe symptoms and vulnerable personality may be more prone to participate in a survey about symptoms.^[@CR19],[@CR20]^
The age distribution of the cohort is skewed in the older age groups with regard to respondents and non-respondents (Table [5](#Tab5){ref-type="table"}). However, as we do not know the symptom experience of the non-respondents we cannot know how this difference affects our results.Table 5Socio-demographic characteristics for the cohort of 69,060 individuals ≥40 yearsTotal,\
*N* (%)Respondents, *n* (%)Non-respondents, *n* (%)Total69,060 (100.0%)37,455 (100.0%)31,605 (100.0%)Sex Male33,443 (48.4%)17,701 (47.3%)15,742 (49.8%) Female35,617 (51.6%)19,754 (52.7%)15,863 (50.2%)Age groups 40--5936,187 (52.4%)20,305 (54.2%)15,882 (50.3%) 60--7927,745 (40.2%)15,748 (42.0%)11,997 (38.0%) 80+5128 (7.4%)1402 (3.7%)3726 (11.8%)Marital status Single21,191 (30.7%)8423 (22.5%)12,768 (40.5%) Married/cohabiting47,801 (69.3%)29,008 (77.5%)18,793 (59.5%)Educational level Low (\<10 years)19,792 (29.5%)8002 (21.7%)11,790 (38.9%) Middle (10--12 years)28,959 (43.1%)16,557 (45.0%)12,402 (40.9%) High (\>12 years)18,386 (27.4%)12,263 (33.3%)6123 (20.2%)Labour market affiliation Working37,603 (54.5%)22,930 (61.2%)14,673 (46.5%) Retirement pension23,193 (33.6%)11,294 (30.2%)11,899 (37.7%) Out of workforce8228 (11.9%)3222 (8.6%)5006 (15.9%)Equivalence weighted disposable income Low (1st quartile)13,598 (19.7%)4498 (12.0%)9100 (28.8%) Middle (2nd and 3rd quartile)35,122 (50.9%)19,309 (51.6%)15,813 (50.1%) High (4th quartile)20,272 (29.4%)13,624 (36.4%)6648 (21.1%)Ethnicity Danish64,418 (93.4%)35,609 (95.1%)28,809 (91.3%) Immigrants and descendants of immigrants4574 (6.6%)1822 (4.9%)2752 (8.7%)Missing values in each category do not exceed 10%
We investigated whether non-respondents had a higher number of CRC and found slightly more cases of CRC among non-respondents in the age group ≥40 years (64 cases among the 37,455 (0.17%) respondents compared to 72 cases among the 31,605 non-respondents (0.23%)). The differences in the number of CRCs in the two groups might be affected by a number of factors. Firstly, the non-responders were slightly older than the respondents. Since the incidence of CRC increases with age, this might be an associated factor. Older age might be associated with a higher degree of comorbidity and therefore lower capacity to participate in the survey. Secondly, it could be due to socioeconomic factors. A Danish study from 2008 found that higher incidences of CRC were associated with social disadvantages predominantly amongst men, specifically related to co-habiting status, housing tenure, dwelling size and affiliation to the labour market.^[@CR21]^ The non-respondents in our study had lower socioeconomic status compared to respondents. A third possible associated factor could be that people who take their symptoms less seriously are more likely to have CRC.^[@CR22]^ As the non-respondents did not wish to participate in the survey on symptoms and healthcare-seeking, one could hypothesise that they were less likely to take symptoms seriously.
The limited number of cases of CRC might affect the reliability of the results. Due to the limited number of cases of CRC in the follow-up period, we did not have sufficient power to evaluate the PVs of combinations of alarm symptoms. It is plausible that experiencing more than one alarm symptom increases the risk of malignancy.^[@CR23]^ From previous studies we know that experiencing multiple symptoms increases the probability of seeking medical attention.^[@CR15]^ Therefore, the non-specific symptoms of CRC might play an important role in the diagnostic pathway.
Comparison with previous literature {#Sec11}
-----------------------------------
To our knowledge, this is the only population-based study estimating PPVs and NPVs of alarm symptoms of CRC with corresponding LR+ and LR−. A literature study by Fijten et al.,^[@CR24]^ which includes nine population-based studies, estimated the PPV of rectal bleeding to be 1 in 1000. A relatively new systematic review investigating the diagnostic value of rectal bleeding found PPVs ranging from 0.01 to 0.21%.^[@CR25]^ However, this review was comprised of studies from various settings and all the population-based studies targeted screening of CRC.
Several studies have investigated the diagnostic values of alarm symptoms of CRC in primary care^[@CR8],[@CR23],[@CR26]^ and found PVs highest for rectal bleeding and anaemia. This is in line with the present results where the single symptom with highest PPV was rectal bleeding. The PPVs in the studies from general practice were substantially higher. A review by Astin et al.^[@CR23]^ found that PPVs for rectal bleeding as single symptom varied between 2.2 and 15.8%. The findings in the present study support this suggestion, as alarm symptoms presented to the GP had a higher PPV compared to alarm symptoms not reported to the GP. This indicates that deciding to consult the GP with a symptom increases the likelihood of the symptom being caused by a disease.
In a previous study, we have demonstrated that no more than 33.8% of the individuals in the general population who experienced rectal bleeding consulted their GP.^[@CR7]^ This in line with the findings from Crosland and Jones^[@CR27]^ who found that 41% of people from the general population had consulted their GP when experiencing rectal bleeding. These results combined with results from the present study have clear implications for modelling the impact and cost-effectiveness for public awareness campaigns. Unfortunately, awareness campaigns have not yet shown to improve survival.^[@CR28]^ Although screening has been implemented in some countries, most CRC patients are still to be found based on symptoms. Instead of general awareness campaigns, targeted education of older persons, who have the highest incidence, might have an effect on healthcare-seeking and ultimately survival of CRC. It is important that we communicate the importance of healthcare-seeking with the defined alarm symptoms and the fact that low risk is not no risk. Informing patients referred for fast track investigation of CRC about the modest risk of actually having CRC could possibly reduce the anxiety related to investigation for suspected cancer.^[@CR29]^
Conclusions {#Sec12}
===========
This study supports our hypothesis that PPVs of alarm symptoms of CRC experienced in an unselected general population were lower than PPVs of symptoms presented in hospitals or general practices. The single symptom with highest PPV was rectal bleeding. The fact that rectal bleeding as an initial symptom is associated with a less advanced stage of CRC and increased survival rate^[@CR9]^ supports the idea that future campaigns aiming to promote early diagnosis should focus on increasing healthcare-seeking when experiencing rectal bleeding. Individuals aged 75 years and above who reported having contacted the GP with the alarm symptoms had the highest PPV. This finding gives reason to further explore the process of people's decision to seek healthcare and to target education of older persons, who have the highest incidence of CRC.
The PPVs for the alarm symptoms were low and the NPVs were high. Experiences of specific and non-specific alarm symptoms are frequent. This means that despite requiring further investigation, most patients with an alarm symptom of CRC do not have CRC.
Supplementary information
=========================
{#Sec13}
Legend Supplementary Figure 1 Supplementary Figure 1
**Publisher's note:** Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary information
=========================
**Supplementary information** is available for this paper at 10.1038/s41416-019-0385-x.
The DaSC survey was conducted in collaboration between the Research Unit for General Practice, University of Southern Denmark and the Research Centre for Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care, Aarhus University. We would like to thank Wade Thompson for proofreading the manuscript. This study is financially supported by grants from the Region of Southern Denmark. The funding body had no influence on the design, analysis, interpretation or writing the manuscript.
Author contributions {#FPar1}
====================
S.R., K.B., S.E., J.S. and D.E.J. participated in the design of the study. S.R., K.B., S.E. and D.E.J. participated in the logistics concerning the survey and collected the data. S.R., K.B., M.M.S. and R.D.C. analysed the data. P.F.H., S.R. and D.E.J. interpreted the data and drafted the first version of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
The authors declare no competing interests.
The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are not publicly available due to the data protection regulations of the Danish Data Protection, Statistics Denmark and the Danish Health and Medicines Authority. Access to data is strictly limited to the researchers who have obtained permission for data processing. This permission was granted to the Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark.
The Regional Scientific Ethics Committee for Southern Denmark evaluated the project and concluded that the project was not notifiable and could be implemented without the permission from The Regional Scientific Ethical Committee for Southern Denmark according to Danish law. The Scientific Ethics Committee's evaluation comprised all aspects of the project including the data collection. Answering the questionnaire was completely voluntary and unpaid. All respondents consented to transmission of information about diagnoses from the Danish national health registries. The participants in the study were clearly informed that there would be no clinical follow-up and that they should contact their own GP in case of concern or worry. The project has been approved by the Danish Data Protection Agency (journal number 2011-41-6651).
When answering the questionnaire all respondents gave consent to publication of data.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
Reclaiming the Loch Ness Monster from the current tide of debunking and scepticism. If you believe there is something strange in Loch Ness, read on.
Monday, 6 August 2012
The George Edwards Nessie Photograph
(Once you have read this - you can read an important follow up article here - Ed.)
Having spent a week camping in the Kingdom of Fife, I come home to a new alleged photograph of the Loch Ness Monster. It would therefore be remiss of me not to comment on this latest image, not just to add it to the blog's history of Loch Ness and its unfathomable inhabitant but also attempt to wade through what is being said about it.
He has dedicated more than two decades of his life to the hunt for the elusive Loch Ness monster, spending 60 hours a week on the water. And now George Edwards believes he has finally fulfilled his ambition of spotting 'Nessie'; he even photographic evidence to prove it. Mr Edwards, who has spent 26 years on his quest, managed to capture this image
of a dark hump slinking in and out of the lake's waters from the deck
of his boat, Nessie Hunter, before it vanished back into the deep. He claims the picture is the best-ever taken of the Loch Ness Monster and proves once and for all that
the elusive leviathan exists - and is definitely not a sturgeon.
He says he has even had it
independently verified by a team of US military monster experts as well
as a Nessie sighting specialist. Mr Edwards spends his life on the loch -
around 60 hours a week - taking tourists out on his boat Nessie Hunter
IV, and has led numerous Nessie hunts over the years.
'I was just about to return to Temple
Pier (in Drumnadrochit) and I went to the back of the boat which was
facing the pier and that’s when I saw it,' said 60-year-old Mr Edwards, a
lifelong believer in the monster.
'It was slowly moving up the loch
towards Urquhart Castle and it was a dark grey colour. It was quite a
fair way from the boat, probably about half a mile away but it’s
difficult to tell in water.'
After watching the object for five to ten minutes, Mr Edwards said it slowly sank below the surface and never resurfaced.
'I’m
convinced I was seeing Nessie as I believe in these creatures. Far too
many people have being seeing them for far too long,' he said.
'The first recorded sighting was in 565AD and there have been thousands of eye witness reports since then. All
these people can’t be telling lies. And the fact the reports stretch
over so many years mean there can’t just be one of them. I’m convinced
there are several monsters.'
Steve
Feltham, who has dedicated the past 21 years to hunting for Nessie was
unequivocval. 'It is the best photograph I think I have ever seen,' he
said. From his base on Dores beach and has studied many Nessie sighting photographs.
'I think the images are fantastic - that’s the animal I have been looking for all this time,' he said yesterday.
'I would say it doesn’t prove what Nessie is, but it does prove what
Nessie isn’t, a sturgeon which is a fish that has been put forward as
one of the main explanations as to what Nessie could be but this hasn’t
got a serrated spine like the sturgeon.'
Mr Edwards attempted to use his vessel’s sonar to make a contact but to no avail.
'I hung around for a good
half-an-hour and used the deep scanning sonar to try and pick it up, but
I’m afraid I had no luck at all.'
Mr Edwards took the photo at 9am on 2nd November last year on a compact Samsung digital camera that he always keeps on the boat.
Before releasing it publicly he sent it to the USA for analysis, though he can’t reveal further details.
'I
did not want to mention my sighting until I was sure that I had not
photographed a log or something inanimate in the water,' he said. 'I
have friends in the USA who have friends in the military. They
had my photo analysed and they have no doubt that I photographed an
animate object in the water. I was really excited as I am sure that some
strange creatures are lurking in the depths of Loch Ness.'
I actually was informed of this photograph by a local man back in May when the photograph appeared on a postcard sold by George Edwards from around Easter which is shown below and tells us a bit about George's Nessie hunting history.
The pictures marked 3 and 4 are the one of interest whilst picture 2 is of the cruiser boat that George Edwards (in picture 6) employs in his tourist trade. Picture 5 reminds us of George Edward's other claim to fame which was the alleged 1989 "Edward's Deep" which he claimed registered a record depth of 812ft in Loch Ness (as opposed to the accepted 754ft). This reading is disputed and has not been officially recognised.
Picture 1 is of another image allegedly of Nessie in its single hump aspect taken by George Edwards on the 6th June 1986 at about 7am to which we shall return.
Some years prior to all this, George had been working on a Nessie book called "In Search of Eioch Uisge (The Water Horse)" which had been mooted for publication in the late 1990s but so far only extracts of it have surfaced on the Internet. This is a pity as it would have offered some insight into a person who has claimed to have seen the creature up to 19 times.
Three claims against the pictures are made. The first that the sun could not be that high at 9am on the 2nd November. The second is that the object is much closer than the claimed "half mile" and the third asks why only one picture was taken if the object was visible for up to 10 minutes.
On the first point, the shadow on the enlargement below does suggest to me that the sun is on the opposite side to the south east though on that day the sun does not rise until 0720. A look at the picture shows that the castle's north west side is darker than the rest which is supportive of this idea. It is not readily apparent from the picture whether the sun is low in the sky or this is just cloud reflection.
The sun position on that day and time are shown below. From the red marker showing the probable site of the incident, the green line points to sunrise, the yellow to where the sun is at 9am and the red line is sunset.
On the second point, it has to be admitted that the object is not half a mile away. In the top picture, you can see Urquhart Castle which is about one mile away from the stated position at Temple Pier. To the bottom left of the picture you can see an object which is undoubtedly part of the boat he is on. Based on that, I would guess the object is much, much closer. However, George Edwards is rather non-committal on the distance which given the alleged analysis by military experts is rather disappointing. They said the picture shows an animate object (though no wake is unambiguously visible) which leads me to ask George if I could see a copy of their analysis.
But there is actually a concentric ripple around the object which can help estimate distance. It is just about visible on the outer edges of the zoom in above. As you may know, a circular ripple seen at an angle can appear elliptical. The "flatness" of the ellipse can allow the angle of observation to be calculated and if the height of the observer above the water is known, then so can the distance to the object.
The ellipse has a ratio of about 12:34 (0.35) which suggests an angle of observation of about 31 degrees. If the observer is standing 3 metres above the water then a bit of trigonometry gives a distance of 5 metres (another study emailed to me suggests 13 metres).
Witnesses being accused of being vague or wrong about dates, times and distances is part and parcel of media reporting of theses stories and I personally regard them as of secondary importance. I say that after recent experiences of newspapers getting some facts wrong. It always seemed strange to me that a witness would lie about such things. What is to be gained from such a stance especially as George Edwards himself is well aware of the depth of questioning that is applied to modern photographs purporting to be of Nessie.
The third point about why further photographs were not taken may seem an irrelevance but the context for asking such a question is the idea of motion. If the object was indeed moving slowly towards the castle, then a sequence of pictures would not only show this but reinforce the case for the images being genuine (as a sequence is harder to fake).
If one were a sceptic, the case may seem closed at this point, but I would like to hear Mr. Edwards address these points before making further comment.
On a more serious note, I said I would get back to that 1986 photograph. Dick Raynor worked with George Edwards for some years and said this about the earlier photo at his website:
"Passengers on George Edwards Cruise boat
"Nessie Hunter" will also be familiar with the photograph he
took in 1986, now available for sale on the boat for 50 pence. I
remember him telling me at the time how hard it had been to drag the water
filled tube out of the back of a van and down to the water before it was
towed
out into the loch!"
If that is true then Mr. Edwards is in serious trouble. However, as with the scutter about distance, time and number of photos, I invite George to exercise his right of reply before the matter is settled.
But if we lay these things aside and approach the picture from the opposite direction, what can we further say? The first thing is that the object appears rather flat along its presumed spine. What this would indicate I could not tell. There is a general reddish brown colour to the object but with a darker ridge running along the top. The general shape in my opinion is not suggestive of seals, deer or otters.
The wave patterns around the object strike me as being interesting. There is a general pattern of waves washing in from the loch towards the photographer in a line roughly parallel to the horizontal axis of the picture. However, there is also some unique wave formations around the object.
I mentioned earlier the just visible concentric ripples which is more suggestive of a stationary object bobbing up and down than an object moving towards the castle. But water is a complicated medium and the complexity of interpreting waves can get too much if multiple forces are acting on the water. Indeed, if this was a fake Nessie tethered by a buoy, I may have expected more concentric ripples reaching as far as the boat, but that is just speculation on my part.
The bottom line is that this picture raises more questions than it answers and until Mr. Edwards helps out by answering some of my questions, then this picture needs to be treated with caution.
I also agree with Ed on this one..... And grateful for the back ground surrounding Mr. Edwards from Glasgow Boy. Once again, the analysis in this blog has be remarkable and impressive. It's raised troubling questions about "the best photograph ever taken of the Loch Ness Monster". I look forward to hearing more supportive details from Mr. Edwards. On another note, Steve Feltham is quoted as saying 'I think the images are fantastic" ... is it possible there are more than just this one that he's seen?
It's asymmetrical, tear-drop shape looks identical to the leftmost hump in the Lachlan Stuart photo. That fact taken alone means absolutely nothing of course, but it's still a bit intriguing. To me the ripples around the hump make it look like it's following the boat, not headed in the opposite direction!
I have no reason not to believe George Edwards is sincere in his testimony at this point, he sounds reasonable, intelligent, educated on the subject, and grounded. He said he watched the object for 10 minutes slowly sink out of sight, I think that's a good amount of time to observe it.
And I would agree, it IS ONE of the best photographs of the creature IF it is genuine. Wish he had captured more photos in that time.
I used to be a big nessie believer. I think we all find it exotic to think that some unknown, or even prehistoric creature could live in the loch.
But seriously.. the facts are so against it. Animals only live for so long, and you'd have to have a race of animals living in the loch to sustain continued sightings for centuries. A race would have more common sightings, esp if these are animals which surface to breathe - with an actual head. Maybe they have nostrils on their humps?? :-p
Highly suspect is an individual who:- Has "seen" the creature over 19 times, but hasn't had the thought to maybe snap a pic after, oh maybe, the first time? Maybe now's a good time since the book may be near completion.-Runs a tourist boat which tells Nessie stories and rides the loch. Oh and he sold this pic on a postcard apparently?-Like some others have noticed.. a couple of pics after 10 minutes? LMAO. Maybe he did take more, but these were the only ones that didn't look like the plastic float that he threw out behind his boat.- Also.. maybe a video would have been good? This was taken on a samsung digicam he says. You know they do this video thing, when you turn the little dial to the moviecam icon? Just saying..- And last but not least... saying it was looked at by a fictional "military specialist" and US authorities, but gave no details. Maybe it was Fox Mulder!
It's a fake, a hoax and the guy is a huckster. Not a very good one at that. If I was going to do the same thing - a hoax that is, I'd get a lot of pics of my fake monster, maybe have a rigging set up behind my boat so I could move it on video. Something with more effort than a floatie thing which I took 2 pictures of in 10 minutes, and didn't take a video of. In this day and age of technology there is absolutely no excuse *whatsoever* to not video something. -- Unless you have something to hide.
After all, faking a lake monster has to be easier than faking a bigfoot picture right? I'm pretty sure my hoax would have a head tho. I'm tired of looking at nothing but distant, fuzzy fake humps.
When I first heard about this picture I thought it was intriguing, because it has similarities to other Nessie photos, but a few red flags also raised. Why only one photo, especially for such a long period of time observing it, and also why no video? Who are these monster hunters? And I read other remarks about the distance from the boat and the light at the time of day, which I don't know enough about to even speculate on. However, newspapers are known for misreporting people and making light of Nessie so I could see them making up the name 'military monster hunters' so I thought I would reserve judgement until you had posted about it.
So thank you for posting about it!
Whether this photo is real or fake, I certainly don't think it is the best picture of Nessie. I think the photo's you have on this blog are all a lot better than this one.
Steady on, Zom! Edwards was quoted in newspapers as saying he had sent the photo(s) to friends in America who have friends in the military. Most people have friends in America, and most of those have friends in the military. It was an inherently meaningless sentence that fits well with the rest of his disingenuous comments. He's probably having a bad tourist season and just wanted a bit of free publicity.
Check out his history as a researcher; look for web pages, blogs, books, comments, papers, talks by him. Zilch.
It smells fishy...however, given this individual's experience/knowledge of the subject why lie about easily ascertained things like time of day, distance, etc let alone claim 10 minute duration and provide only 1 photo? Also height from surface of loch/object doesn't seem to fit with being taken from deck of his boat - unless he spent most of the 10 minutes climbing a mast to get a better view of course! Ultimately, newspapers are wholly unreliable and sensationalist in reporting such things and seldom accurate or objective, let alone comprehensive - Glasgow Boy needs to hear it from the horse's mouth.
In 1981, when I was 29, I had a dream I saw the creature - don't care for the sobriquet "monster" - and I hopped on a plane, flew over the Big Pond and went to Inverness where I rented a bicycle and pedaled around Loch Ness. The dream was so lucid I really thought I would sight it, but no. Had a great time, though. I say hurrah for people like George Edwards, shameless huckster or not, who keep the imaginative fires burning in people like myself who still choose to believe in the existence of a breeding colony of plesiosaurs in the depths of these lochs. - Wm. Stage | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
"Unquestionably, the best part is when people contact me to tell me how their players reacted; I still find it sort of mind-blowing knowing that what started as an aid for myself, has helped or inspired so many others who share my love for D&D. "
The latest interview is with instagram rpg tables creator Bardic Tales.
Q&A with Bardic Tales
How did you get into creating random tables?
I actually started creating generator tables for my own campaign; one of my players has a habit of picking every pocket within arms length and, when put on the spot, my answers were usually an uninteresting, “a few copper pieces” or something similar.
So I decided to make a ‘D100 Pocket Filler’ generator to make my world feel more diverse; the ball just sort kept rolling from there!
What tables are you most proud of creating and why?
I think my favourite table is my first D100 Unlabelled Potion Generator; it’s like the wild magic table found in the Players Hand Book but for potions.
It got a lot of positive response on my Instagram, from people responding in the comment to how their characters or players would react to certain effects, to people messaging me to tell me how they used the table. It filled my with a real sense of pride and accomplishment, I’m smiling right now just thinking about it!
What is the most fun thing about creating random tables?
Unquestionably, the best part is when people contact me to tell me how their players reacted; I still find it sort of mind-blowing knowing that what started as an aid for myself, has helped or inspired so many others who share my love for D&D.
What are the biggest challenges of creating random tables?
For me the biggest challenge is the same that I faced in school. I am Dyslexic and no matter how much I try to proof read, mistakes are basically inevitable. It can be very disheartening when you work hard to create something for others and it is met with ridicule for a spelling error.
Thankfully, most people in the D&D online community are wonderful people who take my content for its intention and overlook minor imperfections; the love and support I receive from the majority of my audience far outweigh the words of a harsh few ☺️
How do you use random tables yourself?
I most often use them to keep the energy of the story up and to give my world that ‘lived in’ feel; as such the tables I probably use most are my Random Encounter Generators to make the setting seem teeming with life!
I also love to use the Critical Fail and Critical Success roll tables to add an extra element to combat.
What is the most interesting RPG generator or tool you have seen?
There are too many to list!
I’m am infinitely amazed but the creativity and ingenuity of content creators around the world; initiative trackers, custom DM screens, content expansion, homebrew monsters, homebrew subclasses and races; and so much more!
A few favourites that spring to mind are the Monster Loot Tables created by Ladytiefling and the unbelievably vast free content created by Dungeon Master Dave. (there is also a Rand Roll interview with Lady Tiefling)
What are your next big projects (tables or otherwise) that you can talk about?
I would really like to release a book one day so that people may have a physical version of my tables. I have been working on it for a while but finding the time to do so, as well as create my regular content and do my day job, is proving somewhat challenging! I will get there eventually though!
Where can people find you on social media?
I can be found on Instagram at instagram.com/bardic_tales and on Patreon
Is there anything else you would like to talk about?
I would like to take a moment to say how amazing I have found the D&D online community to be. I was shocked by the support, love and gratitude giving by both creators and audiences! It’s amazing how a few dice and some imagination can bring joy to so many people.
I would like to thank the people at Beholders Gaze for being so supportive of me and, not to mention, creating amazing dice!
Finally I would like to say a big thank you to anyone who has ever supported me via my Patreon account; I genuinely couldn’t have got this far without you, my generous heroes 🎻
More Interviews...
You can find more more Creator Interviews on Rand Roll.
I'm also on instagram as rpg_generators. And you can always use gold coins on Coffee. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Earlier this year, a friend of mine who works in the fashion industry told me that I had a commercial look, and asked me to model a turtleneck for a segment on a local NYC fashion news network. A few months later I was invited back to model, but this time it was for a major national morning show. I was thrilled. I never thought that someone like me—with dark skin and thick thighs—could ever "model." I counted down the days.
I arrived on set as instructed: makeup free and with my hair straight—not curly. The makeup artist on set shot me a look of annoyance. She had no color in her makeup set to match me and used foundation way lighter than my complexion, which made my skin look ashy. She swiped a bright pink lipstick on my full lips, to make me "pop," she said. I didn't feel like I was poppin' at all. I felt like I was being made up to look like a clown.
I knew that my one painful, personal experience modeling couldn't be an isolated one.
So I spoke with eight black models about their experiences in the industry, the microaggressions they've experienced, the ways in which they have been made to feel less-than. I asked each model to speak specifically to that body part or feature that once made them feel insecure but is now their biggest motivator.
Khoudia Diop, 19, The Colored Girl
Nana Agyemang
I grew up in Senegal, where more than 50 percent of the women bleach their skin, and skin bleaching is a huge deal. I grew up seeing my cousins and my aunts using it. My cousin pressured me and they wanted me to use skin bleaching products but my sister said you're not using it because a lot of them experience the damages [from it].
Nana Agyemang
I wanted to use it at a point, not going to lie, and I felt really ashamed of being dark, but my sister would always show me pictures of dark skin models, there weren't a lot, but she would show me pictures of dark skin models and say "this is not a bad thing and your skin is not a thing you have to change. It's unique and beautiful and you have to learn to know things you like about yourself and celebrate them.
Nana Agyemang
Mominatu Boog, 21, G Models PR
Nana Agyemang
I am very dark but I am very soft and feminine and I don't really feel like there is a lot of that in the dark skin market. Stop trying to make us out to seem like we are these animals.
Nana Agyemang
I feel like in the industry when it comes to dark skinned women they always make us out to be these aggressors and these angry people when we're not. I don't have to shave my head to be a model. I don't have to look like I am going to bark at you to be a model. I like flowers. I like perfume. I like sweet stuff.
Nana Agyemang
Gia Oteto, 22, Omit
Nana Agyemang
I have pretty big lips so I feel like that's where people's eyes go to. It makes me feel like that's the only thing people see from me is my lips. It's always been uncomfortable.
Nana Agyemang
[When] shooting they see the lips and say let's do a pop of green and it gets uncomfortable, sometimes because not every dark girl with big lips can rock a lime green. A lot of places I used to work would say to me "let's do yellow eye shadow and like a lime green on her lips because they're so beautiful." I feel like they don't notice that we can rock that color sometimes but we can also rock a nude and look amazing. And I look like a duck sometimes. I can't wear this bright pink lipstick for every shoot.
Nana Agyemang
Tatiana Elizabeth, 22, MSA models
Nana Agyemang
I remember one time getting my full face of makeup done and I look in the mirror and it's a completely wrong shade and I am like, What the heck, you're a makeup artist I don't understand how you don't understand how to do all types of skin tones not just one. I have had multiple experiences where I am like this is not how I am supposed to look. Sometimes they'll use lighter shades or darker shades. I think [some makeup artists] just don't understand how to do it, so they try to compromise and try to mix and match and make things instead of just having the correct shades because they're available, but they just don't have them.
Nana Agyemang
At this point, I don't even say anything anymore, I'll just go into the bathroom and fix it myself. I'll come out and they'll say "OMG you look amazing" and I am like "yeah because I did it myself." It is annoying that I have to go through that and at first I was scared to make those adjustments but at the end of the day I am my own brand and I don't want to put work out there, whether it's with a client or for myself, because it's me, my image—it's not the makeup artist it's not anyone, it's me so I need to make sure that it's on point.
Nana Agyemang
Grace Mahary, 27, IMG Models
Nana Agyemang
It means the world to me to be able to embrace my culture and my traditions because for so long I was embarrassed about it and I wanted to assimilate. Now I see trends in beauty and fashion that are similar to or have origins from my tradition and my culture in Eritrea.
Nana Agyemang
[But] I think cultural appropriation is a really relevant topic right now. I feel like every idea or every creation comes from some type of copying or image you have seen already so I think it's about intention and how genuine you are coming off and what you're trying to say or present with your message. I am Eritrean, I am Canadian and I am a woman—[that's my message].
Nana Agyemang
Kamie Crawford, 24, JAG Models
Nana Agyemang
I once had a job where the client was so nice, the shoot was long and the rate wasn't amazing, but I wanted to do it regardless. I got there and the hairstylist was Australian. She went in to do my hair and she kept referring to my hair as an afro and my hair was straight this day. She was like "OMG this afro!" and I was like, what the hell are you talking about and she kept referring to my edges as afro bits. In a negative way.
Nana Agyemang
[She said] "Omg your afro bits I just can't get them." It was taking so long to do my hair, the client asked what's going on, we are not on schedule, and she said her afro bits are too difficult for me to do them, I am trying to get them straight. Basically she was blaming it on me and making it seem like my hair and I were the problem but it wasn't me. My hair was straight but she just didn't know how to do it. Of course, it's offensive but I can't cuss her out and do my job at the same time. These microaggressions add up being a woman of color and others models who aren't of women of color don't have to face it.
Nana Agyemang
Ashley Chew, 25, retired
Nana Agyemang
Even though I am lighter toned with green eyes, I understand that privilege, but with me its been a battle of my hair. Is it on trend? They'll ask me to straighten it or they'll say we already have a girl that looks like you even though there is 10 other blondes in the room.
Nana Agyemang
My issue is because I am fair toned I shouldn't be the darkest thing in the room, if I look around and see that I am the darkest person in the room with ethnic hair then there is a problem. Even in the black hair care casting white directors will ask for a black girl then I show up and they're like, "No, we want a black girl," and that's happened plenty of times. It's almost like being too light for the black castings and being too dark for regular casting.
Nana Agyemang
Diandra Forrest, 27, Krush Model Management
Nana Agyemang
People are curious about why I look the way I do. I have very full lips and I remember going to Paris and every casting director that I met was like "did you get your lips done?" And I am like what why did everyone think I got my lips done? Well, they didn't know I am black girl. I have a strong nose and I remember people suggesting that if I were to get my nose done I would get more work and I was just baffled.
Nana Agyemang
I love my nose and I don't want to lose that part of me. To each its own, if you want to change the way you look to fit into society more or if it's something you want to do to make yourself feel better then fine but I don't think you should suggest to people what they should do because you don't completely agree with their look. There shouldn't just be one standard type of model. Beauty is diverse. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Charlize Theron Takes Anti-AIDS Fight to Davos
South African-born film star Charlize Theron delivers a personal plea for funding in the battle against HIV-AIDS on the opening evening of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
http://www.wkyc.com/video/2114748973001/1/Charlize-Theron-Takes-Anti-AIDS-Fight-to-Davoshttp://cdn.newslook.com/69/69f846fa169e351396605c4987de8c97/images/frame_0009.jpgCharlize Theron Takes Anti-AIDS Fight to DavosSouth African-born film star Charlize Theron delivers a personal plea for funding in the battle against HIV-AIDS on the opening evening of the World Economic Forum in Davos.2013 World Economic ForumFinancenewslookCharlize Theronworld economic forumswitzerlandDavos01:15 | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
Silly is the only way to be
Sunday
Jul 7, 2013 at 12:01 AM
I know when I tell people this they think I’m exaggerating. But I really did have English 101 a total of nine times in college.
Chuck BoutwellColumnist
I know when I tell people this they think I’m exaggerating. But I really did have English 101 a total of nine times in college.I wasn’t “applying myself.”I finally passed English 101 when, after being kicked out four times for bad grades, I went back to school years later and actually “applied myself.” Coming within inches of being bitten on the behind by a water moccasin can really motivate you toward an inside, non-manual labor career.When I finally passed English 101, three things made it possible. First, it was the first English 101 class taught on a word processor. That made writing, and especially rewriting, a lot easier for me. Second, I decided I would write humorous papers whenever possible. I thought if I was having fun, I might do better. College essays go down easier with silly “Gilligan’s Island” references. And thirdly, I really enjoyed the professor’s sense of humor. It went way over the heads of most students, but I think he was being funny more to amuse himself. That’s the best humor. And his sense of humor was dry. Bone dry. As dry as the central Sahara. As dry as the skin on Dick Cheney’s elbows. He looks like he needs a lot of moisturizing.But I digress.These things made it a lot easier to “apply myself.” So finally, on the nineth try, I passed English 101.I really hate embellishment and even exaggeration in true stories. So for the sake of honesty and full disclosure I need to explain something. When I say I had English 101 nine times, I have to admit that one of those attempts was for only one day.It wasn’t that I stopped going and forgot to drop it. I dropped it and signed up for another class with a different instructor.Although I fully intended to “apply myself” this time, I skipped the first day of class.It’s a tradition. But the instructor, I’ll call him Mr. Blahblah, had somehow managed, in only one day, to develop the very worst rapport with students I had ever seen in my extensive academic career.When I showed up for the second day, an ugliness was already firmly established. I almost wished I had been there the first day to see how it had been born. What pit of hell had opened up to spew forth this putrid academic atmosphere? I wasn’t sure if I was going to drop the class, but I had to at least stay to take notes for future humor columns.The teacher and students — at least a group in the back — were making snide remarks at each other and not being shy about it. It was like a sarcastic substitute teacher at a crappy public school the last day of class before Christmas break.At one point, the teacher was talking about what he expected in the essays students were going to write. He wanted the essays to be specific and he said he knew students hated him for it.“Big surprise,” one kid in the back said.The instructor made a sarcastic remark back and continued.“Don’t call it a ‘tree.’ Call it an ‘oak.’ Don’t call it a ‘fish.’ Call it a ‘trout.’ ”He continued.“I’ve had people drop my class and complain about me. I have ways of finding these things out. They say, ‘I don’t like Mr. Blahblah’s class because you have to know the names of all the trees and flowers.’ ”An adult actually said that. That’s when I was sure I was going to drop the class and try to find another. This was not going to be a class in which I could “apply myself.”So I got the drop form and filled it out. At the bottom of the form is a spot to put your reason for dropping. Most people just write “Student’s request” or something like that. But I had something else in mind. It was one of those times when if I didn’t do it, I would wish I had.So I went to the next class and Mr. Blahblah took the form from me. I think he might have to make some snide little comment like, “Hmmph, already?” He started to sign his name and stopped in the middle. He paused a few moments apparently reading my reason for dropping. Then he finished signing and shoved the form back into my hand saying, “I don’t think that’s very funny.”I did.I walked to the dean’s office to turn in the paperwork. I was hoping the secretary would notice. But she didn’t. Under reason for dropping, I wrote, “Because in Mr. Blahblah’s class, you have to know the names of all the trees and flowers.”He didn’t think it was very funny. I did. And I was pleased. When it comes to being silly, I am very good at “applying myself.”Cha-cha-cha.
Chuck Boutwell is a humor columnist for The Courier and Daily Comet. Columns represent the opinions of the writer, not necessarily this newspaper. He can be reached at [email protected].
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ESRB: Not Nearly Enough
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That’s how everyone at my kid’s school thinks of me, at least. This time of year, my inbox is full of notes from parents who I know tangentially by their handles — their children. “I’m Aiden’s dad” or “I’m Hannah’s mom.” They call because it’s the holiday game buying season, and they have children, and no idea what’s appropriate.
It makes me, sadly, the local game sommelier. And the ESRB makes my life miserable.
Don’t get me wrong: I would far rather the ESRB be in the game-rating business than the government, and the ESRB does at least provide a guidepost for the truly clueless.
My typical game sommelier session usually goes like this:
Me: “So, I’m happy to recommend a few games or a new console for Christmas, but I have to ask:Do you know what he already has, or has played?” (Sadly, yes, it’s almost always for a boy.)
Them: “Not really. I think we have an Xbox, and there’s this game with a lot of guns in it … .”
Me: “You know, games these days aren’t just like the arcade — they can actually be really amazing. You should think about playing with him.”
Them: “Well, I’m just not a gamer.”
Me: “OK, walk over to the TV and tell me what games you have lying around.”
From there, one of two things happens. They rattle off a bunch of Wii Shovelware, and I feel deeply sorry for the poor kid, or they rattle of a list of M-rated Xbox 360 titles and I feel even sorrier for the kid.
And that’s when I can mention the little label on each and every game that’s supposed to tell them whether the game is appropriate for their kids. Most of the time, I feel fairly confident in telling parents that they can trust the ESRB. I feel confident, for instance, that most E-rated games aren’t going to offend anyone, and there are a ton of fantastic games on every console that fit that bill. Most Zeldas. Pokemon. Racing games. Sports games, music games, the Lego series. There are whole genres that nobody has really any issues with.
But if you’re an 8– or 9-year-old boy, chances are you’re looking up the food chain at the big-boy games, and you’re asking your parents for something outside the “E” or “E-10” box. Much like movies, it’s the middle ground of the ratings system where things fall apart. The “T” rating from the ESRB is supposed to mean “13+,” thus being a rough equivalent of an MPAA “PG-13” rating. But the problem is that an absolutely enormous swath of content gets caught up under that “T” rating. Does Let’s Dance really belong in the same bucket with Heavy Fire: Afghanistan? Is Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess more or less mature than, The Bachelor: The Video Game?
But if I’m being honest, with my own 8 year old — a full 5 years junior to the rating’s intention — there are scores of T-rated games that have been great. Toy Soldiers, Rocksmith, Rock Band, Magic: the Gathering, Super Smash Brothers — these are T-Rated games that have been awesome fun with my son, and which I don’t have any issue letting him play with his friends, with their parent’s approval.
But you know what else is T rated? Arkham City. Arkham City is a great game. My son loves Batman, so I have let him play bits and pieces. But is it in any way really appropriate for an 8 year old? Not mine. Not really. The violence is up close and personal, with Batman just laying waste with his hands on everyone. It’s fun, for sure, but it’s also very real and in your face. It’s precisely the kind of violence he would walk out onto the playground and try to mimic, going “bam, boof, pow” as he mocked taking down bad guys.
And then there’s the hypersexuality of Catwoman and Harley Quinn. I’m not a prude by nature, but I am hyper-sensitive that I’m trying to simultaneously raise a strong, self-confident young woman and a young boy who’s not a dick. I want them both to have rational, real-world respect for everyone as people, not objects. And frankly, both the visuals and dialog in Arkham City were enough to make me skip scenes or even whole chunks of the game with my kids in the room.
To be fair, a lot of this is buried in the ESRB rating for Arkham City. It calls out in a full 250-word description exactly, with quotes from the game and detailed descriptions, how the game pushes the boundaries. So a diligent researcher can discern that Arkham City earns its T rating for tight-fitting outfits and dialog like “Sure could go for some porn right now,” while Twilight Princess gets it just for “Animated Blood” and “Fantasy Violence.”
But there’s really no way a non-gaming parent is going to suss all this out. The amount of time it would take to research all of the available wishlist items is time they could actually just sit down and play the games with their kids.
And then there’s Halo 4.
I guess I understand why it’s rated M. According to the ESRB, it’s rated M because of the Blood and Violence. And sure, those things are in there. But how do you weigh the violence of shooting aliens at range in Halo vs. the brutal hand-to-hand, personal combat of Arkham City? And as for Blood, well, there’s a bit of gore in a few cutscenes, but my kids have watched Raiders of the Lost Ark and all the Marvel movies, and there’s far bloodier, scarier stuff in those.
Both of these ratings lack something incredibly important: context. Both Batman and Master Chief are noble warriors, fighting the good fight. They’re superheroes. But Batman’s plotline is about how horrible people do horrible things to each other, and how sometimes Batman has to do horrible things to stop them. (If you’ve played through the Solomon Grundy fight, there’s little I can imagine more horrifying and gory than how Batman ultimately dispatches that particular big lug.)
Master Chief, on the other hand, is an action figure. While Halo 4 introduces some nuance and pathos for the first time, Halo 4 is, above all else, mechanical. It’s fun. It’s extremely well designed. But it’s about as bloodless and mechanical a “shooter” as I can imagine, and certainly more detached than T-Rated shooters like Ghost Recon.
The ESRB tries. They really do. They put as much as they can into their long-form descriptions, available on their website. But ultimately, all the consumer really sees is the big giant letter in the corner of the box, and maybe — maybe — a few words underneath.
So here’s the thing, parents-of-budding-gamers: You only have two choices. Either sit there on the couch with them, play the games, see how it affects them, and talk about the uncomfortable parts, or throw them to the sharks. If you don’t play Halo or Arkham City with your kids, they’ll just find them all the more titillating when they play them at their friend’s house, whose Mom doesn’t even know what console they own.
90% of parenting of is showing up. And you can’t outsource that to the ESRB.
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Apathy seems to be more the thought for parents not really caring about what their kid watches/plays/does. I know that there is an internet for parents to research what the kid wants. Its too bad that IGN shut down "What they play", but hopefully there are other websites to fill that gap that is more neutral and showcases good games.
I am more disturbed by the lack of questions I get from family and friends than the ones I do get. However, I am still to see that copy of Black Ops 2 in a 7 year old's hands but I know as my own son hits 9 things like Halo have a greater appeal.Thankfully its all Skylanders and Minecraft among his friends at school. I mostly need to more lean on the ratings and my own judgement with regard to what I might play during the day on a rainy Saturday when the kids are about (A hint Rage is not so great for 3 year old girls - Dad of the Year).
My son is curious about Halo 4 and I am thinking despite its rating a bit of couch co-op through Spartan Ops might be just the perfect introduction.
Great article Rabbit. A rating system only works so long as you can trust it. I'm sure publishers are aiming their game to a certain rating (want to bet DC wouldn't have approved an M rated Batman?). When those edge cases fail, then we as concerned parents are the losers.
This is why I always say the ESRB was a worse rating system than the now defunct British system: we used the movie ratings and thus a lot of content could be properly placed in 12, 15 and 18 yr segments (obviously lower too but that's not the issue here). The BBFC also played the games themselves and so rated them within context as they do the movies - hence why some games would be 15 and M whilst others would be 18 and M in the UK and US respectively.
Trying to take those three ages and shift them into two lower ones just causes problems like those this article mentions.
PEGI isn't much better either as they have 12, 16 and 18 and that four and two year gap (respectively) is a bit uneven when in reality you want finer granulation the younger your potential audience is! Not to mention that PEGI is an honour system whereby the publishers rate the games themselves via an online questionnaire and PEGI occasionally checks the odd one for consistency. I ask myself, knowing how companies think, what publisher is going to want their violent game (say, Arkham City) being a 16 rather than an 18? And wouldn't they just love to make it a 12? Yes, if the publisher is caught they get a €500,000 fine... but that money on top of a €60 million game is nothing! It's not much of a deterrent when you're talking about a "multiple digit"-fold increase in buying audience at the shop counter. Ultimately though, whether the publishers are honest or not, this system also lacks the context provided by someone objectively* actually playing and rating the game.
Yes, a rater cannot play through the whole game but I don't think you need that to be able to determine the intent and style of content on offer. We don't...
Honestly it surprises me to know that the Batman games, either one, are T rated games. In my mind the visuals are all M rated in nature. I mean, by the end of Arkham Asylum you're seeing cops strung up all over the place, dead. And those recordings? Tell me some of the interview tapes aren't creepy and disturbing.
Halo feels like Star Wars to me with a bit more cussing (not a lot, but a little bit) and alien blood. I mean, the game has blood, but it isn't used in an over-the-top manner (unless you're like me and my friends and mash an Elite's corpse in the first game until the sheer amount of blood coloring the ground makes just that section drop in frame rate). To me, it feels like it would be a PG-13 if it were a movie.
I think what really pushes it is that you can kill human marines in Halo.
I am glad that you echoed your comments from today's podcast on this post. As a father my kids are too young to play pretty much anything that I play, but I definitely don't feel like the ESRB is going to be the final decider when the time finally comes to start introducing games to the little ones.
Apathy seems to be more the thought for parents not really caring about what their kid watches/plays/does. I know that there is an internet for parents to research what the kid wants. Its too bad that IGN shut down "What they play", but hopefully there are other websites to fill that gap that is more neutral and showcases good games.
The information is out there, but it's good for the industry to make it as easy to gather that information as possible. Asking someone to learn about video games in enough depth to understand what is and is not appropriate for the intended recipient is kind of like insisting that someone learn the details of various paint manufacturers before buying a gift for an artist, or to become a master horticulturalist before buying someone a pot of flowers. There's a need for experts, whether those be people or rating systems, that you can turn to and say "What would be an appropriate item for this person?"
I can totally relate to this. I'm 39 years old, father of 3 girls and 1 boy (age 11 years to 8 months). In Germany games are even more suspicious and as you might know it's the violence that freaks most people out. Most questions I get from other parents are about what to buy for "the Nintendo" which might refer to a Wii, a DS or sometimes an Xbox or Playstation. I often took my time, wrote down a list of games and commented on them why I think these games are good for their kids. Did I ever get a reaction? Nope. And when I see them again and dare to ask what they got for Christmas it's usually the shovelware title.
While I agree that Batman should be "M", I don't agree on Halo. It is a game about war and the destruction of humanity. It is a game in which Master Chief kills everything he sees. It has very mature and potentially disturbing themes. Also, it's a game built, designed, and written for adults. Just as kids would love to watch "R" rated movies (when they made "R" rated movies), they can't because they are not old enough. Tough luck, grow older.
While I do let him play with combat themed (but age appropriate) toys and games, I would almost want my kid to watch the Victoria Secret Fashion Show than to watch a violent game like Halo or Batman. It is always funny to me that Americans think violence is okay to expose kids to but sex is not. And then Europeans are the exact opposite.
A Cigar, much like Scotch and Monogamy, is an acquired taste.
McChuck wrote:
I'd recommend the Scottish martial art known as f*ck You. It's mostly just head butting and then kicking people when they're on the ground.
It's just a ratings system, a very rough guide. Although I can honestly see why Batman is a teen game (although I found it a bit surprising at first), the "sexy bits" weren't any worse than what one can hear on the radio. It's frighteningly common to hear preteen girls singing along about wanting to see a guy's c*ck, suck his dick, or just plain screw. Weighted against that, Arkham City has little to nothing in the sex department.
Besides, the ESRB is better than its big brother. With the MPAA one can have all the makings of what should be an R rating (sex scenes, murder, language, substance abuse, et cetera) and come out of it with a PG-13 through a liberal use of cash and a crooked ratings system.
Each kid should be treated as his/her own person, not forced into a rating category. Some kids might have problems with blood and whatnot, while others may feel perfectly fine watching Robocop or The Shining from an early age. My parents', and therefore, my parenting plan is: "did the kid have nightmares and/or strong negative reactions to a game/film/song/book? If not, then he's ready for it."
It is always funny to me that Americans think violence is okay to expose kids to but sex is not. And then Europeans are the exact opposite.
I got a lot of private feedback to this effect and feel like I should explain. First, I don't object to my kids seeing sexual situations or nudity. I object to the way women are portrayed in many games, including the Batman series. The only women of note in the game are hyper sexualizd objects.
As for violence ... True story, I was raised a Quaker. Guns and violence were the ultimate taboos, and thus, of course, I became obsessed with Sgt. Rock and Bruce Lee. I understand and respect some parents decisions to media fast their children, and when a kid comes over to play with my son, I always ask the parents for rules on that front. But in our house, we try to provide broad exposure and context. My daughter reads the NY Times. The front page is far far more shocking than anything that happens in halo. Both kids had martial arts classes as soon as they could reliably follow instructions, and at 13, they're off to the gun range.
To me the danger is kids treat this too casually, and then end up either callous or unsafe. This goes for how an 8 year old boy learns to treat women, or how a 12 year old girl reacts when she discovers a loaded gun in some friends garage.
So in short, I don't think I'm prudish or permissive about either guns or violence or language or anything else. I think I'm balancing it all for each kid individually, based on who they are, their maturity level, etc.
This. I'm going to go slightly off topic, because I think there's a misconception that many people hold that is specifically mentioned in this article, and it's something that movie specifically addresses. It's about the following phrase:
I would far rather the ESRB be in the game-rating business than the government.
You really, really shouldn't. I think you've been brainwashed by the MPAA and the film industry, and in turn by the videogame industry as they adopted the same stance. Here's why: the MPAA and the ESRB are private organizations. They are accountable to no one.
When people criticize their processes (and the MPAA is far worse than the ESRB since their raters operate anonymously), they consistently raise the spectre of government censorship. "It's better we police ourselves than allow the government to do it", they cry. What they don't tell you is that there's virtually no chance of the government actually being able to censor films or videogames.
Furthermore, even if all the government does is assign ratings, it must be done in a way that is transparent and open to public scrutiny. If it's not, you can sue the government. You have no such recourse with these private entities. Why? Because the ratings are "optional". You don't have to accept them, or even submit your work for a rating. Oh, but good luck actually selling it to people if you don't. That's what they don't tell you. Seriously, watch that movie above.
You should very much prefer that the government is the ones assigning ratings to your media. The alternative is what happened to the American film industry, which you'll see in graphic detail if you watch This Film Is Not Yet Rated. The ESRB isn't as bad, but given enough time, I bet they'll go down a similar path. We should really be stopping this now, while there's still time.
DorkmasterFlek, I believe you in spirit, but the possibility of government regulating content leads to actual censorship like in Germany and Australia. Maybe that won't happen in North America, but we've already had too many close calls at the state level in the US, ref. http://www.gamepolitics.com/ for specifics. We even had a censorship case reach our Supreme Court.
DorkmasterFlek, I believe you in spirit, but the possibility of government regulating content leads to actual censorship like in Germany and Australia. Maybe that won't happen in North America, but we've already had too many close calls at the state level in the US, ref. http://www.gamepolitics.com/ for specifics. We even had a censorship case reach our Supreme Court.
And that case was struck down in a 7-2 decision. Any attempts at the state level (covered on that same site, which I am well aware of and frequent myself) have been thoroughly eviscerated when actually tested in court. Not a single one of them has actually survived a legal challenge. Now that we have an actual Supreme Court decision on the books, the chances of state legislators even trying anymore are lower than they have ever been.
I don't think Germany and Australia actually have anything like the US first amendment codified in their constitutions. That's the big issue. In the US, there is almost zero chance of this actually coming to pass, and yet this country actually contains the only ratings (really censorship) agency that operates anonymously (the MPAA). You have been told to fear the spectre of Big Bad Government by the very industry you defend. If you think you're better off with a private, unaccountable organization, you really need to watch that film.
To me the danger is kids treat this too casually, and then end up either callous or unsafe. This goes for how an 8 year old boy learns to treat women, or how a 12 year old girl reacts when she discovers a loaded gun in some friends garage.
I agree with this 1000% and think we're on the same page.
A Cigar, much like Scotch and Monogamy, is an acquired taste.
McChuck wrote:
I'd recommend the Scottish martial art known as f*ck You. It's mostly just head butting and then kicking people when they're on the ground.
In the US, there is almost zero chance of this actually coming to pass, and yet this country actually contains the only ratings (really censorship) agency that operates anonymously (the MPAA). You have been told to fear the spectre of Big Bad Government by the very industry you defend. If you think you're better off with a private, unaccountable organization, you really need to watch that film.
That's a false choice. Either I have to want government regulating games, or the industry regulating games? (I'm the same person who linked This Film is Not Yet Rated into this discussion.) Neither organization, neither government, nor industry, is capable of effectively and reasonably handling ratings/censorship because of the inevitable problems of classification. What I mean is that sexual and violent content aren't like other areas which can be easily distinguished into legal/illegal bins, because there are far too many edge cases, unlike how crimes of action like speeding, bribery, and tax evasion are, for the most part, clear on their face.
With sexual and violent content, anyone labeling or classifying it is mandating taste, taste which is quite divergent from person to person. Like how pornography can't be defined but you'll know it when you see it, violent imagery is likewise undefinable. A "This Film is Not Yet Rated"-style comparison between various examples of violence and sexuality across media would show how inconsistent those judgments are. Beyond being a challenge to the tenets of justice for singling them out, any type of "acceptable" / "not acceptable" criteria on game makers would put developers and publishers into a predicament because of that fuzziness. Some of the SCOTUS oral argument focused on those issues.
Regarding the SCOTUS decision, normally the states like to waste more time after losing cases and only slightly manipulate their tactics. I'm glad to see that, this time at least, if the Gamepolitics legislation map is correct, US lawmakers have finally stopped trying to be parents-by-proxy, at least regarding video games.
Oh Keithustus, I totally agree with you that ideally nobody would have the power to force anyone to submit to their being rated. I was simply arguing that given the choice between a private organization and the government, the better choice is actually with the government, though it may seem counter-intuitive.
Actually, I guess that really brings up the main problem with these systems in the first place. The console-makers and publishers in the video game industry, and the major studios and theatre chains in the film industry, have placed far too much power in these ratings. They are technically "optional", but really mandatory for anybody who wants a chance at reaching any kind of significant audience. Just like getting an NC-17 rating means nobody will see your film, getting an AO rating from the ESRB means that no retailer will carry your game and none of the three console manufacturers will even allow it on their system.
The real problem is the amount of power that a rating actually has on a game or film, when the ratings should do nothing more than provide information. If there was no ESRB or MPAA, then another group would no doubt spring up to maintain a database of games/films/books and give their own ratings. However, those ratings would not (and should not) dictate actual legal availability. Then again, I guess if such another system did develop, it would eventually be codified in a similar manner as the ones we have now. There's simply too much pressure from the rest of society to neatly categorize everything into easily digestible ratings so they don't have to do their damn job as parents...
Great analysis. In my perfect world, a rating scheme is not needed, but the content tags and whattheyplay-like descriptions are certainly welcome. Since too many whiny parents ('society,I'm too inept to raise my child; please tell me which movies my kids shouldn't watch') and politicians (Hillary Clinton) would feel in that type of environment that we were living on the edge of apocalypse or subject to retribution from god (Pat Robertson), then it would it be good at least to remove arbitrariness and conflicts of interests from classification schemes. As such it would be good for some actually independent organizations to do the ratings, and not one beholden to the industries they rate. Maybe government would do a great job of this? Maybe a nonprofit would do it best?
The reality you spell out, though, that AO and NC-17 ratings make theater and console execs wet their pants, really needs to change. I have to tell many websites that I was born in 1901 just to watch videos for T or M games....but I'm over 30 years old. Why shouldn't I be able to get a real Leisure Suite Larry game, not the watered down version from a few years ago, on X360 if I want? Librarians keep a national list of books that locales have attempted to ban, and they keep those titles on the shelves anyway. Different media, whether books, music, games, comics, etc. should all fall under that rubric. Just as librarians keep many gratuitously violent and erotic books and magazines but not others, chosen on literary, artistic, scientific, and scientific grounds, so they and we should also judge other media. I challenge someone to turn, for the sake of argument, the bible, without varnish, into a game, complete with slavery, sodomy, genocide, etc., and see where that line between M and AO really lies. Or E, because they teach that stuff in Sunday school.
Yeah the T rating is about like the PG-13 rating. The studios are shooting for it to sell more copies and since stores generally follow a rule about selling an M game to someone under 17. Just like the movie studios have figured out a game makes x amount of money more if it's PG13 instead of R. Push the envelope and squeeze it in the best they can.
Batman should be M. But it's not because it sells more copies that way.
A large amount of comedies and horror movies the last decade or so should be rated R, even with the content that is in them. But somehow if you only say sh*t or f*ck once, you get a PG13 rating, but say it twice and you get an R.
Ultimately, it's up to the parents of course, but a good ratings system can help. This summer my boys played Skyrim (rated M) and I've let them watch most of The Blues Brothers (rated R). They were quality entertainment that my kids could enjoy at their level, and I ignored the ratings because I knew the content. Meanwhile, I've locked down their iOS devises to 9+ because I'm not as familiar with the 10 million apps out there.
Stele, I agree. Swear words = R is stupid. Jon Stewart dropped an f-bomb on election night during their live coverage, and I certainly wasn't offended, especially because he does it all the time, but they usually censor it. The King's Speech is rated R for language and True Grit was PG-13 for western violence, including cutting off a finger. Guess which one I'd show to my kids?
Great article. I heard on the podcast that Julian plays Halo 4 with his 8 yr-old boy, and immediately sent him a Tweet asking if he thought it was appropriate (because I want to share it with my boys, too). Here he'd already written an article exploring the topic! So I created a new account to post, even though I've been lurking here for four years. (My old account is OmenLord, but I haven't posted much with it.)
I have two boys, 8 and 10. They're big gamers like me. Mostly Wii and DS, Lego and Pokemon games. The oldest plays LOTRO (a T-rated game) and Minecraft. We've played Crimson Alliance together on XBox Live. I'd love more games we can all play couch co-op, but the trend seems to be two-player for the more advanced titles. They've also watched me play some M-rated games (X-Com, Diablo) but in small doses.
I like Valve games and Mass Effect, and Halo is a title I'm interested but have never played. Yes, never. I've pretty much concluded that the game is safe to play with my boys given the content they normally digest without noticeable damage. The biggest challenge will be selling my wife on an M title. She and I both agree we're not going to give them Call of Duty-style games, even though some of our boys' classmates play them with their older siblings.
But I think Halo is different, more abstracted in its violence. If the boys aren't grossed out from watching a sectoid blow apart in X-Com I think they'll be OK with Halo. And when their mother watches it a bit and sees it's not really different from other games they've watched me play, she'll come around. I think the key is to play it with them.
Oh Keithustus, I totally agree with you that ideally nobody would have the power to force anyone to submit to their being rated. I was simply arguing that given the choice between a private organization and the government, the better choice is actually with the government, though it may seem counter-intuitive.
I don't think that the actual history of film censorship bears out this position. Sure, our present government may be a much better option, but that's partially because they're not actually censoring anyone right now. If you look at the history of film censorship, even in the U.S., it's filled with arbitrary decisions and opaque processes. The current rating system may be technically mandatory, for the reasons you suggest, but I think that the previous, actually mandatory systems (which still exist in other parts of the world) are much, much worse.
My own worries are mostly (a), (d), and (f). I'm fine with my almost-4-year-old watching nature films, so gore doesn't bother me toooo much, but I have worked hard to keep him from seeing any show where one person hits another person with a stick. Similarly, I'm OK with kissing (heterosexual or otherwise), but I'm totally not OK girls being weak princesses or sex objects.
Maybe there's already a thread for good kid's games somewhere? We'd also need some sort of way to rank based on player age...
Anyway, the point is, it would be really good if we could make Christmas wish lists for each other's kids.
The ratings are not perfect, but I think they're fine for what they provide. What's astonishing to me is the nearly complete detachment of parents from the media their children consume, especially when it comes to video games. Fortunately for my 1-year-old girl I have first-hand experience, and when I deem her old enough to start playing games I won't have a problem. But for "non-gamer" parents to simply base their decision on what to buy wholly on the rating on the box is insane to me. It takes about 2 minutes to look up gameplay footage on YouTube to get an immediate sense of what your child will be playing. Yet we're scapegoating the ESRB for parents lacking the tools to make an informed decision?
I've heard about attachment parenting, but this must be detachment parenting. The near complete aloofness to what your child consumes is crazy to me. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.
Introduction {#sec001}
============
Charles Darwin, in *the Origin of Species*, was the first to emphasize the importance of interspecific interactions in driving the diversification of life. In spite of the long-recognized importance of such interactions, little is known about the diverse system that governs interspecific interactions. The pairwise reciprocal coevolutionary scenario can predict the development of a chemical "arms race", in which reciprocity between chemical defenses and counter-adaptive detoxification takes place. In marine systems, however, knowledge of genes conferring consumer tolerance to dietary allelochemicals is in its infancy, when compared to that of terrestrial systems \[[@pone.0154208.ref001]--[@pone.0154208.ref003]\]. Butterflyfish-coral interactions are an ideal model to study consumer tolerance in marine ecosystems because they share many of the same characteristics as plant-insect interactions. Plants and corals are sessile creatures producing allelochemicals to prevent predation \[[@pone.0154208.ref004],[@pone.0154208.ref005]\]. Just as insects have preyed upon plant hosts for 400 million years, butterflyfish have likely preyed upon corals over the past 50 million years \[[@pone.0154208.ref006],[@pone.0154208.ref007]\]. Coral consumption (corallivory) is a unique adaptation as only 128 fish species eat corals, out of the 5000 or more fish species recorded from coral reefs, and 61% belong to a single-family, the butterflyfish (*f*. *Chaetodontidae*) \[[@pone.0154208.ref006],[@pone.0154208.ref008]\]. Despite being one of the most intensively studied families of reef fishes, the evolution of coral feeding remains poorly understood \[[@pone.0154208.ref009]\].
Among corallivorous butterflyfish, sympatric species often exhibit highly contrasting levels of dietary specialization ([S1 Table](#pone.0154208.s001){ref-type="supplementary-material"}) \[[@pone.0154208.ref010]\]. Specialist species tend to have a narrow dietary range, while generalist species are able to thrive on a widely varied diet \[[@pone.0154208.ref011]\]. Generalists, such as *Chaetodon auriga*, consume species from polychaete worms to hard corals \[[@pone.0154208.ref012]\], are hypothesized to have liver enzymes that can act on a broad range of substrates to facilitate the biotransformation of a wide variety of toxins. In contrast, generalists consume small amounts of a variety of toxins that are processed through a diverse set of detoxification pathways without overloading any one pathway. This hypothesis has become firmly entrenched in the ecological literature to the extent that it is accepted as the predominant factor regulating the foraging ecology of generalist herbivores e.g. \[[@pone.0154208.ref013]\]. However, there have been relatively few empirical tests to confirm this hypothesis \[[@pone.0154208.ref013]--[@pone.0154208.ref015]\]. Specialists, such as *Chaetodon multicinctus*, consume three species of corals \[[@pone.0154208.ref016]\], limiting their range of available food and potentially increasing their capacity to detoxify specific toxins in high concentrations.
Specialists are thought to have evolved novel liver enzymes with greater specificity \[[@pone.0154208.ref017],[@pone.0154208.ref018],[@pone.0154208.ref019]--[@pone.0154208.ref022]\]. For example *Chaetodon capistratus* preferentially feeds on allelochemically-rich gorgonian corals, while *C*. *striatus* and *C*. *ocellatus* do not feed on gorgonians. *C*. *capistratus* possessed 2- to 3-fold more total CYP and significantly more CYP2B-like and CYP3A4-like proteins when compared to *C*. *striatus* and *C*. *ocellatus* \[[@pone.0154208.ref018]\]. These results suggest that CYP2 and CYP3 may be involved in allelochemical biotransformation conferring potential feeding advantages \[[@pone.0154208.ref018]\]. Similarly, phylogenetic evaluations of hepatic CYP1A in Australian butterflyfish indicated grouping according to feeding strategies \[[@pone.0154208.ref001]\]. Although chemical arms race dogma would suggest consistent benefit to animals with elevated detoxification enzymes, some studies have shown that organisms that detoxify toxins associated with their unique diet may be susceptible to novel toxins. For example, when the woodrats *Neotoma stephensi* (specialists) and *Neotoma albigula* (generalists) were exposed to a novel dietary toxin from *Larrea tridentate*, fitness metrics of the specialists were more negatively impacted than the generalists \[[@pone.0154208.ref014]\].
Pre-exposure to allelochemicals has been shown to induce biochemical defenses in insects, and specialists have also been shown to have unique CYPs that allow detoxification \[[@pone.0154208.ref019]--[@pone.0154208.ref022]\]. However, no studies have directly investigated how butterflyfish specialists survive on diets containing novel coral toxins compared to that of generalists fed the same coral toxin. This study investigated the biochemical ability of butterflyfish with different feeding strategies to consume a novel Alcyoniidae soft coral (*Sinularia maxima*) prey, which has been shown to deter feeding in several species of fish. The following questions were asked: (i) whether *S*. *maxima* or the isolated allelochemical from *S*. *maxima* 5-episinuleptolide (5ESL) can deter feeding in butterflyfish with different feeding strategies, (ii) whether *S*. *maxima* or 5ESL can induce CYP in butterflyfish with different feeding strategies, and (iii) whether butterflyfish liver microsomes could biotransform 5ESL into metabolites predicted from CYP(s) that were uniquely induced by 5ESL or *S*. *maxima* extracts.
Methods {#sec002}
=======
Compliance with Ethical Standards {#sec003}
---------------------------------
The author and co-authors of this paper have acted ethically in conducting the described research, having undertaken careful analysis of data and the submitted manuscript to avoid errors. Animals in this study were treated humanely, with protocols overseen and approved under the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC), protocol \# 13--1701.
Chemicals {#sec004}
---------
Analytical grade methanol, ethanol and acetonitrile were purchased from Fisher (Pittsburg, PA). Glycerol, Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and potassium chloride were also purchased from Fisher (Pittsburg, PA). ^14^C-Testosterone (150 μCi/μmol; 97.6% purity) was purchased from Perkin-Elmer (Waltham, MA). MS222, EDTA, gelatin and NAPDH were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO). Tween was purchased from EMD Millipore (Billerica, MA).
Chemical Synthesis {#sec005}
------------------
5,8-epoxy-11-hydroxy-18-nor-3,6-dioxo-12-cembradien-15-methyloxirane-20,10-olide (5ESLO) was synthesized directly from 5-episinuleptilide (5ESL). Sodium bicarbonate was added to a solution of 5ESL (10 mg; 0.003 mmol) in 2 mL of CH~2~Cl~2~, 3.0 mg (0.032 mmol) and the mixture was cooled to 0°C. A solution of *meta*-chloroperbenzoic acid (7.5 mg; 0.032 mmol; 70%) in 1.0 mL of CH~2~Cl~2~ was added slowly over a period of 5 minutes. The resulting slurry was stirred for 30 minutes at 0°C, and then stirred at ambient temperature for 3 hrs, as the progress of the reaction was monitored by TLC (5% CH~3~OH/ 95% CH~2~Cl~2~; ninhydrin staining) and LC-MS (MNa^+^ = 387). The reaction mixture was diluted with an additional 5.0 mL of CH~2~Cl~2~ and was washed twice with saturated sodium carbonate solution (10 mL x2). The organic layer was washed twice with saturated Na~2~S~2~O~3~ solution, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered, and concentrated to give 11 mg of crude epoxide product. Purification was accomplished using silica gel and a mobile phase consisting of 5% CH~3~OH:95% CH~2~Cl~2~. Fraction 1 contained unreacted starting material (2.0 mg) and fraction 2 (5.0 mg) corresponded to the epoxide product. ^1^H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl~3~): Δ 6.64 (dd, J = 13.1, 5.6 Hz, 1H), 4.69 (s, 1H), 4.63 (d, J = 7.9 Hz, 1H), 3.89 (d, J = 10.1 Hz, 1H), 3.45 (d, J = 6.8 Hz, 1H), 3.26 (d, J = 6.6 Hz, 1H), 2.49 (dt, J = 17.3, 8.7 Hz, 1H), 2.38 (s, 1H), 2.20 (s, 2H), 2.04 (d, J = 12.7 Hz, 1H), 1.91 (d, J = 3.2 Hz, 1H), 1.51 (s, 1H), 1.39 (s, 1H), 1.25--1.13 (m, 7H), 0.90--0.72 (m, 3H). LC-MS (ESI+) *m/z* (MNa^+^) 387.3.
Animal Collections {#sec006}
------------------
Butterflyfish *C*. *auriga* (generalist), *C*. *unimaculatus* (*Montipora spp*. hard coral specialist in Hawaii and *S*. *maxima* soft coral specialist in Guam), *C*. *multicinctus* (*Porites spp* hard coral. specialist and Hawaiian endemic) and *C*. *kleinii* (facultative coral and plankton feeder) were chosen for this experiment because of their diverse feeding preferences and abundance in Hawaii. Butterflyfish were collected from Kaneohe Bay (*C*. *auriga* and *C*. *unimaculatus*) and Yokahama Bay (*C*. *multicinctus* and *C*. *kleinii*) reef systems, surrounding the island of Oahu during June 2012 and 2013. Both locations required no specific permissions, as it is legal in the state of Hawaii to collect fish in Kaneohe Bay and Yokahama Bay. Butterflyfish species collected in this experiment were not endangered or protected. Professional fish collectors caught butterflyfish with nets. *C*. *multicinctus* (11 ±3 g; 8 ± 0.2 mm), *C*. *kleinii* (23 ± 7 g; 9 ± 1 mm), *C*. *auriga* (43 ± 8 g; 10 ± 1 mm) and *C*. *unimaculatus* (10.4 ±6 g; 7.2 ±1.7 mm) were acclimated for two weeks before treatments. Fish were juveniles and sexually immature by visual determination of the gonads after dissection. Fish were held at the Waikiki Aquarium in a large (15 ft diameter and 3 ft height) flow-through tank, with floating cages for separation of doses. *S*. *maxima* and *S*. *polydactyla* were collected from Piti Bomb holes, Guam and identified by M. Slattery \[[@pone.0154208.ref023]\].
5-Episinuleptolide Isolation {#sec007}
----------------------------
5-ESL was isolated in the same manner as Kamel et al. \[[@pone.0154208.ref024]\]. In summary, *S*. *maxima* was initially frozen on dry ice, thoroughly extracted with methanol: dichloromethane (1:1), concentrated under reduced pressure, and subjected to silica gel vacuum liquid chromatography. The column was eluted with hexane, hexane--ethyl acetate, ethyl acetate--methanol to methanol to yield 11 fractions, which were concentrated under reduced pressure. 5-ESL was eluted with 80% ethyl acetate:hexane, recrysallized and washed successively with chloroform and methanol.
Oral Treatments {#sec008}
---------------
To examine the effect of *S*. *maxima* tissue homogenate and 5ESL on survival and hepatic CYP expression, 4--6 fish of each species and each dose were gavaged with either high doses (250mg/kg) or low doses (50mg/kg) of *S*. *maxima* tissue homogenate (Summer 2010), or high dose (3.0mg/kg), or low dose (1.0mg/kg) of 5ESL (Summer 2011). 1M Tris-buffer (pH 8.2) served as a negative control. Doses of the compound which is found in *Sinularia* were based on average daily consumption rates of other prey items by *C*. *multicinctus*, *C*. *auriga*, *C*. *unimaculatus* and *C*. *kleinii* e.g. \[[@pone.0154208.ref012],[@pone.0154208.ref016]\]. Fish were anesthetized with waterborne MS-222 (0.1 g/L) for 10 min during gavage to reduce stress. Treatments occurred with gavage quickly and efficiently to reduce stress on days 1, 3 and 5. Prior and during treatments fish were monitored bidaily for survival, health and parasites. Fish were euthanized with MS-222 during the experiment if they were immobile or severely floundering. At the end of the treatment period (day 7) fish were given an anesthetic waterborne overdose of MS-222 (10 g/L). After approximately 10--20 minutes of fish gills not moving, fish were removed and dissected. There were no unexpected deaths during this experiment. Livers were removed, frozen and maintained in -80°C until microsomes were prepared for immunoblot and catalytic activity analyses. All experimental manipulations were reviewed and approved by IACUC, protocol \# 13--1701.
Preparation of Microsomal Fractions {#sec009}
-----------------------------------
Microsomal fractions were prepared as described in Maldonado et al. \[[@pone.0154208.ref025]\]. Proteins were measured by the Coomassie Blue method using a commercial kit (Pierce Inc., Rockford, IL) with bovine serum albumin as a standard.
Western Immunoblot {#sec010}
------------------
CYP3A-like and CYP2-like protein levels were determined by Western blot as described in Maldonado et al. \[[@pone.0154208.ref025]\]. The membrane was probed with either 1:500 dilution (v/v) of primary rabbit anti-rainbow trout polyclonal CYP2K1 and/or CYP2M1 or 1:1000 dilution (v/v) of primary rabbit anti-rainbow trout polyclonal CYP3A27 antibodies provided by Dr. Malin Celander University of Gothenburg and Dr. Don Buhler, Oregon State University. Imager ChemiDoc XRS+ Imaging System (BioRad) image analyzer. The data were presented in optical density units per mg protein.
^14^C Testosterone Hydroxylase Activity {#sec011}
---------------------------------------
^14^C Testosterone hydroxylase activity was measured as described by Maldonado et al. \[[@pone.0154208.ref025]\]. The metabolites were quantified by integrating the area under the radioactive peaks (recovery 98.9%-99.7%); the detection limit was 0.2 pmol/min/mg protein.
5-Episinuleptolide Metabolism and Metabolite Identification {#sec012}
-----------------------------------------------------------
Incubations contained 100 μg of hepatic microsomal protein with 5ESL from 1 to 30 μM and included 7.5 μM NADPH in a final volume of 0.204 mL of 50 mM Tris--HCl pH 7.4. Samples were incubated for 45 min at 30°C. Incubation reactions were stopped with 100 μl of acetonitrile, followed by centrifugation at 10,000 g for 10 min. Then 1 μM of the internal standard caffeine was added, and finally 40 μl of supernatant was injected onto a reverse-phase HPLC column. HPLC analyses were performed on an SCL-10AVP Shimadzu HPLC system equipped with a 250Å\~4.6 mm Atlantis C18 (5 μm) reverse-phase column (Waters, Milford, MA). Separation of 5ESL metabolites was attained using mobile phase systems of (A) 95% water and 5% acetonitrile and (B) 100% acetonitrile, at a rate of 1 ml/min. The gradient started with 100% A to 50% B in 40--45 min. Chromatographic peaks were monitored with an SPD-10A VP SHIMADZU UV-VS detector (SHIMADZU Co., Carlsbad, CA) at wavelength 249 nm. 5ESL 15,16 oxide and the internal standard were quantified by integrating the area under the peaks using a 6 point standard curve, with a limit of detection of 5 pmol/min/mg protein.
*C*. *unimaculatus* samples were selected for further metabolite characterization by LCMS/MS in positive electrospray ionization mode using a Agilent 6460 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer at gas temperature 300°C and capillary voltage of 2500V. A 1 μL aliquot of metabolite was loaded onto an Agilent Poroshell 120 SB- C18 column (2.1mm x 50mm, 2.7 μm particle size, Santa Clara, CA) with a mobile phase flow rate of 0.2 mLmin−1. Samples were eluted with a gradient composed of 5 mM ammonium acetate, water containing 0.1% formic acid (A) and acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid (B). The linear gradient transitioned from a 5% solvent B to 50% for the first 15min, to a gradient of 50% B over 0.2min. Then the initial solvent (5% B) was restored over a 1min linear gradient and re-equilibrated. The ion trap was programmed to collect a MS2 spectrum from 100 to 1000 m/z, a fragment voltage of 20V and a cell acceleration voltage of 7V from collision- induced dissociation of the most intense target ion from the appropriate product ion spectrum. MS data was analyzed with Agilent Mass Hunter (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA).
Molecular Modeling {#sec013}
------------------
Ligands and crystal structures were prepared for docking using AutoDockTools v1.5.4; \[[@pone.0154208.ref026]\], with the addition of polar hydrogens and the assignment of Gasteiger charges. Ligand structure and charge minimization was performed with semi-empirical methods (PM6 Hamiltonian in Mopac2009) \[[@pone.0154208.ref027]\]. Gasteiger-Marsili partial charges were used in the final docking runs. High throughput docking was performed using Autodock Vina (v1.1.2)\[[@pone.0154208.ref028]\]. Flexible ligands were docked into models with rigid protein backbones and rigid side chains. 100 replicate dockings were performed, retaining a broad range of calculated energies (6 kcal/mol). Docking visualization was performed using PyMol (v. 1.5.0.4, Schrödinger LLC, Portland, OR).
Statistical Analyses {#sec014}
--------------------
Statistical analyses were conducted using Prism5 v5.0a software. For the feeding deterrence assay, since the control pellets were typically all consumed (i.e., zero pellets rejected), Fisher's Exact Test was the most appropriate statistical analysis for this dataset. Prior to statistical analysis, all data was analyzed to meet the normality and variance assumptions of parametric tests. For normally distributed data, an initial one-way ANOVA analysis was carried out to evaluate the differences between doses, not between treatments. If a P-value less than 0.05 was observed, it was considered statistically significant. If significance was determined, the Tukey's multiple range test was performed to determine differences between groups. If data did not meet assumptions of the parametric test, a Kruskal--Wallis test and two-tailed multiple comparisons Dunn\'s test was used.
Results {#sec015}
=======
*S*. *maxima* Oral Exposure {#sec016}
---------------------------
Survival, hepatic CYP3A-like content, CYPA catalytic activity, CYP2-like content, and CYP2 catalytic activity was measured in 4 species of butterflyfish after oral gavage treatments with of *S*. *maxima*. The four species of butterflyfish included *C*. *auriga* (generalist), *C*. *kleinii* (Facultative coral feeder), *C*. *multicinctus* (specialist), *and C*. *unimaculatus* (specialist). Oral exposure to soft coral *S*. *maxima* tissue homogenate had no significant effect on survival. In *C*. *kleinii*, oral treatment with the *S*. *maxima* tissue homogenate caused a statistically significant dose dependent reduction in CYP3A-like content and catalytic activity (16ß hydroxytestosterone formation) (*P* ≤ 0.05) ([Fig 1A and 1C](#pone.0154208.g001){ref-type="fig"}), and a statistically significant dose dependent reduction in CYP2 catalytic activity (16*a*-hydroxytestosterone formation) (*P* ≤ 0.05) ([Fig 2C](#pone.0154208.g002){ref-type="fig"}). The formation of 6ß-hydroxytestosterone in *C*. *auriga* was also induced by *S*. *maxima* at the high dose by a factor of 2.3 ([Fig 1B](#pone.0154208.g001){ref-type="fig"}). *C*. *auriga's* CYP2K-like content and 16*a*-hydroxytestosterone formation in *C*. *auiria* were significantly induced by *S*. *maxima* tissue homogenate at the high dose with a 2.33-fold change in content and a 3.2-fold change in catalytic activity (*P* ≤ 0.05) ([Fig 2A and 2C](#pone.0154208.g002){ref-type="fig"}). Oral exposure to *S*. *maxima* caused a significant 1.5-fold increase in *C*. *multicinctus* CYP2-like activity (16a-hydroxytestosterone) at the high dose ([Fig 2C](#pone.0154208.g002){ref-type="fig"}). *C*. *multicinctus* 6ß-hydroxytestosterone formation (CYP3A activity) was significantly decreased by the high dose 2.5-fold ([Fig 1B](#pone.0154208.g001){ref-type="fig"}). Oral treatment of fish with *S*. *maxima* tissue homogenate caused a significant induction in the formation of 6ß, 16ß and 16*a-*hydroxytestosterone (10--20 fold) (Figs [1B,1C](#pone.0154208.g001){ref-type="fig"} and [2C](#pone.0154208.g002){ref-type="fig"}) and CYP3A-like and CYP2-like content (5--11 fold) in *C*. *unimaculatus* ([Fig 1A](#pone.0154208.g001){ref-type="fig"}), but caused no significant changes in *C*. *auriga*. In *C*. *unimaculatus*, CYP3A catalytic activity (16ß and 6ß hydroxytestosterone formation) was induced 4-fold in protein and 2-fold in activity (*P* ≤ 0.05) ([Fig 2A--2C](#pone.0154208.g002){ref-type="fig"}).
{#pone.0154208.g001}
{#pone.0154208.g002}
5ESL Oral Exposure {#sec017}
------------------
Survival, hepatic CYP3A-like content, CYPA catalytic activity, CYP2-like content, and CYP2 catalytic activity was also measured in the same 4 species of butterflyfish after gavage treatment of 5ESL.During the oral 5ESL treatments, *C*. *multicinctus* experienced 100% mortality in both the high and the low doses, with 100% survival in the control ([Fig 3](#pone.0154208.g003){ref-type="fig"}). In contrast, 80% survival was observed in *C*. *auriga*, with 45--60% survival observed for *C*. *kleinii* after treatment ([Fig 4](#pone.0154208.g004){ref-type="fig"}). *C*. *unimaculatus* had 100% survival in all treatments ([Fig 3](#pone.0154208.g003){ref-type="fig"}). 5ESL caused 1.3-fold induction of CYP3A-like content in *C*. *auriga*, (*P* ≤ 0.05) but a reduction by a factor of 7.2 in CYP3A catalytic activity (6ß hydroxytestosterone) (*P* ≤ 0.05) ([Fig 4A and 4C](#pone.0154208.g004){ref-type="fig"}). 5ESL also caused a reduction in CYP2 catalytic activity by 0.5-fold at the high dose (*P* ≤ 0.05) ([Fig 5B](#pone.0154208.g005){ref-type="fig"}). In *C*. *kleinii*, no statistically significant changes in content or catalytic activity were observed after exposure to 5ESL. Due to excessive mortality, liver microsomes from only the *C*. *multicinctus* control group were evaluated for CYP activity and expression. Hepatic CYP3A-like content from *C*. *unimaculatus* had the most significant dose dependent induction following 5ESL treatment compared to the other species, with 8--12 fold times larger values observed after treatment (*P* ≤ 0.05) ([Fig 4A](#pone.0154208.g004){ref-type="fig"}). The induction of CYP content in *C*. *unimaculatus* correlated with catalytic activity of CYP3A, increasing 20--25 fold (R^2^ = 0.66728) ([Fig 4B and 4C](#pone.0154208.g004){ref-type="fig"}).
{#pone.0154208.g003}
{#pone.0154208.g004}
{#pone.0154208.g005}
5ESL Docking Experiment {#sec018}
-----------------------
5ESL was docked into a crystal structure of CYP3A4, (PDB:3NXU) with the ligand removed, to assess the ability of CYP3A4 to metabolize 5ESL. Several low energy (high affinity) positions were found well within the oxidizable distance to a computed Fe-O position. In general, two main docking areas were found---one with an oxidizable carbon within 2--3 A of the Fe-bound oxygen, and the other at about a 7--8 A distant. Both could be occupied at the same time, as the Hill coefficient for CYP3A4 is usually 2 (that is, the reaction rate of CYP3A4 with substrate is dependent on the square of the substrate concentration \[S\] in Michaelis-Menten type kinetics, implying double occupancy of the active site). There were four different carbons (C16, C12, C10, C19) that could be oxidized depending on preferred ligand orientation in the active site, one of which was an epoxide formed on the C15-16 ([Fig 6B](#pone.0154208.g006){ref-type="fig"}).
{#pone.0154208.g006}
5ESL Microsomal Incubations {#sec019}
---------------------------
To investigate the metabolism of 5ESL, liver microsomes of *C*. *auriga*, *C*. *unimaculatus*, *C*. *kleinii*, *C*. *multicinctus* and human CYP3A4 supersomes were incubated with 5ESL and the metabolites were identified. Microsomal in vitro incubations with 5ESL ([Fig 6A](#pone.0154208.g006){ref-type="fig"}) showed NADPH-catalyzed clearance in *C*. *auriga*, *C*. *unimaculatus*, *C*. *multicinctus* and human CYP3A4 supersomes ([Table 1](#pone.0154208.t001){ref-type="table"}). Enzyme saturation as determined by Michaels-Menten kinetics occurred at 11 μM. An increased trend for biotransformation of 5ESL with NADPH was observed in the following species: in increasing order---*C*. *multicinctus* \< *C*. *kleinii* \< *C*. *auriga* \< *C*. *unimaculatus;* mimicking the survival trend. Human CYP3A4 completely metabolized 5ESL when incubated with NADPH after 45 min ([Table 1](#pone.0154208.t001){ref-type="table"}). There were three significant peaks at retention times of 2, 3 and 4.5 minutes in the HPLC chromatogram. We further analyzed the peak at retention time 3 min using LCMS/MS and compared the chromatogram to the synthesized 5ESL 15--16 epoxide (5ESLO) ([Fig 6B](#pone.0154208.g006){ref-type="fig"}) based on docking data. A 365 m/z molecular ion was detected with the metabolite at 3 min and a purified standard of 5ESLO. Loss of 114 and 247 m/z was observed in both compounds from the corresponding pseudomolecular ions. The structures of the remaining metabolites remain unknown.
10.1371/journal.pone.0154208.t001
###### NADPH-dependent clearance and transformation of 5ESL to 5ESLO in liver microsomes from four species of butterflyfish and recombinant human CYP3A4.
Different letters indicate significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences between species\* indicated signifcnat differences between control and pretreated *C*. *unimaculatus* (P ≤ 0.05) (N = 6--8).
{#pone.0154208.t001g}
Species 5ESL Clearance 5ESLO formation
----------------------- ---------------- -----------------
*C*. *auriga* 266.00±51.2 57.39±12.48
A A
*C*. *kleinii* N.D. 17.39± 4.92
B
*C*. *multicinctus* 13.30±4.22 N.D.
B
*C*. *unimaculatus* 490.32±49.3 50.43±15.35\*
C A
*C*. *unimaculatus* N.M. 918.75±131.2\*
Pre-treated with 5ESL D
Human CYP3A4 1125.1±113.4
Activities were determined using 11 μM 5ESL. Values are represented as the mean ± SD (n = 6--8). N.D. = Not detected; N.M. = Not measured.
5ESL Epoxide Formation {#sec020}
----------------------
After identifying 5ESL15-16 Oxide (5ESLO) as a metabolite, the rates of 5ESLO formation were calculated in liver microsomes of *C*. *auriga*, *C*. *kleinii* and *C*. *unimaculatus*. 5ESLO formation correlated with CYP3A activity, with an R^2^ = 0.862. The highest 5ESLO formation was seen in microsomes obtained from *C*. *unimaculatus* exposed to the high dose of 5ESL relative to untreated *C*. *unimaculatus*, *C*. *auriga* and *C*. *kleinii* (*P* ≤ 0.05) ([Table 1](#pone.0154208.t001){ref-type="table"}). Formation of 5ESLO was below the limit of detection in microsomes from *C*. *multicinctus*.
Discussion {#sec021}
==========
Previous studies have found that generalist feeding is deterred by allelochemicals, whereas specialists are either unaffected or attracted to the allelochemicals of their preferred diet \[[@pone.0154208.ref029],[@pone.0154208.ref030]\]. The capability of *S*. *maxima* to deter predators under laboratory and field conditions has been well described e.g. \[[@pone.0154208.ref023],[@pone.0154208.ref031]\]. However, few studies have looked at the effect of different feeding strategies within the same genus or species on deterrence. Homogenates of *S*.*maxima* and the individual compound, 5ESL have been shown to be deterrent to generalists but not specialists (Slattery et al., submitted). Deterrence in the generalists may indicate possible toxicity by learned avoidance in the wild or distastefulness during exposure \[[@pone.0154208.ref032]--[@pone.0154208.ref035]\]. In contrast, the lack of deterrence in specialist species of butterflyfish may indicate an evolved adaptation to the toxins in the soft coral *S*. *maxima*. *C*. *unimaculatus* preferentially feed on the soft coral *S*. *maximus* in Guam \[[@pone.0154208.ref032]\] but not in Hawaii where the coral does not occur \[[@pone.0154208.ref036]\].
In Hawaii, exposure to homogenates of the soft coral *S*. *maxima* had no significant effect on survival or noteworthy effects on CYP2 or CYP3A-like proteins or activities on all 4 species. In contrast, 5ESL treatment caused significant mortality in *C*. *multicinctus* and *C*. *kleinii*. However, survival in *C*. *auriga* following exposure to 5ESL was unaffected. Since survival correlated with basal CYP3A-like and CYP2-like content and activities, CYP3A and CYP2 of *C*. *auriga* may function as multipurpose detoxification enzymes of dietary chemicals. If the fish is capable of detoxifying a broad range of lipophilic compounds, this species of fish may exploit a larger range of prey as a generalist feeder \[[@pone.0154208.ref013]--[@pone.0154208.ref015],[@pone.0154208.ref037]\]. Conversely, *C*. *multicinctus*, with a limited range of available food may have CYP's with greater specificity \[[@pone.0154208.ref021],[@pone.0154208.ref022],[@pone.0154208.ref038]\]. A potential negative effect of this trait is that the specialists are less energetically and/or mechanistically efficient at eliminating novel toxins that are not associated with their specific prey \[[@pone.0154208.ref035]\]. Consistent with this hypothesis, *C*. *multicinctus* had the lowest survival of all four species and the lowest CYP2-like and CYP3A-like basal content and activities. An example of specialist herbivores being negatively impacted by novel defense compounds is the woodrat, *Neotoma stephensi* that had reduced locomotor activity when exposed to novel plant toxins from *Larrea tridentata* \[[@pone.0154208.ref014],[@pone.0154208.ref019]\].
Since there were multiple CYP2-like isoforms observed in western blots, and catalytic activities associated with CYP2 (16*α*-testosterone hydroxylase) were not correlated with survival, focus was placed upon CYP3A as a potential enzyme for detoxification. 5ESL docking into the crystal structure of CYP3A4 showed several low energy (high affinity) positions where four different carbons could be oxidized, depending on preferred ligand orientation in the active site. CYP3A enzymes are functionally among the most versatile forms of CYPs. Mutation and docking studies have demonstrated that CYP3A proteins have a large substrate-binding pocket in comparison to other members of the CYP superfamily \[[@pone.0154208.ref037]\]. This large pocket may enable CYP3A enzymes to catalyze biotransformation of the large 5ESL molecule. Further analysis revealed the C15-16 epoxide (5ESLO) ([Fig 6B](#pone.0154208.g006){ref-type="fig"}) to be the most likely CYP3A metabolite. The 5ESLO metabolite in microsomal in vitro incubations showed NADPH dependent formation of a C15-16 epoxide confirmed by LCMS with a synthesized standard. In addition, formation of the epoxide correlated with hepatic CYP3A-like content and survival in all species treated with 5ESL. This is consistent with the possibility that epoxide formation of 5ESL by CYP3A is a detoxification pathway.
The corresponding pattern of CYP3A-like content induction and catalytic activity in the liver enzymes of *C*. *unimaculatus* dosed with 5ESL is similar to cases in plant-insect interactions, where black swallowtails (*Papilio polyxenes*) where exposed to the plant alleochemical, xanthotoxin that induced CYP activity in a dose-dependent manner, increasing seven fold \[[@pone.0154208.ref021]\]. Allelochemicals often act as ligands to induce their own CYP metabolism, \[[@pone.0154208.ref019]--[@pone.0154208.ref022]\]. Although it is unclear how 5ESL regulates CYP3A, other studies have demonstrated that CYP3A can be induced by allelochemicals that bind the nuclear pregnane X receptor (PXR) \[[@pone.0154208.ref039]--[@pone.0154208.ref041]\]. Further research is needed to elucidate this mechanism.
*C*. *unimaculatus* had the greatest clearance of 5ESL, the highest induction of CYP3A-like content as well as activity, and the highest relative formation of 5ESLO. *C*. *unimaculatus* preferentially feeds on *S*. *maxima* in Guam and Australia, suggesting the fish has a high tolerance for soft coral toxins regardless of current feeding preferences. Induction of CYP3A after exposure to a dietary item that is geographically removed from Hawaii suggests that *C*. *unimaculatus* may have migrated from Guam (where the fish feeds on the soft coral) to Hawaii. The Biodiversity Feedback model indicates that biodiversity flows eastward from the indo-pacific archipelago to peripheral habitats in Hawaii \[[@pone.0154208.ref042]\]. The Central Pacific area is characterized by low species departure (10--16% Central Pacific), but high dispersal of lineages into the region, from the Indo-Pacific Archipelago \[[@pone.0154208.ref042]\]. In terms of global diversity for Chaetodontidae, the Indo-Pacific Archipelago stands out as a significant source of diversity in terms of both origination within the region and the expansion of lineages into adjacent regions \[[@pone.0154208.ref042]\]. Gene flow of two related coral-feeding butterflyfish was found to be high, across the Pacific Ocean over both recent and historical timeframes, in the specialist, *Chaetodon trifascialis* and more stable in the generalist, *C*. *lunulatus* \[[@pone.0154208.ref035]\]. It is possible that *C*. *unimaculatus* has gene flow between Hawaii and the rest of the Pacific or historically migrated from Guam eastward to Hawaii. Similar hypotheses have been proposed for butterflyfish from other areas of the Indo-Pacific \[[@pone.0154208.ref043]\] as well as other fish species \[[@pone.0154208.ref044]\]. Future phylogenetic studies on *C*. *unimaculatus* should be conducted to support or refute the evolutionary migration from Guam to Hawaii.
*C*. *multicinctus* had the least metabolism of all species tested, and it is endemic to Hawaii, with no evolutionary history with *S*. *maximus*. The distinct levels of allelochemical tolerance may explain coral-feeding butterflyfish dietary specialization, since nutritional value of corals has yet to explain these differences \[[@pone.0154208.ref010]\]. The risks associated with dietary specialization are thought to be offset by increased nutritional benefits (e.g growth) when feeding on preferred prey over generalist feeding on the same prey \[[@pone.0154208.ref045]\]. However, a study conducted on coral-feeding butterflyfish found that a more specialized species (*Chaetodon trifascialis*) did not outperform the generalist species (*Chaetodon plebeius*) when both consumed their preferred prey \[[@pone.0154208.ref010]\]. In the current study, *C*. *unimaculatus* appears to have an innate ability to tolerate toxic dietary allelochemicals allowing them to explore uncompetitive diets of soft corals throughout the Pacific \[[@pone.0154208.ref046]\]. Losing this advantage may have led *C*. *unimaculatus* to consume hard coral *Monipora spp*. in Hawaii \[[@pone.0154208.ref047]\]. This may also explain the innate inability of *C*. *multicinctus* to tolerate the soft coral toxin 5ESL, and its preference for hard corals. These differences in dietary choices may be explained by their characteristic ability to tolerate dietary allelochemicals.
In conclusion, the use of a toxicological approach has resulted in the identification of butterflyfish cytochrome P450s, specifically CYP3A, as a potential detoxification enzyme. We provide several lines of evidence that implicate inducible butterflyfish CYP3As in the mechanism of adaptation to soft coral allelochemicals. The corresponding pattern of protein content responsiveness and testosterone hydroxylase activity in the liver microsomes of butterflyfish orally exposed to 5ESL coupled with in vitro incubations, computer modeling data, and the formation of 5ESL epoxide metabolite strongly indicates a role for the Chaetodon CYP3As in mediating the metabolism of dietary norcembranoids. The results of our study also demonstrate that functional versatility of counter-defense genes may facilitate generalist (*C*. *auriga*), whereas functional specialization of *C*. *multicinctus* genes may hinder the ability to detoxify novel toxins. Other genetic and molecular factors may contribute to generalist ability to detoxify novel toxins. Comparative gene sequencing surveys of host use-related genes between pairs of closely related butterflyfish species that diverge in their degree of feeding specialization may resolve the question of whether multiple gene duplication events also aid generalists in coping with their diverse and unpredictable coral defense challenges. This work demonstrates the utility of incorporating molecular approaches to better understand the biochemical novelties that allow marine consumers to detoxify allelochemically defended prey. Evolution of host range has been a central interest in the field of butterflyfish ecology; however, little evidence to support theories proposed to explain macroevolutionary patterns of host use and dietary breadth leave a gap in the science that requires more multidisciplinary involvement \[[@pone.0154208.ref048]\]. Moreover, identifying the molecular foundations of organismal detoxification has broad implications for understanding the role of species-species interactions on gene function.
Supporting Information {#sec022}
======================
###### Major dietary habits of coral reef butterflyfish.
The four species utilized in the exposure experiments are listed with distribution, diet in those locations, and references.
(DOCX)
######
Click here for additional data file.
We thank Dr. Andrew Rossiter and the staff of the Waikiki Aquarium for providing laboratory facilities and technical expertise. I would like to thank Dr. Malin Celander (University of Gothenburg) and Dr. Donald R. Buhler (Oregon State University) for the provision of anti-CYP antibodies. We are grateful for the support of undergraduates Bronte Crook, Jenna Harlacher, Danielle Garcia, Stephen Fallon and Chelsea Wolke in fish care.
[^1]: **Competing Interests:**The authors have declared that no competing interest exist.
[^2]: Conceived and designed the experiments: AM DS. Performed the experiments: AM RL SK MS SA JG RG. Analyzed the data: AM RL SK MS SA JG RG. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MS KW EH JR GO DS. Wrote the paper: AM.
[^3]: Current address: Tropical Coastal Ecology, School for Field Studies, Bocas Del Toro, Panama
[^4]: Current address: Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
[^5]: Current address: Hawaii Department of Agriculture Pesticide Division, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
[^6]: Current address: Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
[^7]: ‡ These authors also contributed equally to this work.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
9 awesome free Joomla templates for Joomla 1.5
Finding a great template for your Joomla site can be a challenge. There are tons of free Joomla templates out there, but to be honest: Most of them are junk. Finding quality free Joomla templates is important to ensure you can work smoothly with the content, modules and other extensions you want to include.
In this post I take a look at 9 high-quality free Joomla templates. Made by some of the most renowned template providers in the Joomla community.
All of these templates are made for Joomla 1.5.
As an additional bonus: If you're not sure about what commercial Joomla template provider you want to put your money in, these free Joomla templates will provide a kind of test-run to see how they build their Joomla templates. Who knows, you might end up liking their templates so much that you want the full package. I know I did :)
Here's a comparison chart for the 9 free Joomla 1.5 templates in this post:
Quasar
Description:Quasar is the first Free / GPL Joomla 1.5 template released by RocketTheme to be built with the new Gantry Framework 2.0, that made its initial debut with Dominion Jan 10. With Gantry, Quasar becomes a very powerful and feature rich template, on an almost comparable level with our Club Templates, in terms of functionality.
The Gantry template framework is truly impressive. You can control the template in ways I haven't seen in any Joomla template before.
Afterburner
Description:Afterburner is the fastest Joomla 1.5 template ever and is completely free. The theme balances speed and search engine optimisation with a full feature set. The template is based on the standard SEO layout used in club templates, and is therefore fully dynamic and collapsible.
One of the secrets to the speed of this template is the fact that it uses one (1!) single image file for all design elements. This is accomplished by creatively using the image file as a background image. The image is thus loaded just once in to the browser and shown in different ways. Very nicely done!
Daily Praise News & Magazine Template
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Genesis
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Demi
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Admin Praise
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DailyPraise Redux
Description:Out with the old, in with the new. DailyPraise Redux is a complete reconstruction of the old version, complete with modern design, code techniques, and compatibilities. An advanced free Joomla template you can enjoy for a long time.
I regularly scan the unanswered questions in the Joomla forums. Many times, the questions posted have to do with how the output of Joomla is presented. This may have to do with the template, but oftentimes it has to do…
Are you lost? Sorry, but the content you requested could not be found. Did you write the correct address? You have a few options now - don't despair: - Use the top menu to navigate my articles- Visit the sitemap…
Sometimes, you might want to create a Joomla page that is not available through a menu. You only want the page to appear when the URL is entered. This might be a 'thank you' page after form submission, a log…
Last week, I did a post on how to add Javascript snippets to Joomla. The way I did this was by adding module positions to the template. In this post, I will delve deeper into how to add module positions…
Even though Joomla is a great platform as it is, there are times when you will have to alter the core files to fit certain needs. For instance, you can't stand how the elements in Joomla content are put together…
Earlier this week, I explained how to add a link to a PDF file to an article by using the Joomla core installation. This time around, I will show you how to accomplish the same using the File Manager plug-in…
Finding a great template for your Joomla site can be a challenge. There are tons of free Joomla templates out there, but to be honest: Most of them are junk. Finding quality free Joomla templates is important to ensure you…
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B&W’s earlier Companion model had an 18,000-pound towing capacity, but remained virtually unaltered since its inception in 1998. The new 20,000-pound rated Companion fifth-wheel trailer hitch has all the features that RV owners and dealers favored in its predecessor.
“The combination of product quality and reliability, along with B&W’s reputation among customers, have made the B&W Companion fifth wheel hitch our most popular,” Don Collins, president, DC’s RV Campers. “With its 20,000-pound towing capacity, enhanced height adjustment and flexible installation design, we anticipate that the new Companion will be even more commercially successful than its forerunner.”
The new Companion hitch features two adjustable pivot arms that can be oriented horizontally, relative to the truck’s axle, and vertically to allow trailers to clear the taller truck bed walls now on many late-model pickups. The new hitch also features adjustable plastic feet that allow the hitch to adapt and mount snugly to an ever-increasing variety of truck bed corrugation patterns.
The entire system is made of top-quality American steel and is finished top to bottom with a tough, durable powder coating. Once installed, the substructure leaves the truck bed totally unobstructed. The substructure’s socket accommodates any of seven different Turnoverball-style hitches, including the RVB3500 Companion.
The single-post hitch base drops easily into the socket and, once married to the substructure uses adaptable leveling feet for stabilization and bolts to lock it securely into position. Pivot arms are also fully adjustable with a height range of 16 1/4 inches to 18 1/4 inches. The arms feature thick polyurethane bushings that allow the locked coupler head to pivot effortlessly, and the coupler head itself is fitted with a hydraulic dampening mechanism that absorbs road shock and tilts up to seven degrees. The whole hitch system operates so smoothly and quietly that drivers and passengers sometimes have the sensation that there is no trailer being towed.
“Our new 20,000-pound rated Companion hitch is a response to recent trends in the structure and shape of truck beds, along with the increasing lengths and weights of trailers,” Cleat Stockebrand, product design engineer for B&W Trailer Hitches, said. “The new Companion hitch base takes advantage of the structural features of late model truck beds, optimizing the capacity of the hitch and giving customers the needed adjustments to accommodate their towing needs.”
June 28, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on B&W Releases Part For Ram 2500, 3500 Trucks
Companion fifth-wheel hitch
B&W Trailer Hitches has developed a part for its Companion fifth-wheel hitch that is compatible with 2013 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks.
According to a press release, the Companion works in conjunction with the Turnoverball under-bed mounting kit. B&W said that Turnoverball model GNRK1314 is available for the 2013 Ram 3500.
This additional part attaches to the legs of the Companion and fills in the recess in the corrugations of the 2013 Ram 3500 trucks. Some of the 2013 Ram 2500 trucks also have this recess and will require the additional spacers.
“So many fifth-wheel owners have been waiting on a hitch so that they can get on the road and enjoy the season,” said Beth Barlow, marketing manager for the Humboldt, Kan.-based supplier. “We are pleased that we have been able to design a solution in short order.”
The additional spacer is available free of charge by calling B&W Trailer Hitches directly at (800) 248.6564.
The Kansas Department of Commerce has announced that B&W Trailer Hitches, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty trailer hitches and aftermarket truck and trailer accessories, was chosen as the 2013 Governor’s Award of Excellence winner.
According to a press release, the Kansas Department of Commerce described Humboldt-based B&W Trailer Hitches as a company that “believes that investment in employee development helps it manufacture better products and has committed extensive resources to worker training programs. The company relies upon innovative technology for its advanced manufacturing, and training helps workers gain technical expertise in many areas.”
They added that “B&W also encourages its employees to participate in local and regional leadership training programs. The company and its employees remain active members of the Humboldt community, especially in their support for the local school district. In addition, B&W works closely with the city to develop land for local retail stores and attractions.”
Award qualifications included:
• Business expansion in Kansas.
• Successful employee retention and recruitment practices.
• Employee training/educational programs.
• Capital investment in Kansas.
• Support of local activities including school activities, community events, economic development and leadership programs.
Kansas Commerce Secretary Pat George stated that “Kansas is fortunate to have so many successful businesses generating economic growth and creating great jobs. We will continue to work towards ensuring that Kansas provides these companies with the best business environment possible.”
Humboldt, Kan.-based supplier B&W Trailer Hitches announced that it has begun shipping its new GNRK 1314 aftermarket gooseneck trailer hitch to its nationwide distribution network. According to a press release, the new hitch features B&W’s popular Turnoverball design that is simple to install and easy to use.
The company noted that many 2013 RAM 3500 owners have found that the accessories necessary for their factory-installed gooseneck trailer hitch to function are not yet available.
“This unfortunate set of circumstances has caused inconvenience and confusion among my customers,” Hayden Elder, principle of Elder Dodge, Athens, Texas. “Our customers prefer the B&W brand over any other gooseneck hitch, and I’m grateful that we have their GNRK 1314 hitch available now, as the RAM 3500s begin hitting our lot.”
An online video demonstrates that the GNRK 1314 installs much like the other B&W gooseneck trailer hitch kits. B&W said the product is also comparably priced with its other gooseneck offerings with an MSRP of $494, and fits on any 2013 RAM 3500 without a factory-installed hitch prep package. In addition, B&W’s signature Turnoverball feature allows the hitch ball to invert in its mounting socket when not in use to stow securely and flush with the bed of the truck.
In contrast to B&W’s Turnoverball design, the RAM’s OE hitch ball, when it eventually becomes available, will need to be removed from its mounting socket and stowed elsewhere. Removing the hitch ball from its mounting location leaves it prone to being lost, misplaced and generally becoming a storage nuisance.
“Since we introduced the Turnoverball in 1992, gooseneck users have grown accustomed to turning over and stowing the hitch ball where they use it, and it’s hard for us to imagine why the OE would revert to an outdated, less practical design,” Travis McCall, product engineer for B&W Trailer Hitches, said. “Our new GNRK 1314 honors B&W’s reputation for creating easy-to-install hitches that are easy to use as well.”
B&W’s GNRK 1314 aftermarket gooseneck trailer hitch has been engineered to match the towing capacity of the 2013 RAM 3500. The product has been extensively tested and is certified as meeting the vehicle tow rating (VTR). As with any towing scenario, B&W strongly recommends that users never exceed a VTR.
“For over a quarter of a century, we’ve enjoyed serving truck dealers of all brands,who love installing our hitch products for their customers,” said Beth Barlow, marketing manager for B&W Trailer Hitches. “Our quick assessment of this needs gap and our rapid response to fill it are a testament to B&W’s dedication to our RAM dealer customers, their customers and the towing marketplace at large.”
B&W’s GNRK 1314 aftermarket gooseneck trailer hitch can be used to replace the product designation 53W 5th Wheel/Gooseneck Towing Prep Group, for the 2013 RAM 3500. A fifth-wheel hitch is expected to be introduced within several weeks.
May 6, 2013 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on B&W Hitches Aligns with ‘Mobile RV Academy’
Terry and Evada Cooper's F-350 outfitted with a B&W hitch
Humboldt, Kan.-based B&W Trailer Hitches has named Terry and Evada Cooper, owners of the Mobile RV Academy, as product ambassadors to promote the company’s line of hitch products.
According to a press release, B&W has provided the Coopers with the Companion OEM fifth-wheel hitch system that is being used in their new F-350 King Ranch truck.
“We are excited to be working with Mobile RV Academy. The Coopers are experts and will help spread the word about the B&W family of towing products,” said Beth Barlow, marketing manager for B&W Trailer Hitches.
The Companion line of fifth-wheels hitches provides a smooth ride while towing an RV. The original Companion offers a single-point attachment that allows consumers full use of their truck when not towing. The Coopers will be towing with the Companion OEM hitch that utilizes “four in-the-bed pucks” available in some Ford truck models. B&W reported that it added the Companion Slider this year, while the entire line continues to gain market share.
The Coopers will be calling on dealerships across the U.S., visiting RV shows, speaking at seminars and conducting training sessions. “We are proud to be product ambassadors for B&W Trailer Hitches,” Terry Cooper said. “As we do our on-site professional training and visit with RV enthusiasts throughout America, we will be sharing our knowledge and experiences that will include the great ‘Made in the USA’ products of B&W Trailer Hitches.”
Terry Cooper is an RVDA/RVIA master certified RV technician and professional instructor/trainer with over 30 years of experience in the industry. He has spent this last year overseeing the eight Texas locations of ExploreUSA RV as the director of service sperations. He also oversaw the business startup of a mobile RV service company in Watford City, N.D., along with teaching online for the RV maintenance program at Northampton Community College in conjunction with the Pennsylvania RV and Camping Association (PRVCA).
Evada Cooper is the author of “The RV Centennial Cookbook – Celebrating 100 Years of RVing” and a full-time RVer. She teaches consumers how to live easier in their RV kitchens with packing, storing and learning tips through her seminars.
March 19, 2009 by RVBusiness · Comments Off on B&W Trailer Hitches Truly ‘Making a Difference’
B&W Trailer Hitches in Humboldt, Kan., was recently showcased on a “Making a Difference” report by NBC Nightly News as employees helped spruce up a local playground. Joe Works, founder and co-owner, said that even though the company has lost half its business, he has retained his 180 employees. So, instead of building hitches, Works dispatches employees on projects to help the town. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
She has become even more sexy! From human to goddessWonderful artwork. Great details, shading, and highlights. Love transformation processes where you see the transformation and the full emotions of the character being changed. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
Pakistan blocks Tinder, Grindr and other apps - sbmthakur
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/02/pakistan-blocks-immoral-tinder-grinder-and-other-apps
======
nakodari
Pakistani here, I gave Tinder a try once and it was awful. The majority of
Pakistanis don't date the way Americans do due to the conservative values.
When we sign up for a dating app, what we're looking for is someone whom we
can connect with and marry soon - possibly within 6-12 months timeframe.
Tinder is optimized for American dating and is incompatible with our family
values. Therefore, when you signed up for Tinder in Pakistan, you saw that it
was a hookup app rather than an app that helps you find a lifelong partner.
Most Pakistanis who're serious about finding a partner use Muslim dating apps
like Muzmatch and Minder.
Edit: A lot of people have replied below that this does not justify banning
the app. I have simply shared my experience and also the experience of many
others in Pakistan. Tinder turned into an immoral app (borderline pornography
in many cases) and this being an Islamic Republic of Pakistan, it went against
the conservative values of the nation to hookup and thus it was banned by the
govt. The govt is the democratic representative of the people and does what
the majority of the nation expects them to do.
~~~
thiht
>The govt is the democratic representative of the people and does what the
majority of the nation expects them to do
A democracy must not be a tyranny of the majority. What if part of the
Pakistani population enjoy these apps? Why ban them if they don't harm
anybody?
~~~
throwaway0a5e
People think these apps are harming people by enabling behavior that harms
people.
It's the same line of reasoning that leads to prohibition on drugs, guns and
booze.
------
_trampeltier
Meanwhile in the western world banks decide about the content on pages like
Fetlife and about the color of dildos in webshops.
~~~
ravenstine
I wonder if the ability to send and receive money should be considered a right
as we become cashless.
~~~
gambiting
It is in some places already. In the UK for instance a bank _has to_ open a
basic checking account for you when asked, to avoid situations where people
without jobs or homeless cannot have a bank account(which is required for
nearly everything else). There can be many restrictions placed on such account
later on(no debit cards, no overdraft, no mobile banking etc), but it's
practically impossible for a bank to close a basic checking account for
someone.
~~~
_trampeltier
I think in the EU, one bank has let you to open a basic account and give you a
debit card. But as far I know, this is just for people, not companys. And in
they ask you for a fee to use the account and in theorie there is no upper
limit for the fee.
------
mellosouls
What is it about Tinder that brings on these flame-wars on HN?
It's almost like those who question Tinder's moral neutrality and innocence in
its impact on society have a point...
~~~
thefz
Talk about distros or the cool new tech, we can carry on a decent discussion.
Talk about sex life and everyone loses their mind.
~~~
stareatgoats
Sex, Russian trolls, Chinese nationalism, US foreign interventions and
Javascript in the browser. Plus a few other topics where everybody is an
expert, too.
------
thewatcher2
I'd support this action. Social media and dating apps are an experiment on the
population that they never consented to. We need a reserve of people who are
not as much impacted by it for further studies.
Until the day AR glasses come that can show you entire financial, sexual,
educational, criminal history etc of a person on the street, dating apps is
hurting the majority of the population.
So are the privacy laws that are going to stifle innovation, if people want
social media and hyper competitive dating, the free market would also allow
the right to violation of privacy by current standards which would allow for
AR glasses to show a person history before you even talk to them.
In the past people used to look at the family history or got introduced to
potential mates by trusted friends. Dating apps have none of that.
The market is neither free, nor fair.
A new generation of dating apps that monitor your entire life and do
background checks and publicize it to the world would change the playing field
immensely.
~~~
Mindwipe
> In the past people used to look at the family history or got introduced to
> potential mates by trusted friends.
Lol, no they didn't. They got drunk and hooked up at bars.
~~~
thewatcher2
Maybe your family did that, but people in my family don't. They preferred the
civilized way.
------
thefounder
Perhaps the pakistani people should be left to decide what's immoral and
what's not?
~~~
implements
Are Pakistani human rights different from the universal kind?
My viewpoint is that people should have freedom of religious conscience, and
with that a large degree of moral relativism with certain bounds.
Given that, is it appropriate that a country interferes with the expressed
sexuality of freely consenting adults? I don’t think so.
~~~
ooobit2
I think your opinion is irrelevant and based in ignorance of Islam and the
values that a predominately Islamic society holds for its citizens. These are
not _easy_ or often flippant decisions made and/or accepted by people. But
part of listening means accepting where you have a right to form opinions, to
have them heard, and to feel entitled to them being relevant. This is not
listening. This is you asserting a colonialist's supremacy on a culture that
does not agree with your ethic. This same line of thinking is what led to the
British invasions of Central Asia and Africa, that Indians were barbaric and
Brits would bring the education and civil discipline to their land and improve
their lives. Well, what good have yours and their Napoleon complexes left?
~~~
cpursley
> This is you asserting a colonialist's supremacy on a culture
Isn't this the history of Islam (colonization and expansion)? Were the people
in those places who got conquered not forced to comply with Islamic law?
I live in former Ottoman Empire territory where slave trade of women and young
boys was rampant until the Russian Empire put an end to it.
[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Me...](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Meccan_merchant_and_his_Circassian_slave.jpg/1200px-
Meccan_merchant_and_his_Circassian_slave.jpg)
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_slavery#Ottoman_slave_...](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_slavery#Ottoman_slave_trade)
------
bashwizard
Maybe it's time for the rest of the civilized world to block Pakistan.
~~~
aerodog
With your implying a country of 200 million people is "uncivilized" (hate
speech), perhaps it's more appropriate that HN blocks you?
~~~
garbagetime
Maybe the commenter edited his comment, but as it is now, it doesn't mention
or imply that Pakistan is uncivilized (which wouldn't be hate speech, anyway).
------
aerodog
People have a traditional way of building family. The American way, i.e. via
casual dating, often enhanced by apps, is experimental (barely a generation
in) and not looking good for society's long-term stability.
~~~
OneGuy123
This.
The saddest thing is that children are the main casualty in divorces.
Single-parent raised children are known to have more issues/anxiety/etc...
than children raised in a normal family.
~~~
morley
The divorce rate was going up long before online dating, and have actually
been going down since the onset of online dating. Though I'm skeptical they're
directly related.
[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/23/144-y...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/23/144-years-
of-marriage-and-divorce-in-the-united-states-in-one-chart/)
~~~
throwaway0a5e
> and have actually been going down since the onset of online dating.
I'm not blaming online dating (which I think is just a reflection of other
cultural changes) but it's kind of hard to get divorced if you're not married
and we know where marriage rates are going...
------
ArkVark
I'd welcome these applications being banned worldwide. Dating should be
brought back to the real world: through friends, communities, family
recommendations, and events.
The emphasis should be on finding a compatible mate, marriage, co-financing
and procreation. Dating apps encourage endless hookups and destabilisation -
this is their business model.
~~~
Erlich_Bachman
When your moral views are such that they require banning free apps (or free
speech etc) and enforcing your views on other people, that's stops being a
morality and starts being a tyranny.
~~~
knolax
So if I view murder as bad and I ban MRDR, a hot new SV startup that helps
murderers plan their murders, I'm a tyrant? The rest of the world isn't
obligated to import every social engineering system SV comes up with.
~~~
sbmthakur
Not sure how dating compares with murder. The former only happens when both
parties consent and usually doesn't involve harm.
~~~
knolax
It does harm to society. Just look at incels. That's a direct result of hookup
culture.
------
ponker
I don't know about "immoral", but based on my younger acquaintances'
experiences on Tinder, I believe that in the long-term it and its peer
services will be seen as equally destructive to Facebook -- what Facebook did
to interpersonal relationships/friendships Tinder will do to romantic/sexual
relationships.
I think that the world will basically have to have a reckoning with "freedom,"
i.e. that technology has created the ability to build digital technologies
that basically destroy the things we typically value. The companies in charge
are too hyperoptimized and the average human is too underoptimized for this to
be a fair fight... in the name of "engagement" Facebook can easily destroy the
basic subfloor of politics in a representative democracy, and Tinder can
destroy the basic subfloor of couplehood and family life.
~~~
rkachowski
Implicit here is the idea that couplehood and family life were more stable and
somehow more resistent to damage before technology came along and made it
easier for humans to interact.
An alternate theory is that Tinder actually reenforces the "basic subfloor of
couplehood and family life" by enabling and normalising ephemeral sexual and
romantic interaction, instead of requiring the individual to succumb to social
pressure and enter marriage for reasons other than personal. This would be
supported by the fact that divorce rates have been decreasing in the USA since
the 90s.[1]
I agree that more attention needs to be directed towards the ill effects that
technology can have on societal values, but the technology exposes and works
upon impulses already within us. The things we value are incredibly relative
and the ideas + images of friendship and family life we have now are
drastically different from even 40 years ago.
(that is to say, views are always changing and the idea that "this new thing
will destroy what we value" works in the exact same way that fm radio / home
taping / digital piracy killed the musician + music industry so many years ago
(i.e. it did not))
1\. [https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/10/divorce-united-
states...](https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/10/divorce-united-states-
dropping-because-millennials/)
~~~
cageface
There's a lot of evidence that we are less satisfied with the choices we make
the more options we have. When you can compare your current partner to 1000
other options every day you're very likely to have some buyers remorse.
~~~
cgriswald
I certainly _can_ compare my partner to 1000 other options and I don’t need an
app to do so. The takeaway isn’t “options are bad while you are on the
market.” The take away is “Stop measuring your partner against others while
you’re not on the market.” And, of course, you don’t actually know those
others so you’re comparing your partner against some combination of others and
your own imagination. No partner can compare to your imagination. If you’re
doing this you might as well bail out of the relationship because you’re not
ready. No amount of banning apps is going to protect someone’s relationship
from themselves. A committed relationship takes... commitment; in both thought
and deed.
~~~
ponker
Sure, there are a lot of things that anyone _can_ do. The fact is that the
harder you make things, the fewer people will do them, the easier you make
things, the more people will do them. You can avoid processed junk food and
stay healthy but the availability of cheap junk food is what causes rampant
obesity and its societal costs.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | HackerNews |
Eugene Volokh , January 12, 2009 at 10:33am] Trackbacks The First (?) Post-Heller Case Holding a Gun Control Law Unconstitutional: That's U.S. v. Arzberger. The gun control law is the part of 18 U.S.C. § 3142(c)(1)(B) that requires that when someone is charged with possessing child pornography (among other crimes) and is freed on bail, he be ordered not to possess any firearm. Here's the discussion by Magistrate Judge James C. Francis IV (of the Southern District of New York) (some paragraph breaks added): A year ago, I might well have taken for granted the authority of Congress to require that a person charged with a crime be prohibited from possessing a firearm as a condition of pretrial release.... [But, given D.C. v. Heller, t]o the extent ... that the Second Amendment creates an individual right to possess a firearm unrelated to any military purpose, it also establishes a protectible liberty interest [for Due Process Clause purposes]. And, although the Supreme Court has indicated that this privilege may be withdrawn from some groups of persons such as convicted felons, there is no basis for categorically depriving persons who are merely accused of certain crimes of the right to legal possession of a firearm. Again, the next step in the analysis is to apply the Mathews v. Eldridge balancing test. The private interest at stake is paramount: the right to possess a firearm is constitutionally protected. In Heller, the Court made clear that there is no hierarchy of constitutional rights: "[t]he very enumeration of the right takes out of the hands of government — even the Third Branch of Government — the power to decide on a case-by-case basis whether the right is really worth insisting upon." The remaining Mathews factors play out much as they did in the analysis of the curfew requirement. First, there is a serious risk that, in the absence of an individualized determination, an accused person will wrongly be deprived of his Second Amendment rights. Indeed, the Government may well find it difficult to articulate a nexus between an accusation of receiving child pornography and the need to prohibit possession of a firearm. Second, providing the defendant with an opportunity to be heard with respect to the appropriateness of this condition would reduce the potential error rate without creating a significant burden. And, finally, the Government's interest in ensuring the safety of the community would not be undermined by requiring an independent judicial determination of the danger caused by the defendant and the efficacy of the proposed bail condition. Accordingly, the Adam Walsh Amendments [the name of the statute involved here -EV] violate due process by requiring that, as a condition of release on bail, an accused person be required to surrender his Second Amendment right to possess a firearm without giving that person an opportunity to contest whether such a condition is reasonably necessary in his case to secure the safety of the community. Because the Amendments do not permit an individualized determination, they are unconstitutional on their face. The Government's application to impose as a condition of bail that Mr. Arzberger not possess a firearm is therefore denied.... [Footnote:] The determination that the mandatory imposition of each of the conditions requested by the Government violates procedural due process does not preclude the Government from renewing its application provided that it is prepared to proffer a basis for requiring any or all of these conditions in Mr. Arzberger's particular circumstances. This is formally a Due Process Clause holding, but it rests on a conclusion about the Second Amendment. Recall that the Due Process Clause (sometimes) entitles people to hearings only when there's a legally relevant factual dispute to be resolved. Persons "who assert a right to a hearing under the Due Process Clause must show that the facts they seek to establish in that hearing are relevant under the statutory scheme," or are made relevant by the Constitution. If Congress were constitutionally allowed to ban all gun possession by people who have been indicted for possessing child pornography, whether or not those people are found to pose a special risk of gun violence, then no hearing would be required. That's why the excerpt I quoted begins with the sentence "A year ago, I might well have taken for granted the authority of Congress to require that a person charged with a crime be prohibited from possessing a firearm as a condition of pretrial release." If Congress could categorically do this, then there'd be no factual issue to resolve at the hearing. All the evidence in the world that this person is unlikely to pose a danger of gun violence will be irrelevant under the statutory/constitutional scheme. The hearing is required only because at least some such indictees still have the "constitutionally protected" "right to possess a firearm" — presumably those indictees as to whom "such a [no firearms] condition is reasonably necessary in [their] case[s] to secure the safety of the community," which is to say those who don't pose any special risk of misusing their guns. (I say "special risk" because obviously just the general risk that any gun owner may misuse his guns can't be enough: If it were, no hearing would be needed, since such a risk is present for everyone.) In any case, this is an important decision, though just from a magistrate judge. For other cases in which the Second Amendment has been relied on in a claimant's favor, see here, here, and here. But none of these cases involved a holding that a gun control law was unconstitutional, even as applied to a particular claimant. For other views on gun possession by indictees, see State v. Winkelman, 442 N.E.2d 811 (Ohio Ct. App. 1981) (upholding a categorical ban on gun possession by indictees, though noting that it imposes only a "temporary limitation," with provision for relief "[s]hould the temporary limitation work an undue hardship upon the indicted party"), overruled on other grounds, State v. Frederick, 1989 WL 80493 (Ohio Ct. App.); State v. In, 18 P.3d 500, 503 (Utah. Ct. App. 2000) (also stating that such a ban is constitutional, but without a detailed explanation). Compare State v. Spiers, 79 P.3d 30, 34-35 (Wash. Ct. App. 2003) (ambiguous on whether a categorical ban on gun possession by certain kinds of indictees was constitutional, or on whether such a ban was constitutional when there was a finding that the indictee "poses substantial danger"). Related Posts (on one page): Another Case Holding a Gun Control Provision of the Adam Walsh Act Unconstitutional: The First (?) Post-Heller Case Holding a Gun Control Law Unconstitutional: | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
So... yesterday I realized that I have never really drawn Chrysalis, so I sketched a couple of doodles while at school...It is satisfying how my pc works without blue screening every now and then.What's a little less satisfying is the overall result of my work. I mean, I am satisfied with the outcome, but not as I would like....I think this is what pushes people to do always better, isn't it?Anyway, have this awesomely evil Queen Chrisalis.Damn she's sexy. I think I have a new fav villain.Peace | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | OpenWebText2 |
To Forge a Queen
By
William J. Carty Jr.
Copyright 2015
# Smashwords Edition, License Notes
Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.
Other titles by the author:
Every Last Mother's Child
### To Forge a Queen
### By
### William J. Carty Jr.
# Prologue
The cadets filed into the class room. They quickly took their seats. The time for horse play and chatter was over. All of the cadets were first year cadets or freshmen of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets. The academy that trained young people to become officers of the Home Guard, the Home Patrol, the Crown Maritime Rescue Service, and the Home Emergency Response Team for the Kingdom of Home. They would be officers of the militia, planetary police, the ocean rescue service, and the special extra planetary and system group that the crown used to help others off the planet of Home and in the conglomeration of star systems that was the Kingdom of Home. This class was one of several required classes for all first year cadets, and to fail this class was to be dismissed from the corps. Many of the cadets had over the course of their prior education; before being appointed to the academy; had sat through parts of this class. Every year of their elementary education, and their secondary schooling they had been exposed to parts of this required class, but not as a whole complete class on this one subject.
Most of the first year history classes at the academy dealt with the evacuation of Trena and the founding of Home. Throughout their career at the academy they would be exposed to the history of the evacuation. This course discussed how their corps of cadets came about. The lecturer would lecture on the evacuation of Trena that had brought about the creation of the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadets.
Sitting near the front of the class was Princess Lisa. The princess would be the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Home. She was anxious to hear the story of her great, great, great grandmother who helped to establish the corps. Sitting with her were her cousins, T'harla Atomi, Delores Green, Valerie Morgan, and her Aunt Lamile Mitchum who was all of 19 standard years old and the oldest of them all. They could all trace their linage back to the very first young people to be a cadet in this academy. All of them had heard the stories of the evacuation and the early academy years, but these were second and third hand narratives from their parents who had gotten it from their grandparents. None of them had heard it from one person who had been there.
General Jones, today's lecturer had been there. She was the oldest sentient being from that time two hundred years ago. The General who was commander of one the action teams of the Home Emergency Respond Team spent a lot of her time deployed with her Team helping to resolve some of the catastrophes affecting the citizens of the Home Star Nation. She only got to Home occasionally; but always for the Landing Day Celebrations.
It was that day, two hundred years ago, when the very first Queen had landed on the planet Home and became the first monarch of Home. This year would be the two hundred and sixth anniversary of that day when Home became a nation. She never missed the celebration.
All of the cadets waited for the general to arrive. The Princess along with her cousins and aunt had listened to the general tell various stories of the evacuation but only as she talked with her parents and grandparents. From what the older cadets had said, this lecture was something special and the General didn't do it for every class, but when she did do it; it was only the freshmen class that received the privilege of hearing the General's lecture about the founding of their academy and corps.
"Room Atten-hut!" a cadet called from the back of the room as the general entered the class. The cadets came to their feet while the general walked to the podium. It was hard to believe that the five eight, one hundred and forty pound thirty something appearing general officer was over two hundred years old. The cadets waited for the general to speak before they took their seats.
"Be seated," the general's soft voice was heard clearly in the class room.
As the general waited for the cadets to take their seats again, she observed the newest class of Home's future leaders. There were many faces she knew and many she did not; but even then she knew most of their family members. They had either sat in her lecture, or like her aid the son or granddaughter of an officer or person who had served with her through the years. She saw the Princess, and the cadets sitting around her. She had known every one of their grandparents. She had been witness to their triumphs and failures; first as cadets, then as officers. One or two of their grandparents, like Lieutenant Anderson, her aide, who was sitting in the back of the class room, the great grandson of her sergeant had become her aides over the preceding two centuries.
Finally with the cadets in their seats again, the human looking sentient being known as a humbot, gathered herself together and began to speak.
"Good day cadets," the general began, "I am General Alice Jones, Commander of Team One, of the Home Emergency Response Team. Over the next few weeks I will be lecturing about the evacuation that brought us all here to Home and the formation of your corps. As many of you know, I was part of the evacuation security team. As part of a future lecture, I will discuss how I came about, and the security issues concerning the evacuation.
"Let's start off with why the evacuation occurred then we'll move in what direction seems appropriate." The general started her lecture in earnest.
###
"It was the 418th year after landing." The general began, "And we were in trouble. We were not a sleepy little back water rinky dink independent star nation. Nor was Trena a quant tourist world. No we were at the crossroads of the galaxy. We were the one place in this part of the galaxy that many star nations, and their shippers used to get their wares and goods to other star nations such as the Republic of the Stars, and the Theocracy, and of course the Terrestrial Empire, and the Thonian Realm. At one point we transshipped over seventy percent of the goods going between the Empire and the Realm.
"We were quite prosperous," the general continued, "Although we experienced the turmoil that a crossroads could be; for the most part we were a peaceful star nation. Preferring to trade with even our most cantankerous neighbors, like the Republic or the Theocracy, instead of going to war them. When our neighbors tried to invade us ... well we made sure with our friends that their attack was beaten back. They never did learn that an unruly Trena as an occupied colony was not as good as a trading partner. Even at the end they hadn't learned that lesson. But that wasn't the cause of our trouble.
"No our trouble wasn't from our neighbors," the general continued, "but a combination of natural and man made events caused us to take refuge on Home."
Suddenly the room became a three dimensional theatre. The holo plunged the class into a space battle. It was a contest between two ships. The cadets couldn't determine who they belonged to. The general narrated what they were observing, "Although this battle occurred a full two centuries before Trena was inhabited, no one was aware that it had happened. The thonian Battleship the Peace Keeper's Challenge was involved in a running battle with a pirate, it was believed to be a pirate from what would become the Republic of the Stars, for several days. As you can see the Thonians won the day; but at great cost. They dumped their magazines. They dumped all of their weapons including a now outlawed planet buster bomb. The bomb had been made useless or so the Challenger's weapons people thought."
The holo changed to the now very familiar imagery of how Trena had died. All of the young people had seen this imagery time and time again. This time General Jones narrated what they were seeing.
"I had not been created yet, so I did not witness these events." The humbot said softly. "Everyone had watched in awe as the comet invaded the asteroid belt. It didn't have a jazzy name just a number. Trena-10. They had been knocking about the Trena Solar System for millions of years." The imagery showed two of them traveling together. "The Astros guys believed there had been two of them. That is until the larger of the two was destroyed when it had collided with a small airless world about 2 Astronomical Units out from the Trena primary creating Trena's second asteroid field." The imagery showed the creation of second asteroid field.
"The smaller of the two comets had survived the destruction of the larger." The general's soft voice filled the classroom, "Even though a chunk of the larger comet had hit it, it survived." The holo showed the smaller comet being bounced above the asteroid field that the larger comet had created, and would ensure its survival for millions of years.
"Our families watched in awe as the comet's successful navigation of the Cheryl Asteroid Field ended in a spectacular collision with an asteroid of modest size." The general's voice highlighted the collision of the comet with an asteroid of several hundred miles in diameter. It was halved by the collision. The bigger of the two rocks tumbled into another asteroid. It was like someone had set up a classic dominoes demonstration where one stared to fall and soon they all began tumbling into each other. One asteroid colliding with another and another until several large asteroids had had their orbits changed. What was left of the comet and one large asteroid were now traveling together away from Trena, and appeared to be headed out of the system.
"The authorities on Trena had been aware for months that this was going to happen." The General continued, "They had taken steps in the asteroid belt to make sure none of the mining interests that provided our late world with the metals both precious, and those needed to support our nation would be harmed. The Crown had studied several of the possible outcomes of the impact. There were a couple far out ones where the domino effect would happen. The crown authorities had taken what precautions they thought prudent for a cosmic incident. It was really a cosmic event; one that had never been recorded in any inhabited star system ever. It was widely believed that the one or two of the worse scenarios wouldn't happen. The collision itself had been highly improbable; the odds of it happening were nearly incalculable."
"The authorities felt the one or two serious events would be nearly impossible. The Queen's advisors had thought of every conceivable thing that could happen; they hadn't a glimmer of what would actually happen."
"This is one of the scenarios that the crown thought scientists might happen," The holo displayed an asteroid destroying one of the smelters. The smelters were used to reduce the asteroids to their base components. The simulation showed a fiery explosion as the smelter was destroyed. Then it morphed back into a normal unharmed state. The general continued, "Which as you know didn't happened"
"With the cosmic drama seemingly over the people of Trena went about their everyday affairs," Alice Jones voice was heard over the holos showing the resumption of the mining of the asteroids, and the loading of the large interstellar capable cargo ships their holds being filled with thousands of cargo containers in orbit about Trena. "Life went on. For many months we had no idea that a disaster was about to befall us that would impact our people and this region of the galaxy for all time. All because of the remains of the space battle and this piece of sky junk. Miraculously the pair managed to not collide with any other objects natural or manmade."
The class continued to watch as the comet and now a small asteroid, traveled through the Trena solar system. A trajectory appeared on the holo showing the forecasted path through the system. On the forecasted track it wouldn't come close to any other object. Suddenly the trajectory ended in a brilliant flash of light.
"That explosion caught the authorities by surprise," the General's voice broke into the silent class room as the holo faithfully recreated the explosion. As everyone knew sound couldn't travel in the vacuum of space, so the explosion had been eerily quiet. "Remember this little bad boy?"
A three dimensional engineering drawing of a thonian planet buster bomb was displayed in the class room. It wasn't large just six feet long and a foot in diameter.
"Although technically illegal," the general's voice continued to fill the class room, "so called planet buster bombs are owned by many star nations. This one was owned by the thonians."
The imagery changed to show a re-enactment of the comet colliding with the bomb.
"Normally," General Jones' voice still softly filled the class room as she narrated what was being shown, "Once a PB is made in operable, it can be dropped into star and still not detonate. In this case the self-destruct circuitry had failed. It had worked partially. The bomb was rendered harmless. It couldn't detonate. Or so the Peace Keeper's Challenge crew thought. But when several million tons of comet collided with the ancient bomb it was too much for its safeties to prevent its arming sequence from completing its program. It wasn't a big bomb for such a device but it was big enough.
"It was a gravity bomb, designed to alter the gravity of the planet it hit. It was designed to rip a planet out of its orbit and causing catastrophic damage. Having no planet to interact with, it vented its micro short lived black hole in such a way that its gravitational field caused the orbits of thousands of nearby asteroids of all sizes to be ripped from what had been stable orbits."
The presentation now showed the effects on the nearby asteroids, many as close as a thousand miles away. Only a small portion of the field was affected. It was enough though. The asteroids, whose orbits had been stable for millions years were no longer stable. Now thousands of once stable asteroids were in motion. A new trajectory was superimposed in the holo. It ended at Trena. Although not many, not even a tenth of the entire field would fall on the capital world, it would be enough to destroy the planet of Trena.
"If Trena had been as much as four days further along in its orbit." The general began to wind up the lecture. "It would have been impacted a thousand years later, one day the other way and most of the fragments would have missed it. However, Fate or the Gods conspired against our small independent free world of Trena. When DefConnie put it together we found out or beloved Trena would come to a spectacular end in less than a standard year.
"This is how the great diaspora from Trena to Home was caused." The general finished the meat of her lecture as the holo presentation ended and the classroom's lights came back on.
"General," one of the cadets raised his hand when the general paused, "Why didn't they try to clear the asteroids?"
"They did," the general replied, "The Thonian's feeling responsible for what happened tried to detonate a smaller planet buster in the hopes they could destroy or possibly change the course of the asteroids. The thinking being that if they could be slowed down they would miss Trena altogether. The bomb went off prematurely because one of AIs at the Mountain, Trena Defense Headquarters, had somehow gotten into its program and caused it to go off in the wrong place. The bomb, when it went off seemed to consolidate the asteroids into a tighter pattern and pushed them towards Trena. Before the bomb went off, many of the asteroids would have missed Trena. Even so the ones that the Crown knew were going to hit would cause catastrophic damage to the planet. After the bomb went off most if not all would now hit Trena."
"General," Princess Lisa asked, "Why didn't our ancestors build a refuge in orbit? Why come here? We had the resources of the entire Trena solar system. We could have built habitats on McKay, in the asteroids. We could have built habitats in and about Trena's off world territories. Why didn't we?"
"There were seventy million souls on Trena perhaps another million or so AIs planet wide. It was thought at the time that there was no way we could build enough space habitats to hold that many people that quickly. Also we were a planet based society and culture. We go to space, work in space and some of our people lived in space; but loads more didn't and we didn't know if our people could all adapt to living in space."
Lieutenant Anderson cleared his throat a bit getting his general's attention. General Jones nodded and said, "We don't have much time left today, so I best get on to your assignment. By the end of this session you are required to turn in a paper on how the Queen's Own Corps of Cadets and this academy came about and who the important players were and what events transpired to bring your corps about. Read chapter one of your texts.
I plan to lecture on one chapter of the text every time we meet."
The class bell rang and the ranking cadet spoke, "Class Atten-hut!"
The cadets came to attention, and General Jones ordered, "Class dismissed."
The cadets filed out of the class room, leaving the general and her aide alone. As Alice packed up her things a startling black cat jumped up onto the desk. Alice petted the animal and asked, "What have you been up to Bugs?"
The cat purred a bit as his owner picked him up. The semi intelligent robotic cat looked and acted like a cat, only other cats knew he was a robot. They avoided him as they couldn't figure him out.
"Was I that young General," Lieutenant Anderson took his general's briefcase for her.
"Yes," Alice said, "But you turned out." He chuckled as they left the class room.
Chapter 1: That's Where You Went.
The cadets began to file into the class room for the next week's class. While they waited for the general to arrive they talked among themselves.
"What I don't understand," Georgia Hawthorne commented, "Is why Queen Jill was on Mars and not with Lord Wilson. That isn't discussed much in the reading from last night."
"When Great Grand Dad Mike left the empire," Princess Lisa replied, "he had to do so in a hurry. Great Grandmother Lisa was wanted by the Company. Seems she was an escaped biowoman. So the company wanted her back. But Great Grandfather Mike was not going to let that happen. He had lost her once and he wasn't about to lose the woman he loved disappear again, so he put his, 'papers' in," she put air quotes as she papers, "and left the Imperial Marines.
"With Grandma Lisa in tow, he left Earth and the empire Trena. Leaving Grandma Jill with Grandma Joyce," Princess Lisa finished up. Sometimes when she talked about her grandparents there were just too many grandmas in the story. Especially when she added the greats! Keeping those straight could be a challenge! "So leaving Queen Jill on Mars, with great, great, great, great, Grandma Joyce was the only viable option he had or so he thought. It was only when Queen Jill found out Grand Dad Mike and Grand Mom Lisa were on Trena did she leave for Trena."
"But how did she find out they were on Trena," T'harla Langtree one of many great, great nephews of David and Mylea Langtree asked, "Everything I have ever read about them had them trying to stay under the radar. So the company wouldn't come for them?"
"The company was indeed hunting for them," General Jones had quietly entered the room and was listening to the cadets before making her presence known.
"Room..." Princess Lisa began but the general interrupted her, "As you were cadets."
The cadets who were struggling to their feet stopped and sat back down.
"Yes the company was indeed trying to capture Lady Wilson and her husband, the Marshal." The humbot general took a seat among the cadets, "They had been living on
Trena for several years when the emergency began."
"General we all know that Queen Agatha reached down for Granddad Mike," Lamile Mitchum commented and then asked, "But how did Grand Mom Jill find out they were on Trena?"
"Didn't you read the assignment Cadet Mitchum," The human looking robot asked an eyebrow rose as if in accusation. To look at the 200 year old sentient computer, one would never think she was anything but a human!
"Yes ma'am," the young cadet replied, "I guess I just don't get it. It seems strange that our great, great grandmother would at seventeen be doing things like that search she was doing."
"If you had known Queen Jill you wouldn't be asking that question." The general replied. She pondered if she should speak of her association with the first queen of Home. In the end she decided not yet. Instead she decided to begin the session by lecturing on how young Jill was informed of the evacuation and where her father was.
###
Jill Wilson had been studying in her room in her grandmother's home, on Mars, when the computer beeped for attention. The teenager quickly turned from the homework she was struggling with to see why the computer was clambering for her attention. Although she could use the distraction, her homework was especially tedious tonight, she hoped it wasn't one of her friends wanting to chat without their parents knowing they were goofing off. She really needed to get the report for her interstellar history class done. She should have done it a week ago! She had been procrastinating for the whole term! When she saw what the expert system was trying to get her attention about, all thoughts of homework vanished.
Years ago when one of her classes required her to research current events on something, (she had forgot what after all these years,) she realized she could set up a search for her father. True it was only public news media data bases, to her young mind she thought she might find him. Her initial data mining turned up the two Imperial Medal of Honor he had been awarded; his knighthood; and his non classified military service record. Stuff she already knew about. She left the program run. Over the four years her expert system had been running she had forgotten it was still running. Now the terminal in her room was reporting that the data mining had finally found something on her father.
"Girl Friend sho0w me what you have found," Jill addressed the computer.
"Sure thing," a teenage girl spoke from the terminal.
She wondered what the computer had found about her father. Her father had left the empire five years ago, just left with someone she knew about; but hadn't met. For years she had thought that it had been something she had said or done. But later, she had received a letter from her father that explained why he had left the empire. It had answered some of the mystery of his abandonment of her. He had explained why he felt that he had to go away. Not where, but why. It had been barely enough to make her feel better or at least less guilty. Although she resented his treatment of her, she still loved him and longed to have him back in her life. Since her mother had died giving birth to her, she only had her grandmother and her father. Grandma was great; but she wasn't dad. There was nothing in the letter that told her where he was. It was hand written! Finally after all these years, the computer was reporting that it had found something about her father!
When she told the computer to display what it had found, a royal crest floated in the air over the teenager's desk as the computer presented it as a holographic display with music filling the room. As the image faded she realized that the crest was that of the Kingdom of Trena; a small independent star nation between the empire and the realm. The crest faded to show a young woman who appeared not much older than herself seated on the edge of a plain white desk with few accouterments. She stood up and seemed to walk towards her. The woman was dressed in a plain business suite. Once standing in the middle of the room she began speaking.
"Good evening," The Queen began, "I am sorry to interrupt your evening, but it cannot be helped. I too wanted to see the Royals smash the Manglers in the finals." She gave a smile that seemed sad. "But my people I have a message that cannot wait much longer to share with you. I wish I could give you time to get use to what I am about to share with you, to feed the news to you in small edible bites, or to sugarcoat it, but I am forced to be blunt. "
"A terrible tragedy is about to befall our beloved home world. By the winter holidays Trena will have been destroyed by the remnants of a couple errant pieces of sky junk. The imagery now playing on your receivers shows how Trena will die." The sound continued but now the woman's image was superimposed by a map of a solar system and a video that showed how the disaster started and what was expected to happen. A time line was superimposed on the images showing when things had to be done. The last scenes showed asteroids impacting on the planet.
"This information was reported to me a while ago," the young woman said softly, "At first I couldn't believe it and had to have it rechecked and confirmed. The comet that we all watched in awe invade the Cheryl Asteroid belt then after being assured that it was of no further danger to us, thinking, we were safe from any further disaster from the comet as it appeared to be on its way out of the Trena Solar System we turned to other more important things in our lives.
"How I wish that were true. How I wish that was true." she repeated. "When I was informed of the disaster about to befall us I was stunned. Wanting to make sure that what I was being told was correct I had various authorities look at the data. The presentation that you are now seeing is the consensus of what they believe will happen to our lovely world. Yesterday I became convinced that the simulation I just shared with you will come to pass.
"Many of you, just as I did, will not want to believe this." She continued, "Some of you will seek to deny that our home world; which has nurtured us from our birth, or has given us a haven from danger, is doomed. Many of you may choose not to be evacuated, believing we are exaggerating the scope of the disaster. Some of you may even take actions that are totally unacceptable to your family, friends, and to me, your sovereign. I have authorized and commanded that the data that I have presented to you this evening be made public. It is now available in the Royal Library and can be reviewed by the people of Trena at any time.
"To answer one of the questions surely to be asked; can the militia do something about this? They have tried and failed, making matters much worse. For that you can blame me as I asked our friend's, the Thonians, to try to blow the asteroids out of the sky. Instead of clearing a path that Trena could glide through. It had the opposite effect of making the asteroids denser and now impossible to eradicate safely. My advisors have assured me that any type of clearing action now will make it much more disastrous.
"We must evacuate our world," The Queen said softly, her voice filled with tense emotion. "As much as I wish there was another way; there isn't. Today I have had to make a decision on how to accomplish this. In consultation with my government," The imagery had gone back to the office setting and showed the Queen standing with several people "and my trusted advisors; I have found an individual that is capable and willing to lead our evacuation effort."
"His name is Lord Michael Wilson," the Queen said as the image dissolved to show a tall husky man in the navy blue uniform of an Imperial Marine being invested as a Knight Commander of the Terrestrial Empire. As images showed this same marine being awarded the Imperial Medal of Honor, The Thonian Service Cross and presented a brief resume. The Queen's voice overlaid the imagery, "He is a peer of the House of Lords of the Terrestrial Empire. His is not a hereditary title. His title was earned through dedicated hard service and sacrifice to the Terrestrial Empire. He emigrated to Trena, where he quickly became a valued instructor at the Trenaport Mounted Police Academy, and at the University of Trena, where he teaches emergency management, law enforcement tactics and moral leadership to our planet's police officers. He is by far the most knowledgeable person on Trena, or off to help get every last mother's child off Trena. He may not have been born on Trena, but he has my confidence in his loyalty to us and our need. My people, and visitors to the Free State, I present to you the Marshal of the Trena Royal Constabulary, Lord Michael Wilson, our Commander of the Trena Evacuation Force."
She heard her father's name and saw the tall imposing figure of her middle aged father, the same man seen in the holos marched to where the Queen stood, taking his place beside her, He towered over the Queen at nearly six foot six. As soon as he was in place, a woman took a position beside him. The woman was a delta clone. One of the top of the line models from EBio. Jill knew who she was, the woman who her father had left the Empire with. The camera zoomed to show an older man in a black flowing robe standing before a large rock set on an ornate table set before the Queen's party.
The old man turned to her father who, was dressed in a scarlet uniform jacket and black trousers. There were five stars surrounding a crown on his collar. The man in the flowing robe indicated the rock that she could see had several names inscribed on it. "Lord
Wilson, place your hand on the Rock, and raise your left hand." Her father did as requested.
"Lord Michael Wilson, do you solemnly swear to protect and defend the people of Trena from all threats, against her and her people, whether they be foreign, domestic, natural or other?"
"I do," her father's baritone softly filled the room as he took the oath with one palm on the "Rock" and the other held in the classic position of oath taking.
"Upon your sacred honor, as you take this Oath of Duty and Fealty to the people of Trena, do you further swear that you hold no other commitments or reservations upon your time, including commissions in any foreign governmental or military organizations that would hinder you in serving the Kingdom of Trena and her people?" "I so swear!" Mike Wilson's voice boomed filling the room.
"Your Majesty," the justice turned to the sovereign, and then the assembled government officials, "Your lordships, Mr. President," then facing the camera the solemn man continued, "People of Trena, I give you our new duly installed, Commander of the Trena Evacuation Force, Marshal Lord Michael Wilson."
"Thank you, your Honor," He shook the official's hand and bowed to the sovereign, "Queen Agatha." then turned to the camera himself "People of Trena I will make this brief, as we don't have a lot of time for things like this.
"Our Queen has selected me to manage this Herculean task of getting every last one of you off-world. I promise you all that this task will be my only objective. I make this promise to you; that those of you on Trena today I will see that you are safely gotten off-world before it is too late. It is not going to be easy. There's going to be hard times. Some of you may not believe what is happening; others may believe that you have a better way to get things done.
"That is quite normal." He spoke calmly almost softly, "What I ask of you today is to continue on with your everyday affairs. Our world needs you at your jobs. Your families still have to eat and your landlord still needs his rent, and creditors need you to pay your bills so they can feed their families. Simply because we're going to evacuate Trena doesn't mean it's going to happen tomorrow. We all have to work together. Our farmers have to transport their goods to market, and our factories have to build what we will need to evacuate all of us. Without you we can't make the evacuation happen!
"But more importantly, it will take us all working together to get every last mother's child off Trena. So before you ask what the crown can do to help you, ask what you can do to help the crown get us all off world. That's all I have to say at this time, I'll be in touch over the next few weeks."
The air in the bedroom sparkled as the holo faded Jill ran out of her bedroom and to the spa where her grandmother was relaxing as she normally did in the evening after their diner.
"Grandma," The seventeen year old granddaughter of the retired admiral broke into spa. The teenager knew that when her grandmother was in the spa-bath at this time of night that it was her quiet time. It was the time of day when her grandmother Joyce could let her hair down and not be bothered. This was usually after dinner and she was generally alone, with only her thoughts for company, this quiet meditation time was a tradition her grandmother had begun when she had been appointed as the commander of PriFly, the Interstellar Rescue Service base that trained pilots for its Rescue and Hospital Patrol Ships. She had needed the quiet time to review the day and get her head straight. It was the only place in the house where there was no communicators, holosets, or computers. Only a small audio player in the corner that played music was the only electronics in the room. And it wasn't even hooked to house network. It was a place of solitude that was suddenly broken by Jill. "I'm sorry to disturb you; but Dad's in the news!"
"What!" The seventy year old woman shot up in the whirl pool bath, dripping water on the floor of the spa. She quickly climbed out and threw the robe around her that Jill handed her. Then she accompanied Jill to her bedroom where teenager replayed the whole video.
They looked good; the retired admiral thought. She hadn't seen her step-son since he had left the empire. But that didn't mean she didn't keep tabs on him. The current ambassador to the Court of Trena was her old academy roommate. Amanda always forwarded what news she had of Mike and his family. She knew she had another grandchild. She even had pictures; but she didn't share them with Jill, as she knew Jill would be all over her to go to her father. She also didn't want to give him away to the people who were chasing him. It was one of the really few secrets she kept from her granddaughter.
"Do you think he's been on Trena all this time?" Jill asked. Her father had just picked up one day and vanished. She had been terribly hurt; it was only her grandmother and time that eased; but not totally resolved her hurt feelings.
Joyce Wilson was quiet for a while; pretending to focus on the news report she was seeing. She didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings. They had developed a close bond and while Jill could be a handful, she trusted her grandmother. This could break that trust. She pondered how she could tell Jill what she knew and how much she should tell her.
"It's the news media Admiral," French, the house AI called from the speakers of the holoset interrupting her thoughts "They are requesting that you make a statement about the situation on Trena."
"No comment," Joyce said, "Any news media representatives are to be told that there will not be a statement of any type. Have Louis set the perimeter security to: hard on. Then put on the beacon that we are not accepting visitors. The Wilson family is not accepting calls from anyone that is not on you're A list. Unwelcome visitors will be dealt with as harshly as the law permits."
"Yes Ma'am," The computer said. "I am posting the notice now."
The retired admiral who had commanded landing craft wings in battle was scared to death to come clean about how long she had known her step son was on Trena.
"French," The admiral called, thinking she had way to delay the inevitable. "Please record the following!"
"Recording," The AI droned.
"Message to Marshal Wilson." Her grandmother began, "Care of General Delivery; The Kingdom of Trena."
"Congratulations, on your posting as Marshal of Trena. I thought you were trying to maintain a low profile? Did you forget?
"You and Lisa look great! Some company you keep! Your boss looks beautiful.
Leave it to you find a beautiful woman to be your Boss!"
"Hi dad! It's Jill! I miss you! I love you and really want to see you! Can I come and be with you." She wanted to say more but she wasn't certain that her grandmother wouldn't edited it out of the message. She would send one later that was more personal.
"So do I son. Hurry home when you can! And bring your family!" Jill threw the camera a kiss, and Joyce said, "French; send it!" "Done," The voice said.
"Grandma, let's go to dad's," The teenager asked, then pleaded, "Please!"
"Jill," the retired admiral looked at her granddaughter, "This isn't the time to visit him. I am not even sure we could get clearance into Trena Space right now. That has to be an exit only area. It's not going to be a good place to be."
"But where will he go!" Jill asked, "Maybe now I can be with him!"
It was tempting to take the Traveling Lady, her yacht, to Trena and see her son. Jill was right it had been too long since Jill had been with her father. Jill was also right in another way though, she needed to be with her father. With every passing day her grandmother understood why young people were blessed with the adventure of raising children. Their younger minds, spirits, and bodies were better able to deal with the adventure of raising children. She had never raised children of her own. By the time she had finally married at age forty, she still had years of space duty she had to endure, and then Michael's father died the second year of their marriage; never giving her the chance to raise their children. Michael was a young marine when she had first met the young man who would become her son. She had raised Jill. Joyce had raised the girl as though Jill was her own child. The retired admiral was the closest thing to a mother that Jill would ever have, as Jill's mother had died in childbirth. Although rare, it still happened.
Knowing that he still had years of space duty, Michael had helped her buy the large estate on Mars that she retired to. Letting everyone think he had helped her buy it when in fact he had purchased the old property and then went on to update the property. By the time they moved in, only EmpQuar, the home of the emperor was more secure. When her son, she never thought of him as a step son, had non-dependent tours, where he couldn't have his family with him, Jill stayed with her grandmother. For most of Jill's toddler years her father had many no dependent tours with the Black Guard. Even when he later joined the
MPs he still had few dependent tours. As such Joyce had mostly raised her granddaughter.
A few years later when he had been injured he had been assigned to the Capital Marine Barracks as the Chief MP for the capital. With the new assignment he had been promoted to Chief Master Gunnery Sergeant. He had received the new position based on his second Imperial Medal of Honor and being bestowed a Knight Commander of the Empire. For a handful of years he had been home to help raise Jill. She hadn't realized that she needed the help. Unfortunately that didn't last.
"No Jill," Grandma Wilson said sadly, "as much as I would like to; now's not the time."
The next morning Jill was gone. She had left a note that simply said, "Gone to dad's
I'll write!"
She never did write her father a more private note thinking the sooner she got there the better. Then she could have it out with him.
By the time Admiral Wilson found the note, the girl had been gone nearly eighteen hours, and had already cleared Earth space.
# ###
The end of class of bell rang and the cadets began to file out. When they were gone the princess who had been hanging back while the others filed out was noticed by the general.
"Yes princess," the general asked.
"General," Princess Lisa asked, "I have been trying to find something about grandma Jill's real mother, not grandma Lisa, can you give me any place to look?"
"Not much is known about the Queen's birth mother," the general replied, "We know she was an only child. We think her parents were part of a free trader crew. Lord Wilson met her on the Bella station when his Hospital Patrol Ship was docked. He was part of the Special Forces unit assigned to the ship. For about a year the two ships were on the same schedule and they began their romance. The best we can tell Killeen's parents were pacifists and strongly objected to their daughter's romance and marriage to an imperial marine. They objected to the point of shunning her when they married. They never knew they had a granddaughter."
"I see." the young princess commented softly, "The other thing that has got me bugged is that when one of my friend's father was posted MIA, she was very angry. She's still not over that business. Yet there is little mention of how Queen Jill felt about her father abandoning her and discovering him on Trena."
"Have you read her diaries?" the General asked.
"I didn't know she kept any diary," The future queen of Home commented, "Would they be in the library?"
"Yes," the humbot said as she made a call to Librarian AI. Within seconds she had found the diary, "See the Librarian. He has a copy for you. They are all hand written. And the queen's handwriting was never the best. You might find the information you seek in them."
"Thank you ma'am," Princess Lisa left the class room. During her free time that evening she went to the library and began to read her great grandmother's diary.
# Chapter 2: Journey to Trena
It was a week later and Princess Lisa was hurrying towards Marshal Langtree Hall where their history class was being held. She had been reading Queen Jill's diary, trying to understand more about her great grandmother when time had gotten away from her and she was late to class. She was almost to the hall when a voice yelled, "Raw Meat!" "Yes Sir," She came to attention.
"I didn't give you permission speak," the second year cadet yelled, "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"
"Yes sir!" she answered wondering if she was getting more grief because of who she was.
"Why," the second year cadet asked, "aren't you?"
"I was studying sir and time got away from me," The Princess answered.
"Let me see your butcher bill," the cadet asked, "You have to learn how to better use your time wisely."
The cadet knew what bill he was talking about; she uncovered and took her demerit book out of her hat. The Princess handed the book that held her demerit record to the senior cadet.
"One demerit Cadet!" the senior cadet said entering the demerit in her book, "for being late!"
"Yes sir," the young woman responded. The Princess recovered her book and put her cover back on and saluted the cadet until he saluted. When he was gone Princess Lisa visibly slumped and hustled on to history class.
"Glad you can join us cadet," the general called as the young girl entered the classroom. "Take your seat."
She had been looking out the window as the class assembled and had seen the upper classman hand out the demerits and had decided to not add salt to the wound. She smiled a bit remembering when she had been first assigned to academy two centuries before. She always thought it a miracle there were so few resignations over the way the senior cadets tenderized the raw meat, as they called their hazing of the first year cadets.
"Now that we are all here," the general began, "We're going to talk briefly about Queen Jill's journey to Trena.
"Being a security officer in my early career it has always amazed me how easy it was for Jill to get to Trena," the general continued, "But she did."
As the general began speaking the young Princess settled down to listen to the senior officer.
# ###
She had been surprised at how easy it had been to get a ticket to Trena. She had her military dependent's ID and what appeared to be a letter from her father requesting that she join him on Trena where he was supposedly part of the permanent MP unit stationed with the Imperial Marine contingent at the Imperial Embassy on Trena. She had spent most of the night working on a set of forged documents that supported her trip to Trena. The Empire even paid her fare. As the daughter of a serving enlisted man, going to join her father, on his current assignment, were dependents were allowed, they paid for the fare. Although her ID showed her current status as the daughter of a marine enlisted man; the cloned human who was the shipping lines ticket clerk recognized the name. The girl's documents were plainly forgeries. The clone thought for a second and allowed the girl to travel. As the girl went to the waiting area, the Beta biowoman quickly created new documents for the nervous girl.
"Miss Wilson," the bioengineered woman came up to the girl as she waited to be called to board the shuttle to the liner, "I need to see your papers again. I think I messed up on the bookings."
Jill nervously handed the ticket package back to the clone, afraid that she had been busted. She looked around nervously expecting to see her grandmother or the MPs to take her back to her grandmother's home. But no, the clone handed her the ticket package back. Jill didn't notice at the time that the clone had switched her papers out. It wasn't until she was on the shuttle did Jill realize the ones she had been handed back looked more official than what she had started off with. In fact what she received from the clone were the official forms filled out with all the official seals and documentation to accompany them.
Unknown to Jill she had stumbled onto one of the station masters of the Biopeople's Underground Railroad. Biopeople escaping their indentures sometimes needed help to get to safety. The railroad modeled after the underground railway of the 19th century or 3rd century before empire that helped to get the slaves of that era to freedom. The Imperial Bureau of Justice knew of the railroad and some of the station masters on the road, the bureau made no effort to shut it down. This was not the first time this station master was breaking rules, the Beta bioperson had done so for others less deserving souls than Sergeant Wilson's daughter. She was not to allow norms, non-bioengineered humans, to use the railway. Although the girl wasn't on the railway, the biowomen let the station masters down the line know Jill Wilson was on her way to Trena, to be with her father.
Like many of her brothers and sisters the beta biowoman would do anything they could to help this marine, including seeing that his daughter could join him. The girl's family had sacrificed much for the biopeople. This girl's grandfather had been killed trying to infiltrate an EBio world. As Jill's shuttle launched to the liner, a fast mail boat was taking a piece of innocuous mail to the other stations on the Trena route of the railroad.
Once aboard the Star Mist, Jill found herself in a cabin that was considerably tinier than any room she had ever slept in. Although she would have preferred something larger, as a marine dependent she couldn't ask for any special privileges. Jill caught the aroma of fresh cooking, feeling suddenly ravenous she went in search of the dining room and found the line for breakfast. While waiting in line for breakfast, she saw a man who she recalled as having been in her father's MP unit at the Marine's Capital Barracks on Earth, noticed her. He had obviously left the marines and was now one of the security officers on the liner.
I'll have to greet him before we land, she thought to herself.
John Gordon recognized the young woman standing in line for breakfast. He was pretty sure he had seen her with his Sergeant at the capital barracks when she had visited her father. Sergeant Wilson's, his sergeant, had displayed holos on the back of his desk in Sarge's office at the Capital Marine's MP headquarters. She was older, but John could see that this was the same girl. Sarge had helped him get his stuff together and now although he had left the Marine Corps, he was still in law enforcement, at least generally, and he felt he owed his old sergeant a favor or two. John had been on duty the night Chief Master Gunnery Sergeant Wilson had left the barracks with a prisoner, who it turned out that he owned. On arrival at Aeries Station, he decided to send a message to the girl's family, to let them know that Jill had gotten that far safely.
At Aeries Station, a Captain from the Interstellar Rescue Service, who had dined with her grandmother quite often, saw Jill as she left the Star Mist heading for her next connection. The Captain, who was in route to his next duty station, where he would become the Commander of the Space and Air Group on board the attack carrier War Spear, offered to buy her dinner.
Jill felt fortunate that her grandmother's friend would offer to treat her to a meal. She didn't leave home with many imperials and was wondering if she would have a vending machine dinner of a nutrition bar and a cup of water, this would be much better. She eagerly accepted his kind offer. Over dinner as they spoke, Jill was surprised. Jill had thought it would be the typical conversation of a friend of her grandmother's making nice to her. It was far from that.
"Where you headed Miss Wilson?" the man asked as he held her chair while she sat.
"Trena," Jill said, "Grand mom wants me to be educated at the Trenaport Boarding School."
"What you do? Tick off the Iron Maiden so she's sending you away?" the captain used her grandmother's nick name.
"No! Grandma Wilson thought that getting off Mars for a while to go to a school outside the Empire might be good for me." Jill replied, "It was my choice to go to Trenaport
Boarding School."
"I have heard of that school," The Captain said, "It is very good. They have a lot of our service kids there, even a few others, including some Thonians. It's a great melting pot. My wife spent some time there. It's in Trenaport isn't it? Will you be boarding at the school?"
"Yes," Jill replied.
"Trena's a beautiful place." The captain continued. She had little or no idea what Trena was really like. So she settled back and listened to the captain.
"My wife grew up on Trena," The captain said, "Her father was a member of the Marine contingent at our embassy there. I've been back with her a couple of times. It's a beautiful world. If you get a chance you should go over to Princess Falls. It's a water fall that is breath taking. It's a horseshoe that drops into the ocean on the west coast of Main. The thing has got to be three or four miles across. Getting there about sunset makes the water sparkle as it catches the spray and causes rainbows all over the area."
"It sounds beautiful," Jill remarked. Jill had learned a long time ago with all the military officers that frequented her grandmother's table that they often saw sights and things that were not always the horror of war, or of human suffering.
"It is," the captain said, stopping long enough to order their meal, "But you'll want to check out Trenaport Beach. There is one section that seems to stretch on forever, pristine sand that just goes on and on. The crown has prevented any housing or development on it so there is nothing on it. You can walk for miles without seeing another person. It's just like it was when James McAllister found it four hundred years ago."
She listened to the officer talk about Trena. He suggested that she go to the north of Trenaport to see the ice caves. Surprisingly it was an enjoyable dinner with the captain.
Never once did he ask how she was doing in school. He treated her as an equal not the granddaughter of a senior officer.
As they finished diner he commented, "I hope you enjoy your time on Trena!" It was obvious the captain hadn't heard about the Trena disaster.
Jill would remember this all her life. He escorted her to the ship that would take her on the next leg of her journey.
The Captain, in a letter to his wife that night wrote how he had stumbled across the admiral's granddaughter, and how the young woman had carried herself. Commenting that for a young lady of her upbringing, her manners were better than half the young supposedly officer material candidates that were coming out of the academy.
###
The station master for the Underground Railroad on the Rio Lobo space station was an old prostitute known as Thunder. Through the imperial mail boat that made the trip from Earth Space to Rio Lobo in a third of the time Jill's liner did, she had received word that the daughter of Sergeant Wilson was on her way to Trena via Rio Lobo. Trena was one of the final destinations on the railroad for biopeople fleeing EBio and the empire. When she later learned that the girl had ran away from her grandmother's home on Mars, she was torn between helping the authorities to return the girl to Mars, or helping her on her way to Trena. Thunder was pondering what she was going to do when the beat cop for the neighborhood where her bar was located, came in for a cup of coffee. She tried to hide the photo of the girl from the cop; but she wasn't fast enough.
"What do you have there, Thunder?" the cop asked as she poured him a cup of coffee. He picked up the photo of Jill. "Pretty girl, is she one of yours?"
"Did you ever hear about a Sergeant Wilson in the station's MP unit?" Thunder asked knowing she wasn't going to be able to get around this young cop's questions, nor did she want to as he sometimes, though unwittingly, helped her get her passengers along the railway.
"No," the cop replied.
"He was before your time. He was a Marine MP," Thunder continued, "who helped me out years ago when one the officers off an IRS hospital ship had raped me. He made sure that sorry piece human offal was sent to Dungeon."
The young cop nodded he knew of Dungeon. It was a prison world where the empire and other star nations sent the very worse of their criminal element they convicted.
"Anyways that's his daughter," The old prostitute continued. "You haven't seen her have you?"
"No." The young man asked, "I haven't, why?"
"Her ship is due today or tomorrow," Thunder answered. "Could you keep an eye for her? I owe it to Sarge that she is looked after on her lay over." "What do you want me to do?" the young man asked.
"Let me know if you see her." Thunder asked. She had decided that since the girl was going on to Trena one of the destinations on the railroad that she couldn't risk blowing her cover and return the young woman to her grandmother. But there was no reason why she couldn't put the fear of god into her old friend's daughter however. She was going to look after the girl just not in the way the young cop thought.
# ###
The next ship of the journey was not as spacious as the first one. To Jill's astonishment she found that they could fit a room in an even smaller space than the last one. It held just a bed, a wall light and two drop-down shelves which would have to be raised at night in order to sleep without banging into them if she got up in the night to go to the toilet down the passage. Lucky me she thought, that I didn't bring much with me. Food wasn't as available either. The crew on this ship wasn't as pampered as the last one either, and Jill found that because she was on a dependent fare she had to eat in the crew mess. After she got used to the hours though; she really liked the crew meals. The crew was generally friendly and easy-going. One of the purser's crew had been very helpful, showing her where everything was located on the ship. They kidded and joked with him about adopting a mascot. She didn't care as it made her feel a little less lonely so far from everything she'd ever known before.
His name was Memo, as he a very good memory. He was a conductor on the railroad, and a sometime stringer for the Corps de Chameleon, the imperial intelligence service. He watched the youngster leave the mess room, which was the third shift's gathering spot, to head back to her room. He mentally checked his memory and realized that the girl was the person he was to conduct on his part of the railroad. The crew knew he was one of the purser's office staff, but had no idea he was a conductor on the railroad. Only a few biopeople knew about the railroad and fewer non bios did. He had helped many people including one legendary bioperson who he had seen a couple of weeks back standing next to Sergeant Wilson. Now here was his daughter traveling to Trena. He had to get to get her on to Trena. Safely!
By the time the ship had reached Rio Lobo, Jill was going stir-crazy. With no room on the ship to stretch her legs, she had to get off the liner for a bit. It had been over a week, a week of sitting around and hardly getting any opportunity to see the passenger level where the passenger gym was located. The crew wasn't allowed to use it. As a "freeloader" according to some of the more snobby crew members, she deserved the bare minimum of privileges. She was thoroughly bored and felt cooped up. The stop at Rio Lobo was a transfer point. But she would have to stay overnight on the station. Having no money for a hotel she thought she would wander the station. She found a plaza after a bit of wandering the station. After enjoying the freedom of being able to walk more than fifty feet in any one direction, she sat down at a table in one of the outdoor cafes around the plaza.
Although she didn't notice him, Memo was watching Jill, as she left the ship. He was running an errand for the ship's purser, to pick up some packages waiting for them at the station's drop shipment office. This had given him the opportunity to escort the girl around without the girl knowing about it. He was surprised when she had sat down in a restaurant patronized by the working boys and girls of Rio Lobo. She couldn't have known that she had. When he realized that it was Thunder's place, he smiled a bit, wondering how Thunder would handle things. Thunder was the next station master in the line to get Miss Wilson down the line and owned the bar she had sat down in front of. She had likely picked it because it had a casual relaxed feel about it, with people strolling among the tables and chatting, then wandering away with someone. The naive girl had no idea what looked like a friendly atmosphere, was the local meat market for this part of the space station. It was the wrong place for a sheltered naïve girl to be sitting around in.
He watched her as she looked around and appeared to be a little self-conscience as the strolling men and even a few of the women gave her admiring glances. She hadn't realized yet that the regulars who worked this stretch along the plaza were starting to act like they would like her to just move on. If they started feeling that Jill was trying to steal their business, it might get embarrassing or even dangerous for the girl. Memo was wondering how to let Thunder know that the girl was her next passenger for the railroad when he spotted his old friend.
Thunder, saw Memo and nodded. Since he had business to conduct and Jill was at the next station on the railroad he went on about his business. He chuckled when he remembered how the old prostitute had received her nickname. Before she had gotten out of the business a long time ago, she use to tell her clients she felt like a thunderstorm had washed through her after they had finished. It had a novelty that boosted the ego of most of the one-shot customers she had worked then. The locals thought it a clever tag line. She had given the business up and now ran one of those cafes that surrounded the plaza area. Her place was unique, as it offered small private rooms behind her bar. She didn't run a crew of "workers" anymore as they were all pretty much independent on this part of the station; but she was quite willing to make a profit on their labors in her room rentals. Of course if someone just wanted to sleep during a layover in a clean, fresh smelling room that was just fine with her. Memo thought there had been some trouble she had been in once where she had gotten hurt badly, but he hadn't ask her. It was her story to share. She was past her prime now, but was still able to work crowd control when things got too rowdy. Memo never saw the cop approach his old friend.
Jill startled as an older woman sat down next to her.
"Going loner can be dangerous in this neighborhood, I can protect you" The woman said softly, looking suggestively up and down Jill as she sat at her table.
Jill looked at the older woman bewildered not knowing what the woman was asking. Unsure of what the woman was even talking about and wondered why the woman was unable to stop staring at her chest. Even the boys at school had not given her the look like this woman was giving her, "Pardon?"
The woman leaned forward so that her chest was right in Jill's line of sight, putting a hand on her thigh, and purred, "I can help you make a lot of imperials entertaining some of my clients." Thunder bit her cheek to keep her face straight as she saw a new idea flare to life in Jill's brain.
"I... you mean... No way!" Jill finally got the message, "Get away from me before
I call for help!"
As if on cue, the young cop appeared at Jill's side. "Is this woman bothering you
Miss?"
"Yes!" Jill answered seeing that the young man was a cop.
"Thunder you need to move on," the young cop said helping Jill get to her feet.
"Just trying to grow my business," Thunder, acted put out as she stood up though she thought with a hidden smile that twinkled behind her eyes, "There you go Sergeant Wilson. You went against your own to make sure that the marine who raped me years ago was brought to justice, I've just paid you back."
"Where you headed miss?" The police officer asked.
"I am headed to Trena to join my father," Jill answered, "I have a ten hour layover until my next ship."
"This is no place to layover," the police man commented. "I know of a place that you can stay and they will make sure you get to your next ship." "I don't have much money," She answered.
"Not a problem," The young cop replied, "It is run by the Red Cross."
"Oh," Jill said picking up her small bag of things. "Then I guess I should take them up on the offer."
"This way then," The young police officer pointed the way.
It took a few minutes to walk the distance to the hostel.
"Big Sue," The young cop greeted the large black haired intake worker, "Got room for another?"
"Sure!" the young woman replied, "Who do we have here." "Jill Wilson," Jill answered.
"Alright," the woman replied as she took out her data pad, "Let me get some information and..."
The young cop left and went back to Thunder's place. When he got back young cop asked the old prostitute, "That what you wanted?"
"Perfect," Thunder said and kissed him on the cheek, "Just perfect!"
"Found out who she is Thunder, or at least who her father is." The cop continued.
"I am impressed how he helped you and others."
"I still owe him," Thunder commented, "This was only partial payment!"
"I'll catch up latter," he went on along his beat. He didn't want the Sarge to know he had done a favor for this woman. Some of the older cops had problems with the old prostitute. He had always found her decent to him. To his knowledge she had not been afoul of the law in years. She was always well behaved around him and if she was involved in anything he could not find any evidence of it. He had of course heard that she was a station master on the Underground Railroad but couldn't prove it.
# ###
A few hours later the Red Cross worker escorted Jill to her next ship a little better one. The Rover was a midsized liner that routinely went from Rio Lobo to Trena Station. Thankfully, it was only another week to Trena. Every time the ship popped out of transit space, she was the first one in the ships tiny library, to see what had transpired on Trena. The asteroids hadn't fallen on Trena, but the news media was filled with the current happenings there. When she read the Op-Ed piece that a Lord Rammer wrote condemning her father's lack of a concise plan she was blistering mad. Although it had been years since she had seen her father, and didn't really know exactly what he did now, and still in high school, and not really aware of what all was going on in the Empire or especially on Trena; she felt that even she could see that after three weeks that it would be nearly impossible for anyone to have a coherent plan other than to just get off world as best you can.
Jill decided to train herself to be useful to her father. He wouldn't have time for fancy welcome home parties and getting to know her all over again, so she had better just make herself an assistant that would know what to do and do it before it was needed. She felt that her father wouldn't just send her back to Mars if she was his right hand. Using the ships limited library she researched the Trena system and everything that was printed about asteroids hitting a planet. It sometimes got really dry and technical, but she struggled through the information, glad she had taken advanced science courses back home.
The Trena system had only one habitable planet, with several smaller planets around a G class star. Other than two asteroid belts the only other spectacular thing in the solar system was the gas giant. It had one or two small moons but nothing other than Trena was habitable. Jill sat back, as the news stories finally really sank in, there was no place in the Trena system that the evacuees go to. They would have to leave the system. The space habitats were not large enough to hold the planet of Trena's population of nearly seventy five million people.
Jill spent some time learning about Trena herself. If the planet was going to die, she wanted to be able to remember what its own special places had been like. She wanted to be able to replay in her mind what the ice cave and other places the Captain had talked to her about looked like, because she now realized she might never get to see them. She started out learning the typical text book facts that anyone doing a school report would find; that Trena had only about nine tenths of an earth standard gravity, it was little farther from its star than Earth was from the Sun, and it had only a few continents. There was the big one that straddled the mid-portion of the planet that was simply called Main and the others smaller ones north and south of Main also simply called North and South. The main continent was temperate with mild winters and gentle summers, but there was also a desert of sorts in the southern half of the big continent. Most of Trena's industry was in orbit. At least the real heavy industry was in orbit or scattered through the system, closer to those cursed asteroid belts, where the metals found in the floating rocks that industry used were closer and cheaper to get to. There were a couple of exceptions. Boeing Space Works had a light space craft yard in northern Trenaport, and there was a furniture factory in the north of the main city of Trenaport.
There wasn't much about what the birds sounded like wheeling over the gentle sea winds, what the ice cave reflecting sunlight off their icy exteriors looked like, what Trena's fields of flowers smelled like after a rain. Only the people that lived there could tell her that. After exhausting the library on anything about Trena she could find, she went on to research what would happen when the asteroids struck Trena. What she had found out was not good at all and explained why the world had to be evacuated. A single big rock coming in at thousands of miles an hour would crater the impact area and splash dust into the atmosphere. The dust would obscure the star and prevent the necessary warmth and sunlight from reaching the surface of Trena. That might be survivable as she understood it; but Trena wasn't going to be hit by just one or two asteroids; it was going to hit by several thousand of all sizes. One or two wouldn't cause the evacuation of the planet, or make it unlivable. Thousands would. One of the articles that had found its way to the ship was a science piece on what would happen when all these rocks hit Trena. The piece written by three scientists concluded that it would not be a good thing to be on Trena when the rocks fell. They compared it to a nuclear winter that the ancients had feared would happen should the pre empire nations of Earth had ever launched their nuclear weapons at each other. They concluded that with the planetary damage life would be nearly impossible on the Free World. She now fully understood why Trena had to be evacuated.
As she got closer to Trena she began to worry about her father. It had been five years since she last seen him. That could be a long time for people. She had changed a lot in that time, growing up from a twelve year old ruff-neck, smiling with her pigtails, and skinned knees to a near adult who had begun, who, according to a few boys at school, was attractive enough to ask to some of the school dances. He might not recognize her. She had changed in temperament too. She had been a bit of an air-head when she had last seen her father, but she was much more mature now, certainly. Being a blond was cool but being a smart blond was fun. The look on people's face when she answered stuff in school or talked to others and they found out she wasn't an air-head but smart and intelligent to boot was something she rather enjoyed. Her father was in for a big surprised when he saw her. She wondered how much he had changed.
She also wondered how much he was going to yell at her. She realized that what she had done may not have been the smartest thing she could have done. Traveling on her own had been fun even though it had gotten much more boring after the first ship's relatively spaciousness and until she had met that woman on Rio Lobo, she had been maybe just a little homesick, but not scared. That memory was why even when the ship later docked for an eight hour layover at another stop, she didn't leave the ship. Her father wasn't much of a yeller; he could or had been able to make his point without talking any louder than you would in normal conversation. But he had always been fair, and even when he punished her he had not been too extreme. At least that was what she remembered when she was little, now that she was supposedly more grown-up, it might be different. If Grandma had heard she'd been in hot water at school, or on the base like the time she was in that training area and got hit by accident from a stun grenade, she would lower the boom! Knowing the Admiral, which is what Jill thought of her grandmother when she was being 'all-business', there would be yelling with her. As the ship approach Trena Station, she wondered how much trouble she was really in.
What actually happened was beyond her wildest expectations.
# ###
It was almost lights out and the cadets were lounging in the Princess' dorm room. From 2100 to 2300 the senior cadets were not allowed in the freshman dorms. The cadet sergeant who was the barracks chief, a second year cadet, would stay in his room studying and generally out of the Raw Meat's hair until lights out. It was the only time of the day when the cadets were not under the rigorous discipline of the upper classmen. The princess, her aunt and cousins had made it a habit over the last few weeks to meet in one of their rooms to go over the day and to sometimes study together.
"Do you remember when Sylvia's dad left a few years ago," Lamile asked, "He just left for no reason at all."
"Yes," The princess said. Sylvia was a class mate of theirs. Her father had run away with another woman leaving Sylvia, her mother and brothers and her sisters to fend for themselves. "Why?"
"Remember how mad she was?" Lamile asked.
"Yes," T'harla replied, "I still don't think she has cooled out!"
"Yeah," Lamile continued, "In this last section we read that our grandmother was concerned about seeing her father after five years, but that's all. I would imagine she would be feeling like Sylvia."
"Well this biography mostly tells about how grandma became queen, so they kept a lot of the negative stuff out of it." Princess Lisa replied, "I have been reading her diaries, and she was indeed a little angry about not being with him. Being left behind when he left Earth and the empire really did a number on her for a couple of years. But later she seemed better able to deal with it. One entry as she got closer to Trena showed a little of her confusion over the situation."
"From what everyone said," Lamile commented, "Grandma Jill was not that confused about anything."
"Here let me read you a little," Princess Lisa responded taking out some of the pages she had copied earlier in the day.
"Tomorrow, we will arrive at Trena Station," the princess read, "I need to get a message to Dad when I get in to let him know I am on Trena. I am just not sure now how he will respond. He left without telling me why, or where he was going. I still wouldn't know where he was if it hadn't been for the announcement of the disaster. I don't know how I really feel about Dad right now. I am still a little angry how he left me. Even though the letter he sent explained a little I still feel that I could be with him. I just want to see him and hope we can work things out though. Maybe after I hear more of his side of the story I'll understand more. Over the last few years I have gotten over the worse of my anger over what he did. I just want to know more of the why?
"I am a little concerned about his reaction when I show up on his door step." The princess paused to take a sip of water, "Come to think of it I am not certain I know where he is living. Will he let me stay or will he tell me go back to Mars and grandmother.
"Grand mom must be mad as hell at me." The room giggled a bit, each knowing what would happen if they took off like their ancestor had, "I wonder what she'll do when she catches up with me. I wonder what Dad will do when he sees me.
"I am also concerned about this Lisa. Grand mom talked about her as if she was a saint, and walked on water. But grand mom hasn't seen her in over 20 years. People change a lot. Some of my friends have a step mom or dad, and they either get along with them or don't. There seems to be no rule as to how my friends reacted to having step parents. I wonder what this Lisa is really like."
The lights flashed twice and the school's AI called softly, "Five minutes to lights out. All cadets report to their rooms please for bed check."
"See you in the morning," Princess Lisa called as T'harla left.
A few minutes later the dorm sergeant poked his head in and cleared the room.
Chapter 3: Arrival on Trena.
"When Queen Jill arrived at Trena Station," The general began her lecture the next morning, "The station was not the zoo one would expect. Marshal Wilson had prevented mass departures of people from Trena, but he was allowing people from other star nations to go to their home nations, and some Trena citizens whose families were with them and had a safe place to go were allowed to leave. But the space station was not the main departure point for a lot of people. Many people were smuggled off world leaving their families and businesses behind never going through the space ports or the stations. This was a big problem that the crown never got a handle on until the very end.
"No," the general continued, "the real issue was at this time a lot of people were still coming into Trena. They were either coming home to help their family get ready to leave Trena; or to help close the Trena branch of their company. Security on the station was getting tight. Most people just couldn't step off a liner or ship and go down to Trena. Customs was getting tough. Queen Jill's paper work would allow her off the ship but barely and customs could have prevented her from going down to Trena.
"If she had been anyone but the daughter of Marshal Wilson she might have been sent back to Mars," the General lectured. "Let me set the scene for you."
# ###
Now as she waited anxiously for the crew to open the hatches, so she could get the reunion with her father over, she wondered what was taking so long for the crew to open the hatches. Finally the liner's doors opened and people began to disembark. As she signed off the ship she heard a couple of ship's officer talking.
"If the owner's and the authorities had not guaranteed our safety I am not certain that the captain would have opened up." The assistant purser was saying as he checked her off the ship.
"I was talking with Sparks a little while back," another officer who was standing next to the assistant purser. "He was telling me of the rumors he had heard. There was a Theocracy flagged bulk carrier that was telling everyone on the ship to ship that the authorities were confiscating ships and press ganging crews. It was an out and out lie and only after the Queen came on the net and set the record straight did the captain decided to open up."
"Well let's get our people safely off the ship," the other officer said.
When she stepped off the ship, she considered returning to its relatively quiet safety. Outside her ears were assaulted by the din of many voices. They all seemed to be shouting and Jill wished for the sanity that her little room on the liner had provided her. Jill set her face in determination and went forward into the chaos. She saw that many people were doing their jobs as best as they could, moving baggage, keeping the docks secure and checking paperwork. Other crowds of people seemed to be lined up behind a fenced area, where their faces showed a variety of emotions, grief, fear and anticipation being the most obvious. They looked hungrily at the ship she had just left, as if it were a five star meal. That made Jill nervously move a little faster away from it. The thought of being between the ship and them frightened her.
As Jill Wilson waited anxiously for the gate to the dock to open so she and her fellow passengers could enter the station proper; she reflected on the two week trip from Mars to Trena. It had been uneventfully monotonous. Except for when that old prostitute on Lobo had tried to recruit her when she had been laying over to catch her next ship, she had, had no excitement. After Lobo she had stuck to the ship. The crew and everyone were talking about the situation in the Trena System, and what it meant to them. As the gate opened Jill Wilson gathered up her one small bag and went through the gate.
Jill quickly moved to follow the few others that were disembarking toward a row of tables and desks. Jill had traveled with her grandmother and been through customs at various places. None had looked this shakily put together. This set up struck her as having been slapped together with whatever was handy including the security fences. Most of the people at the table looked very official and closer to the crowds of tense people behind the fence. Jill saw one thin man jump the line and try to run towards ship she had been on. He was tackled and drug off to another area.
As she approached customs she thought she saw a tall thonian woman that she knew. She towered six foot six and was very muscular looking. Although humanoid looking, her light gold skin, and grey hair speckled with black, and her six fingered hand did little to hide she was a non-earth human female. When she got closer she found that she did know her. She was a friend of her father's. Commander Atomi. She had met the thonian and her husband several years before when her father had been assigned to Andrea's World, an independent world that her father and the commander had been assigned to be the joint MP unit for the liberty port.
Jill had almost been a fixture in their home. Not only was the Commander a close friend of her father's, the commander's daughter, Lamile, had become a close friend of hers as well. On Andrea's they had been nearly inseparable. Then over the years when they could, both sets of parents had served on joint assignments. Seeing the thonian, Jill was relieved to spot a friendly face. She wished she could turn time back to those days of her young childhood, playing with Lamile joking with her 'Aunt'. Aunt Mylea always insisted that Jill refer to her that way, saying that 'Commander Atomi was much too formal for family and Jill was family!'
"Aunt Mylea?" Jill approached the thonian, wondering why the tall huskily built alien was there. She tried to remember the last letter from Lamile, but it had been over three years ago. Then it didn't mention anything about a change of duty station for her parents. Then it hit her surrogate aunt was not dressed in the dark gray of the Thonian Space Service but dressed in a scarlet tunic and dark black slacks with a red stripe on the seams. On each shoulder was a single star. On her left sleeve was a gold patch. The patch was that of a horse wearing a crown, around the patch were the words Trena Royal Mounted Patrol. Not that of the Thonian Space Service's 83rd Military Police Battalion which she commanded. Her father, in that last precious year he before he had left her, had helped the Thonians to stand that unit up and no one had really been surprised that her Aunt and her lifemate had been chosen to be the inaugural command team of the unit. When she and her father had returned to Mars and the Empire it had broken her heart to say good-bye to Lamile.
"Hi Jill," the older woman said seeing her old friend's daughter for the first time in years. She had filled out standing almost five feet eight inches tall. The pig tails had been replaced by shoulder length blond hair. The youngster, although obviously nervous with all this commotion, still stood with a poise that Mylea thought some of her younger officers could have learned when she was still in the service.
"Aren't you in the wrong uniform?" Jill asked. Her friend looked haggard and tired. "No. I had to leave the space service. The TMP hired me." Her aunt replied.
"Are you a General now?" Jill asked pointing to the star on her aunts shoulder boards.
"Sort of; I am a deputy chief for the Mounties," Her aunt replied.
"Why are you here?" Jill asked suspecting that she knew why. She was sure that she was about to be turned around and marched back to Mars.
Mylea paused before she answered her young friend being distracted by an older man sweeping up some liter. Mylea thought she knew who the man was. Kellogg, a notorious one time closer with EBio that was the bane of the police authorities and the occasional EBio security officers who were closing fleeing biopeople's files on Trena. She was wondering if she should park Jill for a moment and arrest the man but when she looked from Jill back to where the old man had been working he was gone. Rumor had it he was not part of EBio any longer, so he wasn't one of the people who she was up there to protect Jill from.
"I am here to escort you to down to your father," Mylea said surprising the teen.
Then seeing Jill's small bag she frowned before she continued, "Is that all you have?" Jill nodded.
She was surprised that she was travelling so light. Then her frown softened as she remembered her friend had left in the middle of the night and didn't want to let anyone know she was running away home.
"You mean that you aren't going to put me on a transport back to Mars?" Jill asked.
"No! Lisa talked your father out of it," The thonian replied and almost giggled, "I guess I should say we. Your father has never been able to resist us, when Lisa and I tag team him."
"This Lisa wants me to stay?" Jill asked dumb founded. She had thought that it had been Lisa who had convinced her father to leave her behind.
"Lisa never wanted to leave you behind Jill," He aunt said, "that was your father's decision. He was concerned for your own safety."
"Why are you here and not them?" Jill asked suspecting the thonian was lying to her.
She saw the look on the earth girl's face and said, "Both Michael and Lisa would be here if hadn't been for their security detail. Their detail doesn't like the station. They feel it can't be secured enough for your family. Even the Queen is discouraged from coming up here right now."
"Oh," Jill said looking around at the commotion. She thought she understood.
"Their security detail thought that it would be better if someone you knew came and picked you up. Since I knew you, they thought I was the right person to get you to them. I was also likely to be someone you would trust. Your parent's detail thought that there might be a closer team following you. We got word that there was one heading this way."
Jill didn't know what to say. She felt dizzy. She had been all set to argue her case before this Lisa, thinking she would have to be the one she needed to convince not to send her back to Mars. Now trying to keep what she privately called her adult face on, she wouldn't cry, but she knew she was close to it. All the relief she had felt just seconds ago at the sight of a familiar face, was gone. It was part of a new internal struggle of emotions; relief at finally arriving, worry about what would happen now, love mixed with anger for a father she had been without for far too long, and now this "closer" team who was following her; whatever that was; that she needed to be protected from. It was almost too much for her to deal with.
"Is this all you have?" Mylea asked again seeing the single bag the girl was carrying.
"Yes," Jill said.
"Let's get you through customs." Mylea tried to sound stern; but was having a hard time of it. As she now took the girl's shoulder and pointed her in the direction of the entry gates, she tried to avoid looking at the child that was almost another daughter to her as the girl's lower lip was beginning to tremble and a glisten of a tear was beginning to stream down her check. She was supposed to give Jill the 'Treatment', taking her through the regular customs procedures for a person attempting to enter a secure border during times of crisis. This would include several embarrassing scans and interrogations to ascertain exactly whether she was who she said she was or wasn't. All it just to make sure she was not a security risk to the kingdom. Looking and listening to this girl on the verge of womanhood, trying to act mature and grownup, willing to do whatever was necessary to enter the kingdom to be with her father, Mylea couldn't do it. She knew that Michael, the girl's father, wanted to let his daughter know how a runaway could be treated; but she just couldn't do it. Jill wasn't her daughter; but she remembered bandaging up her knees, and watching late night holo flicks with her and her daughter. There were other ways to get her father's message across.
As her Aunt Mylea escorted her to their shuttle, three people seemed to move with them. A tall thonian lead the way, with a husky thirty something brunette fell in beside her, with a young man on the other side of Mylea.
"Aunt Mylea," Jill asked seeing the three people, "are they with us?" "Yes," Her aunt replied, "They are your escort." "My escort," Jill asked.
"Yes," her aunt replied as they made their way to a small car that was driven by a man in the same uniform as her aunt. She and her aunt along with the woman agent got into the car. Jill looked around for the others and didn't see them. They were driven quite a distance through the crowded space station.
Everywhere she looked there were people. There were families, single adults and large groups of people; all intent on going about their business. There was a heavy police presence. Everywhere she looked there was either a police officer standing a post, or several police officers walking or patrolling either on foot, or in a patrol car. All of the police officers wore the same uniform as her aunt.
After a journey of fifteen minutes, they pull into a large open hatch. There the station police checked their identities, ensuring not only who they were; but were they allowed beyond the check point. They were allowed to pass as well as another car behind them.
Once through the hatch, Jill saw that it was a large hangar chalked full of ground to orbit space craft. There were small and large vehicles many of them military. Several of the large craft were easily able to carry a thousand people in one lift. In contrast to the docks, the hanger was almost quiet, and orderly. It made her feel less anxious.
Shortly they pulled up before a small boxy ground to orbit shuttle. It was not more than fifty feet long maybe all of fifteen feet wide and maybe ten high. The small vessel, called a landing craft, its boarding ramp open, was waiting for them to board. As soon as they pulled to a stop, the Mounted Patrol officer standing at the foot of the ramp came up the car and helped them out of the car. As they boarded the landing craft, Jill noticed that the car that had followed them through the check point was now parked behind them and its passengers were following them into the small landing craft.
Once aboard and seated in plush very comfortable seats, the ramp was closed. Their escorts had taken seats near the main ramp giving them what privacy they could. Soon the landing craft was in motion, taxiing to the active launch pad.
Mylea turned to the young woman and said, "Who did your papers? They look good for forgeries."
Jill looked at the woman not knowing what to say. She had realized immediately that papers that the beta bioperson on Mars had given her were not the same ones she had made prior to leaving Mars.
"Never mind," Mylea continued, "You will be getting new papers anyway." "I will?" Jill asked, "You mean if Dad doesn't send me back."
"Well your father is furious with you." The thonian replied. "But Lisa and I have cooled him out a bit. But only a bit! He won't be sending you back."
"Oh really," Jill wasn't convinced she expected nothing less from the man who left her years ago. She was not convinced it wasn't this Lisa who was calling the shots. She still needed him. She missed him terribly. "This Lisa will actually let me stay?"
"Yes," Mylea replied, "Lisa! Right now she is your biggest advocate! She's always wanted you with them."
"Really," Jill didn't believe the thonian.
"Yes really," Mylea replied. "Your father did want to send you back; but he can't now! The political repercussions of sending you back home would cost him and the Queen too much. So for now you won't be sent back to Mars."
"Oh," She looked at her aunt feeling a bit better. She looked away from her aunt to the front of the landing craft where the three escorts were sitting.
"Why do we need escorts," Jill asked.
"We don't need an escort," Mylea responded "you do!"
"Me?" Jill asked, "Why?"
"A couple of reasons," her aunt responded, "The biggest reason is only the Queen has more authority than Mike. Because of that all of you, Lisa, Abby, you and Mike have been given protective details. The other reason is that EBio wants both he and Lisa dead. I don't know all the details. It has more to do with Lisa than Mike. One of the reasons he was considering sending you back is he doesn't think he can protect you."
"He doesn't think he can protect me?" Jill asked bewildered. "Why?"
"There is am EBio Closer Team gunning for them," Mylea responded. "That was why they left the Empire."
"Gunning for Dad?" Jill asked.
"Yes," Mylea said, "but because of Lisa. I don't know the entire story; but it has something to do with who Lisa is, and what she knows. From what Lisa has told me, it's why she was on the run for all those many years. When your father lifemated Lisa he became one of their targets. Because EBio wants them dead, he wants you off world and on Mars, where you'll be safer. He feels it is safer for you on Mars, at the Admiral's estate than here. It's going to get crazy here and while the Queen gave him her protective detail, and they are among the best I have ever seen, your father just doesn't know if they are good enough to stop a Closer team from harming all of you."
"Closer team," Jill asked bewildered, "What's that?"
Mylea thought for a minute not sure she should tell the girl. Closer became a fact of life when she became a deputy chief of the Mounted Patrol. Every once in a while the Mounties had to deal with a closer team trying to pick up or assassinate a bioperson living on Trena.
"Jill," she turned to her friend, "what do you know of EBio?"
"They make the clones or the Biopeople as they are sometimes called." Jill answered.
"That's right." Mylea confirmed, "EBio and their engineers spent quite a few decades developing the Biopeople. Taking the very earliest research files and going from those early trials developing sheep and cats, and finally creating the biopeople. I understand there was quite a commotion when EBio first announced that had created humans in the lab! Many theologians and devout people believe that only a deity can create life and that for mortals, to play with their deities' creative rights is sacrilege.
"The empire finally allowed their creation," Mylea continued, "Since they were patented they allowed EBio to sell their finished product. It's complicated. But in the end run EBio sold not the biopeople themselves; but the cost of creating them as an indentured servant. That got them around the Galactic Council's rules on selling sentient beings."
"Many worlds started to allow the biopeople to have their contracts bought and sold. Mostly those world that were still in phase one or pioneering stages and there was a need for large amounts of manual labor. Some worlds like Trena here didn't allowed the biopeople to be indentured servants. In fact if a bioperson transients through our space with their contract holder and wants to leave their owner all they have to do is go up to any
Mounty and ask for help."
Jill nodded remembering what she had been taught about the biopeople.
"EBio has sunk planets full of money on the research and development of the bios and they see that tech as theirs. They have ruthlessly protected their patents and trade secrets. If they don't, they won't have a company. That's where the Closers come in! EBio executives use closers to make sure no one steals their product and competes against them. You can't blame them for that!"
"Now back to the question you started with," her Aunt brought her back to their conversation. "EBio's Closer Teams."
"A Closer Team is how EBio takes care of escaped clones and company renegades," Mylea continued. Although she had known about closers for maybe four crimens, it wasn't until she became a Mounty did she really learn about EBio. She had learned the biopeople were charged for their creation, education, and very life. When they were developed, EBio sold the bioperson's charge sheet to anyone needing the bioperson's skill set. Often the bioperson never was able to redeem their charge sheet, dying in bondage. If that wasn't slavery she didn't know any other way to describe it. She also learned about the closers.
"They are trained to recover property or to eliminate threats to EBio. Usually they kill the bio or person; thus closing their files. That's why they are called Closers. People look the other way; Closer sounds much nicer than murderers or assassins."
Jill stared at the thonian. The angry face bore no resemblance to her loving Aunt Mylea. She had never seen such a face on the woman before. She started to say something, when she realized that she couldn't put her thoughts into words. Her mouth hung open as her brain rushed to catch up.
"Aunt Mylea I have never heard any of this," Jill slowly said as the landing craft launched out of the space station.
"That doesn't surprise me," Her aunt replied. "EBio never publicly called these teams Closers. They call them special security teams."
"Oh," Jill said softly. She did remember hearing about EBio's specialty security teams. "And one of these teams is hunting my Dad and Lisa?" "Yes," Mylea replied.
Jill pondered what her surrogate aunt why saying as the landing craft cleared the space station. Jill looked out the window and saw all of the ships, waiting to be loaded or unload to continue on to their next port of call.
"Why do they want Dad?" She asked.
"It has something to do with Lisa." Mylea answered truthfully. She and Lisa were very close; but her friend had never discussed why EBio wanted her so badly.
"Oh," Jill replied, "Lisa again. Is she going to get Dad killed?"
"I am not really sure," Mylea respond, "There is some danger. Even without the closers, Michael's position as the Marshal, he is only second to the Queen in authority. That makes him a target for some of our nut cases. So he automatically got a protective detail as did your mother and sister. You've got one also." She nodded to the where the three agents sat, "Jill, this very important. They are there to ensure your safety. So don't try to get away from them, or deceive of them your whereabouts. It could mean your life."
Jill looked to where the agents were seated. "Are they my ... team?"
"Yes," Mylea answered, "Jenny and her team will be your shadow."
She looked the young girl in the eye and spoke to her young friend, "They are there for your protection, and your family's safety. Don't try to ditch them, or get away from them. Between the people who are not too happy about the evacuation and the Closers it could get very ugly."
She didn't quite understand; but Aunt Mylea had always looked after her as if she was family. She finally nodded her head, "I understand I think."
Mylea knew her young friend didn't really understand it all. Only time would help her understand the realities of her situation.
Jill looked over at her aunt. Then it hit her. Aunt Mylea had picked her up. Not only had picked her up but was wearing a uniform that Jill didn't expect. Her aunt and uncle were Thonian Space Service Military Police Officer, not a Trenaport Mounted Patrol Officer. What was she doing in that uniform and more importantly why was she on Trena?
She started to ask when her aunt excused herself to go to the lavatory. When her aunt returned the young man who had driven them to the landing craft, spoke to Mylea.
"Chief," the Mounty spoke to Mylea, "We're not going to land at Serenity they want us at Fletcher."
"Okay," Mylea said. She wondered why they were not landing at the palace.
"It seems that Duke Horton, Lord Ramsey, and Lord Wallace are meeting with the
Queen," Her driver answered her unasked question. "They have the palace pad tied up." "Thank you Tony," the thonian replied.
"Aren't those three people causing Dad a lot of trouble?" Jill asked distracted from the questions she wanted to ask.
"More grief than trouble," A surprised Mylea asked. She didn't expect that question from the girl, "I am surprised you know those three nobles' names let alone that they were giving the Queen and your dad so much grief."
Jill shrugged, "There wasn't much to do on the ship except read the news, when the ship dropped out of hyper, and made contact with the universe."
"I see," Mylea commented. "Duke Wallace isn't too bad. Neither is Duke Charles. They just want to make certain that we're doing the best we can for our people. Lord
Ramsey," Her aunt paused for a moment before she continued with some exasperation, "Doesn't believe the evacuation is needed. He thinks we can shelter in place and can survive the bombardment."
"If it was one or two asteroids," Jill injected remembering everything she had read on her way to Trena, "that might be possible; but not from the thousands that are going to hit the planet. Lord Ramsey has been on Dad's case ever since he was appointed marshal!" "Yes he has," Mylea agreed.
Then Jill realized with her father being the Marshal of the Trena Constabulary, her aunt now worked for him. He was after all the top cop for all of the Kingdom of Trena. Her Aunt Mylea had always been the unit commander and her father worked for her aunt. Then she remembered that she had read where her Aunt was his second in command for the evacuation.
"So you're Dad's second in command," Jill asked. "What's it like working for
Dad."
Mylea looked at the girl before she answered, "I didn't know I was in the news!"
"Only once when you accepted the appointment to be Dad's deputy," Jill answered, "And executive officer."
"I see," Mylea responded. "It's a challenge for both of us. I am so used to being in command; it is sometimes hard to let Michael be boss. I was his commander every time we have been together. Even here on Trena I was both a higher ranking officer as a deputy chief, higher grade officer as a chief. Up until now he was not even in my direct supervisory chain. Now I am in his direct chain. We're making it work."
Jill was about to say something when the landing craft came in over the Princess Falls. It took her breath away! It a dark line filled the horizon. It was almost like this was the place where the world ended, and there was nothing else beyond it. Then suddenly they were over it and they could see the ocean and the water falling into it a heavy mist obscuring the base of the falls. Jill wished she could see the falls from the ocean in a boat so she could witness the awesome display of nature. As the landing craft made its approach to the sprawling base they were going to land at Jill felt fortunate to have seen the falls that created Princess Bay.
The landing craft settled to the ground and taxied into an open hanger. That surprised Mylea. She figured they would go to the flight line and leave the small space ship out in the open. When the landing craft was secured and the ground crew opened the main hatch, the agents sitting near the hatch disembarked first. Making sure that it was safe for them to leave the landing craft. Once out of the Elsy Jill noticed there were a lot of people in the hangar. None of them were working on the landing craft that had their sides open. It looked as if the work on it had been interrupted. None of the people except her aunt were in any type of uniform.
"This way Chief Atomi," a striking red head showed them to the door where the two plain clothes men were standing watch. The door was labeled, "1st Lt. Jerry Hooper, 3rd Landing Craft Maintenance Squadron Production Team Leader."
Inside the crowded office her father waited for her. She hesitantly took a half step as she entered the office as realized her dream of being with her father was no longer a dream.
"Marshal," The red head called as she opened the door, "Chief Atomi, and Miss Wilson."
"Thank you Georgia," Her father said, "Tell the team we'll be moving in a half an hour or so."
"I'll tell Mac," the protective agent replied leaving.
"Michael," Mylea said, "I didn't notice anyone watching us at the station. Well, I thought I saw that closer Kellogg; but he disappeared before I was certain. We sailed through customs with no hitches."
She could tell that her old sergeant was mad at her. His posture and expression said that he was more than a little upset at her. She recalled, she had not seen that look on his face since the then staff sergeant Michael Wilson had read her beads that first time on Gregory's World when she had rushed that drunk with the laser riffle. She was about to say something when he began to speak.
"Chief Atomi," Mike said icily cold, but the look from his old friend had told him he had better not start. It dawned on him that Mylea instincts about how to handle people were often much better than his. Also Jill had been part of Mylea's family since his child was a toddler. She couldn't give Jill the treatment if she had been ordered to. Shaking his head as if to clear it, he continued, "Mylea, thank you very much, for picking up Jill."
"You're welcome Michael," Mylea replied wondering if becoming her old friend's deputy was a wise thing. She turned to Jill, "When you get settled look me up I'll take you to dinner. We have some catching up to do. I'll tell Lam that you're here. She'll want to see you!"
"I don't know when that's going to be!" Jill said dejectedly, "That depends on what
Dad's going to do. If he doesn't send me back to Mars I may be grounded forever!"
"Close," Michael said, "Not quite that long; but you may be old and grey before I let you out of someone's sight! Thanks again Mylea. Lisa wanted me to ask you come to dinner tonight."
"Sure!" Mylea replied, "I'll bring Lamile! She'll be happy to see Jill!"
Mylea left then and Wilson turned towards his daughter, the two of them alone for the first time in years. He marveled at how much she had changed and wondered if she really still thought of him as her loving father. "I promised both Lisa and Mylea I would not be a hairy beast with you. I agreed with them that I couldn't turn you over my knee and tan your fanny like I did when you were very little. I am also aware that while you may be the age of some of my youngest recruits, I can't treat you like one."
"Jill," He ran an exasperated hand through his greying hair, "it's a good thing for you, that people owe your grandmother and me some favors. You were never alone. Once we knew you were headed here, there was someone from imperial security with you the entire time. Even on Rio Lobo where I understand old Thunder got you a little excited!"
"Are you talking about the hooker that tried to set me up in business, that might be an understatement," Jill said, "I never knew her name. Did you ask her to do that?"
"No." her father a smile crossing his face, "Thunder is a professional associate of mine. She propositioned you on her own. I heard about it later. She sent me a message saying she was sorry if she had frightened you too much, but she needed to convince you to skedaddle to safety."
Jill looked at her father not certain what to say. She looked in his deep blue eyes unflinchingly, taking stock of him. Almost forty eight years old graying at the temples, he had kept in shape. As he stood up, she suddenly remembered how tall her father was; nearly six foot six, and not an ounce of fat on him. He came to her and hesitatingly hugged her. He stepped back and lifted her face to look at him. There was seriousness in his eyes, but there was nervousness about him also, that suggested to her, that she might just get through this in one piece, and get to stay here on Trena.
"You scared the crap out of me." He said, "Don't you ever run away like that again! Once we knew where you were going we had things under control, but there are people who would take obscene pleasure in kidnapping you, and using you for any number of purposes. You are old enough to understand that not all the people you meet are who they say they are. You scared the crap out of us."
"I am sorry," the girl apologized, "I didn't mean to worry you!"
"I know," her father replied looking down to her as he towered over her. His expression softened as he spoke, "It is time that you learn some things, before you make any other foolish decisions"
She wondered what he was going to tell her. What her aunt had told her was causing her some turmoil. Now her father was going to explain even more things to her. She wondered when she would ever get the chance to think about the things Aunt Mylea had told her. She quickly sat herself down on a nearby chair, looking up toward her father.
"Jill," Michael sat down on the couch. "I asked that your grandmother not tell you some things until I felt the time was right. We never talked about your other grandparents; you were only told they weren't around and couldn't be a part of your life. We also never brought up my mother. My mother, my birth mother, we were estranged before you were even thought of. She was rich beyond your wildest dreams. I didn't know I was rich! I didn't find out until shortly before I retired. I inherited all her riches. Shortly before I discovered Lisa in my brig I found out that I was the sole living heir to the Hazelton fortune. The Judge Advocate General requested that I meet with him. Not sure why I was being called into the JAG's office, I talked to one of the sergeants who worked in the office and found I wasn't up on charges.
"Still wondering why I was being called in the JAG spaces I went to the meeting." He paused for a moment then continued. "I was surprised that not only was the JAG there; but so was the commandant, General Alphine. The JAG put it quite plainly. He suggested that I should retire from the Marines. I had enough time in, and with my injuries I could take a medical disability I could retire any time I wanted. I asked why? It was the commandant who explained, that with my recent inheritance I could be a disciplinary problem. They were politely telling me I had to leave." He paused as if he was gathering his thoughts.
"I asked how long I had to make a decision. General Alphine said they were in no hurry; but they weren't going to wait forever. I said I understood and started to leave pondering what to do. Before I left the JAG suggested I talk with a Major Stanley Prescott.
He had been briefed and would be able help me. They really didn't want to cashier me."
"So I went to see Stan," Jill thought she knew her father was talking about. There was a Stanley Prescott who was her grandmother's attorney who she'd met a couple of times.
"He explained why the Marine Corps were asking me to retire," her father continued getting her attention, "It was for my own good as being independently wealthy could cause problems if you were to stop being the outstanding marine I was. I was the only noble marine NCO. That caused some problems since most nobles were officers. So in the end run, as much as I didn't want to, I put in my papers."
"I was waiting to begin my terminal leave when Lisa showed up in my brig," He paused again, smiling again, as he continued. "She had been arrested for impersonating a human being and a Navy Corpsman. Biopeople are prohibited from joining any of the imperial services. I don't know how she pulled it off; but she did! So that caused some conniption fits. The only punishment for the offense is to be discharged from the service.
She didn't fight her discharge and I figured I would bring her home to Mars." "But that didn't happen," Jill injected.
"No it didn't." her father groused, "I had finally gotten my head around my good fortune. I was even looking forward to working for EBio. Then we got word Martha Hozenbur was coming to pick Lisa up. I called EBio and told them I had Lisa and I would bring her to Corporate.
"They couldn't tell me no," Her father said, "When Lisa told me why she was impersonating corpsman, I knew I couldn't take her back to EBio. I wanted her to turn state witness; but she refused. I still don't know the whole story!" Jill could hear the frustration in her father's voice.
"We had to leave the empire." He continued, "We had to go somewhere, where we could live without fear of EBio capturing us. When left the empire we didn't know where we would wind up. I had to leave you with mom for two reasons. One it was too dangerous for you to be with us. The other reason is that one of us me, or you had to be here so that our fortune wouldn't be stolen by EBio and used to cause greater harm. I was aware of some things that the general public isn't. It was one of the reasons I left the marines and looked forward to being part of EBio. Getting the evidence we needed to close the company down! As you know that didn't happen!"
Jill her thoughts in complete turmoil from everything being revealed to her, could only nod
"I was afraid that if I disappeared EBio would take over my shares and use them for even more evil. So I had Major Prescott set up a trust fund for you. I turned my stocks and holdings over to that trust fund in your name. It has been managed by your grandmother, and a good friend of mine, General Alphine. They have more financial savvy than I could ever hope to have. This was done so that you would be taken care of since I couldn't be there, and to have a Hazelton still part of EBio. Now isn't the time to tell you what you own, only that if you chose, you never have to work a day in your life. That you can't spend your money fast enough to go broke in your lifetime. Because of this, your personal safety is very important. You have never been the subject of a kidnap plot that I know of. We have tried to make you an uninviting target by making sure you never knew you had the best security money could buy and not letting the press know you were the heir to such a big fortune. Using Dad's name, not Mom's, made it easier not to be associated with the Hazelton fortune. For your safety you must continue to act as if it doesn't exist and not worry about the investing part of it. There is a staff of experts that your Grandmother and the General oversee to make sure you don't have to."
"Oh before we go on and before you interrupt me," He held up his hand to silence her, "Jill, I did want you with me. Have ever since I left; but I felt that it was just too dangerous for you to be with us."
"Was that this Lisa person's idea." Jill interrupted.
"Absolutely not," her father chuckled remembering his wife's reaction, "She reamed me out in a way that even my Beast DI would have taken notes on. No, Lisa would have shared the risk for you to be with us. It was my decision and it was done to keep you safe. There were many reasons for my decision; one of them is because of who you are. I left you at Mom's because if I had come to grief, I didn't want you harmed. At Mom's they couldn't use you to get to me and Lisa."
"Is that why Aunt Mylea was so concerned about closers" Jill asked
This caused the Marshal to look at his daughter not sure what to say next. He hadn't wanted to talk about the darker side of EBio. "So she let the cat out of the bag? Maybe she was right to tell you. I certainly am no judge of what a teen-age girl can handle. I may have given up the right five years ago.
"But yes," he said "the closers want Lisa very badly, and because I married her; they want me too. Lisa was at one time worked in one of the company officer's home and became privy to some stuff they don't want to see the light of day. Lisa had been on the run for nearly twenty years. They are afraid she has shared what she knows with me. Even though as the major stock holder of EBio it is something that I am entitled to know!
Because of that EBio security wants both of us!"
"Dad what are you talking about?" Jill asked. "What do you mean entitled to the information?"
Mike suddenly realized that Jill didn't understand. He took a deep breath. He had an unbelievable tale to tell. A tale he sometimes found it hard to believe. "Jill, my mother, your grandmother was the great, great, granddaughter of Thomas Hazelton. The founder of Earth Biological Engineering now called EBio.
Jill sat in stunned silence as she digested what her father had just told her. It was unbelievable. She didn't know what to make of it. The way her father told the story she knew it had to be true. Her head was swimming. She knew who the Hazelton's were. It was something she had learned in history class. They had created the bios and EBio. Were they truly heirs to that immense fortune? She couldn't fathom what that meant.
"Dad," She finally asked, "are you for real?"
"Very much so!" her father answered. "It is something that may take a while to get use to! I know it did for me!"
"And this company, that I own is trying to capture you and this Lisa," Jill asked,
"Why?"
"It's a very long story," her father answered. "The short story is that Lisa, and now
I know things that the company doesn't want the Imperial Bureau of Justice to know."
"So you've been here all this time?" Jill asked, "And I couldn't be with you?"
"Jill you had to stay on Mars with Mom," her father said softly, "As much as I wanted you with me it just wasn't safe for you. Lisa..."
"Is it this Lisa who convinced you leave me behind?" Jill cut him off.
"No," her father said sharply, "That was my decision. And mine alone. Lisa gave me all types of grief for not having you with us! It almost caused us to separate. No it wasn't Lisa. It was me. It was mostly because we didn't know where we would end up. You don't know how many times once we got settled on Trena that I almost sent for you. I knew the moment I did I would put all of us in danger."
"Am I really in that much danger," Jill asked. Her head was swimming with everything her father told her. The only thing she seemed to focus on was that a company she owned wanted to capture or kill her family.
"We are not certain," her father replied, "but we are not going take any chances. So for the moment we'll treat the situation as if you are in danger."
"And it was you," Jill asked suddenly, "not this Lisa person who left me on Mars with grand mom?"
"Yes," Her father replied remembering one of the arguments he had with Lisa over not bringing the girl with them. "If one of us didn't remain in the empire EBio would have declared us dead and take our fortune and do immense harm. Lisa gave me grief until she finally understood why you had to remain on Mars."
"Dad why did..." she started to ask why she had to stay on Mars, when her father cut her off, "I know you have many questions but they'll have to wait until things settle down."
"A planet's going to be destroyed; you have to evacuate the entire population! Just when are things going to settle down?" she asked.
"Well yes, settle down may not be quite the right words," her father chuckled, "Let's just say when things are less hectic! For the time being; leave questions about our heritage for later!"
"Okay, I guess," Jill agreed; but she didn't really agree; but knew the answers she wanted were just not going to be given to her at this time.
"But that brings us to now," Michael said, "You will be getting a protective detail. I am sorry; but it is a fact of life from now on. It's not totally because of your wealth! It is because of my job. I have been getting death threats. Not everyone thinks I am a good guy!" he chuckled, "They will go everywhere you go most of the time. One of them will be either in the back of your class room when you go back to school, or out in the hall. If you have a date they will drive you, and see to your safety."
Jill didn't know what to say. It was all too much for her to understand and take in at one time.
"Now as for your punishment," He watched her expression "Jill I don't really want to do this; but you have to learn what you did was not the brightest thing you could have done, and if it hadn't been for imperial security, and some people on the railroad you might never have gotten here. So unfortunately I have to take notice of what you did." "You're going to send me back to grand mom aren't you?" she asked.
"I should. I almost did," her father answered, "but it would be just as dangerous and truthfully the Queen and I can't afford the political fallout. Also Lisa and now that I think of it, Mylea, both had some err strong opinions of that also. Let's just say I want some peace and quiet in the house that Lisa wouldn't let me have if I sent you back."
Jill felt suddenly relieved. She even smiled realizing her longtime dream of reuniting with her father was a reality.
"You may not want to smile after I tell you what's going to happen," Her father said softly, "you are restricted to the residence at the palace. There will be a tutor to continue your studies. I know a young lady needs to get her exercise and fresh air, so you'll not be restricted to the residence all the time. The palace has some fine walking paths through the gardens and a universal class gym."
"Palace," Jill asked, "Like the palace on Earth or in the fairy tales?"
"Yes," Michael replied, "And yes you will meet my boss, who insisted that we take up residence in the palace. Don't you get any ideas! That just happens to be the safest place on the planet, and the Queen wanted to make sure that we were safe. Speaking of us, it's time to meet the rest of us."
"Lisa?" Jill asked, "Grand mom told me about her."
Wilson nodded before speaking again, "Computer would you have Lisa and Abby come in please?"
The AI heard him and announced, when the door opened, "Lady Wilson, and
daughter sir,"
"Daddy!" the four year started to run to her father as the door opened, then seeing Jill, she stopped cold before asking, "Who are you?"
"I am your big sister Jill." Jill realizing that this was the small child she had seen in the biography that she had read on the ship, Jill asked as she bent down to the child to greet her sister for the first time, "Are you Abby?"
The tow headed child nodded shyly and hugged her mother's leg.
Jill stood up to meet her step mother for the first time. Jill saw a delta bioperson before her and like all the deltas she had ever seen it was personified in Lisa and then some. Her step mother stood about 5 foot 11. She had a perfect body. She was stunned to see that pictures she had seen of her father and this woman, when they were twenty years younger, that Lisa didn't appear to have aged at all. The woman standing before her didn't appear to be the nearly fifty years old she knew her step mom to be approaching. To say Lisa was beautiful was an understatement.
"Jill," her father said softly, "this is Lisa, the lady I am married to."
"I see," Jill didn't know what to say as she observed Lisa.
"Hello," Lisa greeted her step daughter for the first time, "I guess you'll be with us for a while."
"I guess so too," Jill answered. They awkwardly stared at each other both not knowing what to say or do until her father cleared his throat.
"Well let's get your things," Lisa looked down to her daughter and picked her up. Jill noticed that the child looked sleepy. Jill picked up her small bag.
When they left the office her father turned to a young maintenance trooper whose office they had borrowed, and thanked him.
As they walked through the hangar to where the cars were parked, Jill couldn't help but feel self-conscience with the ten body guards surrounding them. Some of the men in the detail were nothing less than eye candy.
# ###
"General," A young cadet in the back of the class asked when acknowledged, "Who was this Kellogg?"
"Kellogg was a closer from EBio," the general said fondly remembering her now centuries dead friend, "He defected from EBio and became a station master on the Biopeople's Underground Railroad. He was also associated with an association on Trena that ensured that the clones on Trena didn't have to worry about closers and company personnel on Trena. His association made sure that the clones or more properly bioengineered people that immigrated to Trena were not working on closing a bioperson's file. He was wanted by the Mounties for assassinating a closer on the court house steps in McDowell. The Mounties knew he did it and we later found out that some of the biopeople in the Mounties knew where he was, or how to bring him out; but they ignored the warrant that the Crown Attorney had issued. The bios felt he had rendered justice." "Was Queen Jill in that much danger?" another cadet asked.
"To this day we don't know," The general said, "But Marshal Wilson was always a little protective of his family. He didn't over react but he certainly didn't under react."
The bell rang, and the General concluded the class, "Read chapter 4. Dismissed!"
# Chapter 4: Getting Settled
"Jill didn't know what to expect." The general began her next class after the cadets had assembled, "Serenity, as the palace was called on Trena, was not opulent, or what you would think a palace would be."
"I was reviewing the holos in the book," T'harla spoke, "The architect who designed the palace was outstanding."
"He was at that," Alice replied remembering her own first impressions. "We could spend all day talking about Serenity, and we will at a later date in another class, so let's get back to what your grandmother thought of the palace."
# ###
Although she had been told by her Aunt Mylea and her father that she would be staying at the palace she didn't know what to expect. She expected a palace out of the fairy tales of her childhood, or possibly like some of the old castles she had toured with her classmates on field trips to Earth. She expected walls several stories high, with battlements across the walls, and turrets every so often. What she didn't expect was a low wall not much taller than two people standing on top of each other tall. The wall was made of brick, and on top of it were some sort of art work. She couldn't see what it was. She couldn't see the palace grounds from street level as the wall hid them quite well from the ground level. She noticed that most of the buildings near the palace were no higher than one story. In fact as she looked out of the limo's windows she noticed that most of the buildings in Trenaport were not any higher than a couple of stories.
The limo pulled into an open gate which was flanked by a quartet of guards who were in the same type of uniform she had seen her grandmother, and father wear when they were working in the field and not in the office. After they went through the gate it was closed behind them. They were in a long corridor that went on for a couple of hundred feet with a gate at the other end. The gate at the other end was closed blocking their way. Jill didn't understand what she was seeing; but she did notice the guards on top of the wall tracking the limo with their guns. That sent a shiver down her spine. She realized then that things were tenser than her father had let on and the situation on the space station demonstrated.
Once out of the corridor, they entered onto the palace grounds proper and Jill was confused for a moment. She thought there would be a huge imposing building that was made out of marble and other heavy stones to impress visitors to the kingdom. Instead she saw a collection of buildings near the center of the grounds with several other buildings spread out among the grounds. All of the buildings were low to the ground and spread out. With the exception of the central buildings which were two stories tall and spread out a bit more than the others.
As the limo drove through grounds, Jill couldn't help but feel she was driving through an arboretum, rather than the grounds of a palace. The trees blocked the view of some the palace buildings from each other; giving the grounds a level of privacy from its inhabitants. The limo left the gardens and pulled under an overhang that spanned two low rambling buildings. Jill noticed that two cars were parked under the overhang with room for two more cars the size of the limo she was in. The overhang would prevent prying eyes from seeing how many got out of the cars and what cars. The limo parked by the building on the right. They got out of the limo and went into the building on the right.
"This must be Miss Jill," a middle aged woman with coal black waist length hair greeted the party as they walked into the house. Most of the protective detail didn't enter the building. Of the remaining agents, two took up positions on either side of the door, the red head who escorted them at the hanger stood a few feet behind her step mother. An older man seemed to stay a few steps behind her father. Jill saw movement out of the corner of her eye and saw the woman from the landing craft move into a position behind her.
"Maggie," Lisa turned to the woman who had spoken, "Yes, this is my step
daughter Jill."
"Welcome to Serenity, Miss Jill," The woman greeted Jill with a slight bow.
"Thank you," Jill replied.
A lieutenant came up to her father and spoke into his ear. He nodded and turned to her, "Got to go Jill, I'll catch up with you." He hugged Lisa and left. The older man who was shadowing her father left with him.
"Let me show you to your room," Lisa offered.
Lisa led them through the spacious house that was bigger than the house Jill had lived in on Mars. It had a formal and informal dining room, a formal sitting room and a smaller casual room that the family could lounge in. There was a small study with book shelves lining the walls and two desks at opposite sides of the room. There were five bedrooms. A very large master bedroom suite with a private bath, with a small nursery sandwiched between the master bed room and a smaller third bedroom. The fourth bedroom at the end of the hall was more of a dorm room than a bed room, with two bunk beds at either end. Jill thought that was to be her room that she would share with her halfsister; but Lisa led her to a fifth bedroom that seemed almost as big as the master suite. It didn't have a private bath; but it had a small sitting area with a sofa and desk. It was bigger than any bedroom than she had ever slept in.
"Miss Jill is there anything you want?" Maggie who had helped her step mother on the tour asked.
"No I'm fine," Jill replied.
"By your leave Lady Wilson?" the woman asked.
Lisa nodded after the woman left Jill asked, "How do you want me to address you?"
Lisa said, "Abby calls me Mom, your father calls me Lisa or the Boss. Either one is okay."
Jill looked at the delta clone. Considering how her father's wife had answered her. She reflected what some of her friend had called their step parents some had called them mom others by their first name. It didn't seem right for her to call her step mother Lisa. Yet she wasn't her mother either. But she was her father's wife so she thought it was more appropriate that she call Lisa mom and asked, "How does Mom sound?"
"That works for me!" Lisa said. She turned to the woman who had been hovering around them since they had entered the home, "Jenny!" "Yes Lady Wilson," the woman came forward.
"I was hoping that my husband would do this," Lisa said, "But duty calls. Jill this is Jenny. She is your protective officer. Any time you have to leave the grounds she'll be with you. I don't like it much; but it is a fact of life."
"Jill," the woman said, "Jill my job is to keep you safe; but not to run your life. Hopefully over time you'll hardly notice that I am there. We really want to be in the background. There but not there.
"I see." Jill said not certain how to respond to her.
"In time you will not even know I am here." Jenny repeated.
Jill still didn't know what to say. She knew that her grandmother always had an escort everywhere she went, and that most of her servants on Mars were retired IRS people. Now that she thought about it, she remembered that her grandmother's escorts were always armed.
"Jenny," Lisa spoke into the silence. "We will not be going out this evening. Jill is restricted to the palace grounds unless I or her father is with her. In the morning I think one of us will show her the grounds."
"If you wish," Jenny said, "I can do that."
"We'll talk about it," Lisa remarked. Lisa didn't think it appropriate that the agent show her step daughter around the palace grounds.
"Then if you don't mind I'll be hanging out in the bull pen," the woman said.
"No problem," Lisa replied.
When they were alone Lisa shut the door to the bedroom, stealing herself for what she had to say next. She didn't want to do this; but it was her job to help Jill get settled not her husband's. She knew he would help; but running the house hold and taking care of the family had always been her part of the deal. Simply because they were living in the palace and had servants didn't mean her duties as mother, wife, and housekeeper were over.
"I know your father grounded you," Lisa spoke to the teenager, "You did something that scared the devil out of him. He was far more worried than he let on. He was also far angrier with you than he let on."
"Aunt Mylea said he was furious." Jill inject, not wanting to challenge her, but trying to acknowledge that she had not done the brightest, smartest thing she had ever done. "He was that," Lisa confirmed, "He did ground you; but he left it open ended.
Depending on you, it can end sooner as well be longer." "I understand," Jill responded.
"I don't want to be an ogre, or a wicked step mother." Lisa said, "It is not my style to be a bitch. So I want us to negotiate a couple of rules for your grounding and a couple for as long as you live with us. Is that all right with you?"
"I don't know," Jill held up her hand, "Until I hear, them that is!"
"Fair enough," Lisa replied, "Although you are restricted to the grounds, you are really restricted to our home; except for when me, or your father, take you out of here. Once or twice a day we'll either take a walk, or go swimming in the palace pool. Every so often we might go the gym. But we're going to be flexible. There may come a time when I need you to run an errand or watch over Abby for me. There will be a couple of tutors to continue your education. Some of them were the Queen's. Some of them are special hires from the Old Trena Boarding School. We found the best for you and so I hope that they are and you will enjoy the special opportunity that you are being given. Once your father is convinced you have learned your lesson you'll be going back to school."
Lisa waited to see if the girl was going to challenge her but she didn't. This stood her in good measure with Lisa.
"Is there anything you want?" Lisa asked, "I have thundered at you a bit and laid some laws down, do you have anything to say?"
"Mom," the girl said, "All I want is to be with Dad. You are a part of Dad so I don't want to piss you off. I know Dad wants to ship me back to grand mom so I am not going to do anything to make that happen."
Both of them studied each other for moment then Lisa said, "Jill we have to make this a place of refuge for your father. This job is going to kill him with the stress and the pressure. The two of us have got to get along!"
"Mom," Jill said, "I read about what is happening and what Dad's job is. I don't understand it all; but from what I read it's immense. If I can help him by not being a problem, then I'll do my best not to be that problem."
All thoughts of her becoming an aid to her father were fading away. She realized it wouldn't be possible. She made herself a vow to help her step mother create the environment that she wanted for her home and her husband.
"Good enough," Lisa replied, "Dinner won't be until about 1900. Until then your time is your own. So you might get unpacked and wander a bit about the house." Her step mother left her in her bedroom.
So Jill unpacked the one bag she had brought. It wasn't much. When she had left Mars she had thrown some clothing in her school back pack not wanting to alert her grandmother that she wasn't going to school. She had a change of clothes and a couple of changes of under garments. A T shirt she had stolen from her father years ago that said imperial marines on it and had seen better days that she used as night shirt. It took a grand total of about ten minutes to empty her bag. Once that was done she poked around her bed room for a bit.
She walked to the window. The window didn't allow her to see much. Because the building wasn't extremely tall and her room was so close to the ground she couldn't see much. A privacy fence blocked her view of the rest of the palace grounds she might have been able to see. A flower garden wandered along the base of the fence. It looked almost unkempt to Jill until she noticed that wildness was mixed with very well maintained beds. She was tempted to go the garden, but remembered she was grounded to the house. As she observed the garden she saw the woman who had introduced herself as Maggie cutting various blooms and such. She wondered what she was going to do with them. The window had a padded place big enough to sit on. That was where she spent the rest of the afternoon.
As she sat in the window box seat she considered all that had happened to her over the last few days. The travel from Mars, and the incident with Thunder on Rio Lobo; but mostly she considered what her father had said to her about her legacy.
Heir to the Hazelton fortune, her father had said. She of course knew who the Hazelton's were. She just didn't know that they were connected to her family. Hazelton was the name of the family that owned Earth Biological Engineering, mostly known as EBio. They had made their fortune by rediscovering the method to create clones or biopeople as they were called. It had been lost for centuries when Earth had gone through a dark period. When religious zealots had taken over the Earth for a century or so a lot of technology had been lost. Especially in the biological sciences which had been prescribed by the religious rulers of Earth. Shortly after star flight had been discovered Tomas Hazelton had also found the research on bioengineering and a few years later had developed the first clone. Years later he had been able to patent the whole process.
But it wasn't until Earth was colonizing other worlds and there weren't enough people willing to go to these worlds that Hazelton made his fortune. So Hazelton seeing an opportunity; developed a mass production of his process and soon thousands of clones were being produced. Although slavery was illegal in the fledgling empire, it had been determined that the owning of bioengineered beings was not slavery; as the bioengineered human beings were lab creations not natural, and could be patented and therefore owned. This was how Hazelton made his first several millions. That had been five centuries ago. Now the fortune was worth literally trillions of imperials.
So she was the heir to all of that. She was surprised that she hadn't heard of it. That no one had mentioned to her that she was the heir. Or for that matter when her father had been in the news, like he was when he was made Knight Commander of the Earth Empire, the news media didn't mention he was the heir to the EBio fortune. She then knew that her grandmother Wilson had been part of the conspiracy to keep this from her. Now she suspected that her search for information about her father had been filtered so as not to tell her about their connection with EBio.
As she sat in the in the window box watching the sun set, she realized that she had assumed that it was her grandmother's retirement that took care of them on Mars. It couldn't have been now that she thought about it. Now as a retired two star admiral her grandmother's pension was nothing to sneeze at, but it was in no way sufficient to even pay for the upkeep on their large estate on Mars. Her grandmother had tossed it off as she had saved well when she was in the service and a couple of people had given her gifts for what she had done for them or their nation when she helped them. Her yacht had been the gift of a prince when her grandmother had flown the ship back to his world when his crew had become sick and the prince didn't know how to fly it himself.
She thought back to her time on Mars and realized she had never wanted for anything. But she had never had extravagant things either. When she really wanted something she would have to negotiate with her grandmother and would have to earn it. Sometimes it meant extra chores around the house, or babysitting some kids of the students and instructors from PriFly where her grandmother had been the commander. She had always had the things she needed, maybe not all the things she wanted, but certainly the things she needed.
As she sat in the window box going over what her father had said to her she kept coming back to one thing, that someone from the company she owned wanted her father and step mother dead. She wondered did that mean she was paying someone to kill her parents. Why did they want them dead? Did they want her dead also?
"Jill," A voice broke in on her thoughts. She turned and saw someone she had not seen in years. Lamile Atomi. When their parents had been stationed on Station Thirty, and later when her father had helped to stand up the Companions they had been nearly inseparable.
"Lamile," She closed up her diary, and got up to run over to where the six foot two thonian girl stood. She hugged the slightly younger and taller alien girl. The only real difference between the two girls was that Lamiae's hair was gray and she was taller with a huskier frame and the fact that she had four breasts instead of two. Even then in some outfits there was no real visual difference between the two species. Lamile had on a long sleeved blouse with a high neck line and an ankle length skirt that made her appear more like an earth girl than a Thonian. The clothing she had on covered almost every part of her. The skirt went almost to the floor, and the blouse was buttoned most of the way up exposing only her throat but not; her cleavage. Jill remembered other thonian girls who dressed the same way. Lamile was dressed modestly and chastely, as was the custom for unmarried thonian girls. This was the first time Jill had seen her friend since she had matured. "You look good!"
"So do you!" Lamile said. "You mad at me because I haven't written?"
"Then shouldn't you be mad at me for the same reason?" Jill asked. "Tell me what's happened to you. How did you get here?"
"We came here are after my father's death." Lamile said, "Mom was lucky to be alive after that guy shot him. But even so the space force wouldn't let her remain in uniform. So we came here."
"Uncle Garth's dead?" Jill asked. She remembered the quiet bear of a man who was her friend's father. She remembered the times that Garth had tried to teach her Thonian. Of the times he gave her piggy back rides around the house. He was so gentle! That was the thing she remembered the most about him. He had been the co commander of the Companions. He and Aunt Mylea had been the first command team of the unit. She had been 9 at the time when they had stood up that unit. "I am so sorry. I'll miss him. Your mother seems okay."
"She shouldn't even be alive, Jill." Lamile said sitting down, "Often the death of a lifemate kills them both. The doctors think that because of the instance of dad's death that it severed the Aqaut cleanly, and mom was not actively sharing Dad's thoughts at the time she was not hit with the death shock. They don't really know!"
"How is she really doing," Jill asked. "I was surprised to see her this morning. Now doubly so!"
"She's doing okay," Lamile said, "I don't get to see her much as she is spending so much time with the evacuation command. She seems to like it though." "Hey you girls coming to dinner," Lisa poked her head into the room.
"Oh I was supposed to get you," Lamile said sheepishly.
"Let's go!" Jill said.
The two followed Lisa to the dining room where the rest of the family and Mylea were waiting for them. They ate a quiet dinner.
# ###
The next morning, Maggie was listening to one of the young women who helped her maintain the large house. "Maggie, I went to go into Miss Jill's room thinking to clean it up; but it was neat!"
"That should make you job easier then!" Maggie said a little exasperated. This was something that was good to hear but not something she needed to hear at the moment. She was in the middle of adjusting the menus since Jill was around, she wasn't sure she wasn't going to have to go and get more groceries just to feed the young girl. She had no idea what the girl liked or didn't like.
"Oh that's not the problem!" the maid said, "I thought I would get her things in the laundry. I found clothing hanging from a make shift clothes line. She took the drapery pull and had pulled it over to a chair and had hung her clothing on it. She doesn't have much."
"Oh," Maggie said. "I wonder if Lady Wilson knows."
"Knows what?" Lisa came into the kitchen where Maggie was working. They had planned to meet and go over the menus. It was one of the things that the two of them did every couple of days.
The maid told Lisa what she had found. Lisa asked her to show her what she had found. They went to Jill's bedroom. Lisa knocked on the door when there was no answer she went in. She found what the maid had said she had seen. They were about to leave when Jill came in.
"Hi mom," Jill greeted her step mother wondering why she was in her room.
"Thank you Joan," Lisa said dismissing the maid. The maid left allowing Lisa to speak with her step daughter in private. Lisa knew of course what the girl was doing. She had done it herself when she herself was on the run.
Lisa pondered what to do next. She was in a quandary if she had not been in the room when Jill had come back she would have found some other way to get the girl some clothing. She didn't want the girl to think they were watching her every move. That would not be a good way to build the trust she needed to have with her step daughter. Finally Lisa said, "Jill we do have a laundry service here. All you have to do is put things in the hamper." "But I ..." Jill started, "I didn't know how long it would take and I..." "Is this all you have?" Lisa interrupted the young woman.
"Yes," Jill replied.
"Let's take a walk," Lisa asked. She knew how to fix the problem in the short term.
They left the residence and walked across the well-kept grounds. As they walked across the grounds it surprised Jill to see that the landscape was almost natural looking with woods and gardens everywhere. It reminded Jill of an arboretum. In time they came to a small indistinct building in a corner of the grounds. Jill was surprised when they entered the building to find it laid out as a small mercantile. It was the palace PX catering to the palace staff. Lisa had been out clearing her head when she had found it. It wasn't that big; but she had been surprised to find it had a little bit of everything, including some clothing. "What is this," Jill asked.
"It's a post exchange." Lisa said, "We're going to get you at least one change of clothing, and some under things. Later we'll go out to a place in town."
"Lamile was telling me about a place called Molly's where she gets her things." Jill said as they went up the steps.
"I've been there with her," Lisa replied. She had treated the young woman there on her birthday. It had been Lamile's suggestion. It had been a nice place, with clothing for both teenage thonians and earthlings. It was also a place that they wouldn't be expected to show up at. It was a small out of the way clothier in Mylea's neighborhood. Not the glitzy shops that she would be expected to shop at now that she was one of the Royals. "I think you'll like it."
They quickly made their purchases and left. As they walked back to the residence, Lisa spoke softly, "Jill I am sorry, I shouldn't have entered your room the way I did. Joan found your clothes line, and she was telling Maggie when I walked in on them."
Jill was quiet. Not knowing what to say to Lisa. Her grandmother had always let her have her space. She would never enter her room without first knocking unless the door was open even then she would knock. She suspected that a time or two her grandmother had been in the room when she wasn't there; but didn't confront her with it. She learned to if not to hide things she didn't want her grandmother to find, to make them harder for grandmother to find them.
"Joan's job is not to spy on you," Lisa continued, "But if she sees something she will report it."
"I know mom," Jill said, her grandmother's servants had done the same thing.
"The next time," Lisa said suddenly, "come to me so we don't put Joan in a position where she has to report her observations!" "Okay," Jill said.
The next morning Jill came into her room to find Joan dusting.
"Good morning Joan." Jill said.
"Good morning, Miss Jill." The maid said hesitantly.
"Thank you for looking after me so well," Jill remarked, "I don't know what Mom and Miss Maggie have told you; but can we make a deal." "What type of deal?" Joan asked hesitantly.
"I'll tidy up after myself," Jill said, "and if I need anything to go to the laundry I'll put it in this hamper. That way you won't have to mess too much in here."
"I still have to check the room." Joan replied, "Miss Lewis will have my head if I don't!"
"I guess what I am saying is that I don't need much looking after and if I need help with something I get you and ask for your help." Jill asked. With her back to the door as she spoke to the maid, she didn't see Maggie stop and listen to the exchange, "Will that be all right with you?"
Joan who saw Maggie, hesitated for a moment as if thinking, watched her supervisor's reaction. She saw Maggie nod and answered the girl, "Okay. This will be our secret."
# ###
"Jill," Lisa came into the study where Jill was quietly studying one midafternoon a few days later, "we're having company for dinner tonight. It'll be a little late, maybe 1900.
Abby will eat early, but I would like you to join us."
"Okay," Jill said "Who's the company?"
"Mylea, Princess Carroll, and Aggie," Lisa replied.
Jill didn't say that it sounded like an adult only party, instead she asked, "Do I have to dress?"
"It's not formal," Lisa said, "usually we have dinner with a couple of your father's staff two or three times a week. I started it a couple of weeks back so your father has a chance to have an evening meal with me."
She didn't know what to expect when she came into the dining room later. The officers who had shared her grandmother's table at times had been very formal. Normally they were in uniforms of one sort or another. They always addressed her grandmother as Admiral, or Admiral Wilson. It was as if they were still on duty or that her grandmother even though retired was still in their chain of command. The first shock came when a young woman only a few years older than herself came in and flopped down in one of the chairs. As she sat down, Lisa came in. The young woman asked, "Is there anything I can do to help Lisa?"
"No, me and Maggie's got it handled." Lisa said bringing in a hand full of silver ware. Jill knew that her step mother asked that the table never be set except when a meal was being served. Lisa handed Jill some silverware, and Jill taking her cue and set the table as Lisa went back to the kitchen.
"You must be Jill," the young woman said taking a place setting from the teenager's hands.
"Yes," Jill said setting the place next to the woman.
"I am Aggie." Aggie said.
"Oh yeah," Jill said finally recognizing who the young woman was. She was dressed in very casual clothes, almost as casual as Jill was dressed herself, "Your majesty!"
"Jill, in this place it's Aggie," the young woman said, "And thank you for not recognizing me."
"I really didn't," Jill said, "The last time I saw you it was on the broadcast when you announced the evacuation, and introduced Dad. You were dressed a lot differently than now."
"I was at that!" the young woman said. "That night in particular was not a good night." She shuddered. That night was not one of the better nights of her rule. She decided to change the subject, "I read the transcript from Trena Diplomatic Security on your travels. It amazed me that you got here without any real trouble."
"Every time I talk to someone I find out they know more about my travels than I do!" Jill remarked.
The Queen chuckled then said, "It's hard being a teenager in this place Jill. Every time I did something, Larry Mercer, my regent, would somehow found out. My detail would generally not report my girlish pranks, but sometimes they had to come clean when confronted. I know a little bit of what you are going through. The report was typical of something I get every morning. Being the Marshal's daughter, you were an item the minute we knew you were on your way here. Later seeing how agitated your father was I asked to be kept appraised."
"I see," Jill set the glassware out for dinner.
"Jill," The queen said, "Simply because your father is so important to the people of Trena now, I take a special interest in him and his family. But that doesn't mean I will have people reporting on you every day. I have too much to do to for that. Besides, remember I know how hard it is to be a teenager in this fish bowl. But there are ways to get around certain eyes and ears. Isn't that right Page?"
"Your majesty," Page the AI who ran the palace support services spoke, "A long time ago you swore me to secrecy. Do you really want me to break my vow of secrecy now; in front of Miss Jill?"
"No, I guess not." Aggie chuckled and turned to the young girl beside her, "if you need anything look me up. I'll be around if you need something. I know what it is like to be a teenager in this place."
"Okay," Jill said, later she and Aggie were bridge partners and did a fair job of putting it to her father and Mylea. It was the first of many nights that she and Aggie would team up to take it to the adults. She would never forget the time she and Aggie played tennis against two of the protective detail. Jill and Queen Agatha began a friendship that would last a lifetime.
###
It was early evening and Princess Lisa was at her study carol in her dorm her full concentration on the first Queen's diary.
"I've been on Trena for a week now," Jill had written, "I haven't seen a lot of Dad. He's been awfully busy. He is often gone before I am out of bed, and I am usually out of bed by seven. Often he comes home after Abby is in bed. I am settling in. I thought I would be cooped up in the residence, but I've not had a chance to feel that way. Lisa was right. I didn't know what to expect from the tutors. I had visions of stern old men or woman. Whose instructional style was my way or the highway! They aren't. Professor Ta'men, a thonian is my civics teacher. He's about fifty, he gives me a reading assignment and the next time we meet we discuss the reading as we walk the palace grounds. Then Mrs. Shelagh, my math teacher, has made math come alive for me in ways I never imagined. Using real world problems and how math can be used to solve them.
"When I am not being tutored," Jill had written, "I explore this wonderful building. Mom and Maggie gave me the nickel tour the first day I was here, but they didn't show me the entire building. I found out this is the Queen Mum's home. The home where the queen's mother or grandmother would live after the king died. I really don't understand it. I found a small study or den tucked in the back of the residence that looks out onto the gardens. I found Lisa quietly lounging on one of the lounges in the study. I found that this was her sanctuary.
"Speaking of Lisa," Queen Jill had written. "This is from a couple of days after she had begun living in Serenity."
"I was all prepared to hate Lisa. She was after all the reason why Dad left me behind on Mars all those years ago. But I can't. She has been trying to let me have my space and yet she is trying hard to be there. I have been trying to not cause any problems. Dad doesn't need me to cause any problems. If me, and Lisa, well Mom, get into it it'll cause problems and Dad will send me back to Mars. So when I came back to my room and found her and the maid looking at my laundry she didn't get mad at me she just took me to the palace PX and helped me get some clothes. She was concerned that I not put Joan in a position again.
"I have tried to help with Abby. My step sister is a little shy around me when I talked with Sally McBride, Abby's agent, she said it took a while for her to get in Abby's good graces. So it will take some time I guess. But she is such a cute kid.
"I have been observing Dad and Lisa's relationship. I see that there is real affection between them. She really cares about my father. Sometimes, when dad gets home early and we are all in the family, they often sit on the sofa with Lisa's head usually on Dad's shoulder. Both of them content to be just sitting together on the sofa. I can't think of anyone who I know is as close they are.
"Lisa is also making me feel welcomed in her home. I don't know if I was in Mom's place, if I would be so generous and welcoming if my estranged step daughter showed up on my door step. She has made me feel welcomed. She has found time for me every day if only to share a cup of tea or a walk in the beautiful gardens around Serenity. I think though, that she is getting some cabin fever. She hasn't gotten out of the palace since I have been here except to see Princess Carroll.
Chapter 5: Am I Really That Rich?
"Can you imagine what it would be like to suddenly find out that you were rich, but very rich?" the General Jones asked at the beginning of their next class. "For all your life you lived with your grandmother or father, who were both members of the imperial armed forces. You are a service brat. Not a rich kid with a silver spoon. So when you are reunited with your father you're told that you are the heir to Thomas Hazelton and never have to work a day in your life."
"That would be mind blowing," One of the cadets commented.
"It would be like winning the Rio Lobe Lottery, and the very next day discovering a large vein of silvered platinum!" Another remarked. "It would change your life."
"It would," General Jones said, "and it did for Jill; but not in the way you would think!"
###
"Jill," Princess Carroll said after one of the dinners, "Can you stop by the embassy tomorrow?"
"The embassy," Jill asked. "Not Fletcher?"
"Yes," The Princes said, "The quarterly report on your finances has arrived and I thought it would be a good idea to go over it with you. I am going to borrow Ambassador Gray's staff, to help me go over it with you. Usually I have Stanley Prescott go over it with me; but alas he is on Mars and we are here. Even after five years I sometimes still have trouble understanding the report that EBio and the other companies you own generate.
So if you can come over to the embassy, we'll spend a couple of hours going over it."
"Sure," Jill said, "Dad, Mom, okay if I miss part of school tomorrow?"
"It's okay Jill," Lisa answered. At first she thought she and Mike could go over the reports with her step daughter, but after discussing it with Princess Carroll, she realized that there was no way she could do a good job of it. She thought about having Francine, her personal secretary help, as Francine was very astute when it came to such things; but Francine said that it was really the Princess' duty to explain it to Jill.
"I may tag along." Lisa said, "The Princess is not going to be around forever and me or your father should know what's going on so maybe we can answer your questions when Carroll's not here."
That surprised the Princess. Lisa of course knew about the infatuation that the she had with her husband many years before they had married; when she was on her maiden tour as a Black Guard Lieutenant. While Lisa had never shown any jealously toward her, their relationship was not as cordial as the Princess would have liked. Even though it had been the Princess who had made sure that they could leave the empire years before.
"If that's okay Carroll," Lisa asked.
"Certainly Lisa," The princess replied.
# ###
The next day Jill and Lisa with their details went to the Earth Embassy. As they approached the embassy they saw a long line of people snaking out of the embassy's gates and down the side walk before the walled complex. Lisa, who always had a camera with her, took several pictures of the people waiting to go into the embassy. When the guards saw the limo with its escort and the shield of the Trenan Monarchy on its doors, they were passed into the compound with barely a security check.
"Are all those people seeking passage off world from the Empire," Georgia asked.
"Yes," Jill replied, "They are mostly Terran citizens. It was on the news net a week ago. I hadn't realized how many people that really is. The Empire will transport their citizens to an imperial world according to the news; but they have to prove they are either citizens of Earth, or have relatives in the empire. They will even accept people who have given up their Imperial citizenship. Providing there are no warrants for their arrest." "You seem to know quite a bit about this," Lisa asked as they got out of the limo.
"Just something I saw on the holo," Jill replied.
They entered the building and were met by the ambassador herself. Amanda Gray had dined at their table over the last couple of weeks, but Lisa hadn't gotten to know her that well. She was an older woman nearly seventy with brunette hair streaked with gray. She stood barley five feet six inches tall. She held one of the most important diplomatic posts for the Earth Empire.
"Good afternoon Lady Wilson," The ambassador greeted them.
"Good afternoon Ambassador," Lisa returned, and turned to Jill, "Ambassador
Gray this is my daughter, Jill. Jill this is Ambassador Gray."
"It's been a while Jill, but I remember you when you were a little girl." The ambassador replied.
"I didn't know you knew each other," Lisa stated.
"Not really," The ambassador answered, "Jill couldn't have been much more than five when I was home for a while and I had a chance to have dinner with her grandmother.
She and I were roommates at the academy."
"It seems that a lot of people know about me or my father," Jill remarked.
"It is a small community Jill," The ambassador replied. "I've known your father for years. Ever since Joy introduced him to me years before you were born."
She led them up to the second floor on a stair case that looked like it had come out of a historical drama. The wide stair case swept up from the main floor to an ornate balcony that looked over the lobby of the embassy. As they stepped onto the balcony Georgia looked to Jenny who nodded. They both had thought the same thing. It would be a great place to defend the lobby from if they had to. They entered the conference room and there Jill was surprised to see that General Alpine was not dressed in a uniform. The Princess was in a skirt and a simple blouse that set off her auburn hair and green eyes.
"Hello," the future empress of the Earth Empire greeted them.
"Hello," Jill said not knowing how to address the older woman. It was easy when she had her uniform on. "This will be the first time I have heard any of this Princess."
"Jill," the princess started, "I know Jill. I'll try to help you understand it all." "Thank you Princess," Jill replied.
"Although I am Princess Carroll and you are one of my father's subjects, in this instance I work for you." The princess spoke to her ward, "In this room I work for you. Please call me Carroll."
Jill understood what the older woman was trying to do. By lowering the barrier of the princess' station in life and her own being one of her subjects. Jill wasn't sure she could call the older woman by her christian name. She nodded.
"I represent your financial interests." The princess continued, "My job is to manage your wealth, and help you understand what your finances look like. Today we begin something that should have been started years ago, but your grandmother, and I both felt that it wasn't time to tell you what you are worth."
"Why now," Jill asked taking the seat that the woman pointed to. Her step mother sat down next to her.
"When you ran away from Mars, we realized that you are no longer a child, and that if you are to be master of this you had to start understanding what we have done in your name, and so you can begin to direct your portfolio." The general who was old enough to be her mother responded.
"I see," Jill replied. "So where do we begin?"
"Let's talk about your guardianship," the general answered. "When your father left the empire, knowing he couldn't manage the fortune that he was blessed with, or as he says cursed with, he developed a trust to manage it. The trust is in your name, and is set up in such away so that it covered all your expenses. Your father named me and your grandmother to be the trustees of that fund, and set it up in such a way that should you come to any grief, the fund was to be put into about thirty charities that helped people like Lisa, and others in the bio engineering community."
Lisa had known that her husband had set up the trust, and that his step mother, and the Princess were trustees of it; but hadn't known how he had set it up. She wasn't surprised though, that he had set it up so that Earth Biological would not benefit from his daughter's death.
"EBio had a fit over some of the provisions of the trust." Princess Carroll continued,
"You own a full eighty percent of the company stock. That alone makes you a billionaire." "That's billionaire with a B," Jill asked.
"Yes," Princess Carroll answered, "But that is only EBio stock, because of how the company did things, you have real assets of another couple of billion. You own things like interstellar star ships. You own several dozen buildings in the empire. Maybe a planet or two also!"
Both Lisa and Jill were dumbfounded, Lisa had had some idea that her husband was very rich, but had no idea he was that rich. To Jill this was all a revelation. She didn't know how to respond to it.
As if reading her mind the princess said, "I know it's a lot to take in. In time though, you will understand it. For now though, it's important that you understand that me and your grandmother manage your trust fund and that we don't do it alone. We couldn't! So we hired an accountant, and a financial manager to help us. Every quarter they send us a report on what they have done. To keep them honest, I usually go over the report with Stanley Prescott who knows how to interpret the report. They brief me and your grandmother on what's in it. I do though, sit and read the thing from cover to cover after they get done."
"Oh I remember now," Jill said, "Sometimes you and grandmother would have dinner. I always thought that the guy accompanying you a friend of grand mom's and yours!"
"Stanley," The princess smiled, "Is a good friend. I wish he was here now. But alas he isn't. So I am borrowing some of the Ambassador's staff to help me go over this report with you."
For the rest of the afternoon the princess and a couple of the embassy's accountants went over the financial report with Jill and her step mother. Towards midafternoon when they took a break Lisa turned to Jill with the princess out of the room, "Is your head swimming?"
"A bit," Jill replied, "You?"
"Jill, I got lost very quickly," Lisa said getting a strange look from her step daughter.
"Mom your IQ is what 190 or something?" Jill asked.
"I know," Lisa said, "But I learned just enough to handle my finances, and keep mine and your father's bills paid. Sometimes I still mess up! Simply because I am a genius doesn't mean I am one when it comes to money, now physical therapy I am your girl, but this stuff no way!"
Jill chuckled it was the first time she had ever heard her step mother admit to not being able to do something. "Mom, how do I thank the princess? She took on something she didn't have to?"
"Jill," the Princess came back into the room, "I most certainly had to!" "Why?" Jill asked, "Surely this is a lot of extra work."
"You're Sarge's daughter." The Princess held up her hand to quiet Jill for a bit, "He was my platoon sergeant when I came out of Beast Barracks. I had forced my way into the Black Guard. I really had no business being there. Somehow I got through beast without being killed! Then Dad pulled a string or two. He had heard about a young sergeant who was hot shit! He had trained a couple of officers when they came out of Beast. Dad felt that Mike was the best in the business and while he was quite willing to let his daughter become a marine, and later a Black Guardsmen, he wasn't willing to let me be trained by some sergeant that didn't know his business. Your father didn't want me in the platoon. He thought that I would be a liability. He even went to the division commander asking that I be reassigned. No such luck. So reluctantly Mike took me on, teaching me what the Academy didn't and what Beast hadn't." She paused, there was a lot more but she wasn't going to tell her ward all of it. Especially with Lisa in the room! Though Carroll was certain that the older woman knew of the infatuation she once had with her husband, "Your father taught me that being an officer was more than knowing the rules, and regulations and being bossy. Not only how to plan a battle; but how to take care of the troops, the marines entrusted to me. He taught me how to take care of my people and how to bring them back home.
"He also got me out some hairy stuff," the princess said, "Real hairy! I owed him big time. I couldn't say no to him. Trust me though when I say I thought hard about his request, talking with my father over the situation, and your grandmother. But in the end I
couldn't say no! "
The princess was quiet for a while then said, "Jill it hasn't been that tough, and in some respects it's been a good deal for me. I enjoy it." "Enjoy it?" Lisa asked.
"I or the Admiral attend several EBio board meetings a year," The princess said with a wicked smile, "can you image what some of those folks think when they see me or the admiral sitting at the table. The only better thing would be having Lisa here sitting there."
Lisa smiled at the mere thought of being in the same board rooms with some of the people who had ordered her to be killed and her fellow clones. That would indeed be interesting!
Jill saw her step mother's smile and wondered what it was all about. The general said "Now let's continue."
"Princess," Jill said, "I am having trouble following some this stuff," Jill looked to Lisa, "so is Mom."
"I understand," her trustee responded, "But we're actually coming to the easy part."
Later as they were wrapping up Jill turned to the older woman and said, "This was the easy part?"
"Do you want to go over the early part again," the princess asked.
"No, I guess not," Jill replied, "I am getting a bit of a handle on it though."
"Oh," Lisa commented, she wasn't certain that she had even a partial handle on it.
"Yes I own around 80 percent of EBio's stock, and stock in twenty or thirty other companies. Some as diverse as interstellar shipping lines, some biotech companies, there's even a company that builds AIs. Because of what my great grandfather did there is some company property that is owned by me and is leased back to the company. But you know what is really strange and sad, is that I don't own a single ship yard, and that none of the ships I own are close enough to Trena to make a difference here!"
Princess Carroll listened to what the girl said and commented, "You got the generalities of it. All the ships you own are on the other side of the empire and would take maybe two months to get here."
"Princess how much direction can I give you?" Jill asked.
"Some," The princess replied, "I will listen to what you have to say, and if it is something that I feel is inappropriate I will discuss it with you and once we have come to a compromise I'll carry your wishes out. But be warned I do know what the meaning of the word NO is. Your grandmother and I must be in full agreement before anything with your fortune is done. Worse comes to worse a judge will be the tie breaker. So far we haven't had to do that."
"How long will you be my Trustee," Jill asked.
"Until you are twenty five years old," The princess said.
"What happens if you or grand mom dies?" Jill asked.
"My heir becomes your trustee," the princess said thinking the question was a good one, "My heir is my son Max, Though at 10 he is much too young to be your trustee, what
I have done is ask Ned my husband to be your trustee should I die."
"Dad's grand mom's heir," Jill said, "I saw her will once and Dad is named as her heir as am I."
"Your grandmother asked my father to be your trustee, should she die before the trust is completed," The princess replied.
She was speechless as pondered the realities of who her trustees would be if her grandmother or Princess Carroll died. Finally he thoughts settle down she felt she needed to give the princess some direction.
"Princess," Jill spoke, "I want whenever possible for my companies to help the people of Trena. I also want you to lease or buy any ship we can to help these people." The princess looked at her ward and said, "Jill, I will do what I can; but a lot star lift suddenly became unavailable when the insurance companies refused to carry anyone working in this system."
"Do what you can," Jill said. In the short period of time that she had been on Trena she wanted to do anything she could for the people of Trena. Unfortunately, there was just so much she could do. Both she and Lamile had wanted to help, but there was nothing that the crown or her father had set up for kids to help with.
"I think that's all we have to discuss," Carroll said then as she began straightening things up on the table then she spied an envelope, "Oh I almost forget this!"
Jill and Lisa who were getting to their feet to leave stopped in their tracks.
"Jill, I had long talk with your father, and since I couldn't get with your grandmother, I talked with a couple of people who I have come to trust since I have been here. Most notably Lord Mercer, Queen Agatha's regent and guardian. They were of the opinion that you should be given an allowance."
"But Dad and Lisa give me a hundred crowns a month," Jill said, she had been surprised when her father had given her a card telling her it was her allowance a week or so back.
"I know," Carroll said, "But this is drawn on your fortune. I've set up a line of credit for you here on Trena in the Bank of Terra. There is a five hundred credit limit on it. Any purchase greater than fifty crowns won't go through until I approve it. Failing that Lisa or your father can approve it. Once a month the bank will automatically be paid for what you have spent, and keep your limit at 500. But it won't do that until the early hours on the first of month. If you go over your limit early in the month, that's your tough luck until the first."
"I see," Jill said. "Thank you Princess."
"You are welcomed," Princess Carroll replied, "Jill we will make this work. Is there anything else?"
"No. I think not," Lisa said.
"Not quite," Jill suddenly said. "I want you to send a message from me to the CEO telling her that I am ordering the closer operation closed! And she is to share with the IBJ what she knows about any crimes they may have committed. More importantly she is to recall the closer team hunting Dad and Lisa!"
"I have already told the CEO to pull the closers," The princess bristled, "and so has Admiral So far the CEO has been unable to complete that directive. The security operation is independent and not even the CEO has been able to rein in the Closers."
"I see," Jill responded seeing how her request upset the Princess. "I should have known you would be trying to keep those people from harming mom and dad. So I guess there is nothing anyone can do?"
"We are watching," Princess Carroll spoke to her ward, "and we have made it known to everyone we want her, dead or alive. Every cop on and off the planet is searching for her. I have the Imperial Bureau of Justice, and the Corps de Chameleon looking for this closer team. We have also beefed up security around your family. Right now it is really the best we can do!"
"I see," Jill said resigned to the fact there was nothing she could do to stop the Closers. "Thank you Carroll.
Finished they left the conference room. When they were back outside, Lisa ducked into the limo for a second and came back out with her camera. She took several pictures of the people waiting to be seen by the repatriation offices of the Embassy. They got back into the limo and left for the palace.
# ###
The general concluded her lecture and asked the class if there were any questions.
"What I find interesting," the princess injected, "was grand mom's reaction to everything."
"I didn't know the queen then," the general replied, "but from what I know her outward appearance was cool, calm and collected."
"Her diaries from the period were interesting," the princess continued, "I was reading last night that grand mom was...well let me read some stuff from them.
"When we went to see Princess Carroll I was surprised that mom was lost on the financial things," The princess paused and found the entire class listening to her. Continuing, "I am still amazed at the revelation of being so rich. It is hard for me to realize that I own part of EBio. When the Princess showed me the books it blew me away. But what is really upsetting me is that the company I am owner of wants to harm my dad and mom. I don't know why they would do that! I have asked the princess to see what she can do about it; but there isn't anything she can do about the Closers. The money is blowing my mind away. I want to find some way to use it to help the people of Trena. I am not certain the Princess will let me spend what I think I should; but I haven't broached it with her. I don't know if I can call her direct to ask her to do things I want to do. From what Dad has commented on she is very busy helping secure Imperial resources for the evacuation and acting as what does Dad say oh yeah the SpecWar team lead."
As Princess Lisa stopped reading, she looked around at her classmates and could see that many of them saw that their great grandmother wasn't the cool calm collected young lady their text portrayed as.
Chapter 6: What Would Become Of Her?
Lamile Mitchum eagerly walked to class. She wanted to hear today's lecture. Today's lecture was on chapter six of their text. Chapter six not only discussed her name sake, Lamile, but also her grandmother Valerie. She wasn't so lost in thought to forget to square her corners as she walked to the classroom. She had witnessed one of the senior year cadets fail to square his corners and one of the instructors had caught him. He got five demerits in his butcher bill earlier in the week. She knew he would be walking them off on the tenderizer. That piece of very hard pavement that she was familiar with. Having spent many an evening after evening rats being tenderized as she walked off her demerits!
She entered the classroom, thankfully before the General had arrived. If the general had begun her lecture she would have to stand at attention outside the class room for the entire class period. She would pick up ten chops in her bill, five for being tardy, and five for missing the class. That had gotten her some of her tenderizing tours. Lately she had not picked up any chops for being late to class. Sometimes just barely making it before the instructor had entered the classroom and began their lecture!
Now as she took her seat, she saw that Princess Lisa had just sat down also. Her nephews and nieces were already there. It was hard to believe she was an aunt to the princess. The same year that Princess Lisa had been born, she was born to Robert Mitchum, her father, the great grandson of Abigail and Robert Mitchum. That had been 19 years ago. She had grown up with the princess and her nephews and nieces. Sometimes the six of them had gotten into so much trouble they had been grounded as a group for weeks on end. As she reflected on this she realized all of them had continued their mischief at the academy. Spending more time before the mast than any other first year's in their class. Between her tardiness and a couple the boys' jokes they were being well tenderized!
The general walked in bringing the room to attention. When the room settled down the general began her lecture.
"Besides Queen Jill," The general spoke, "two other young people helped to establish our academy. Lamile Atomi and Valerie Mitchum were instrumental in how our academy came about. Often over shadowed by our first queen, Valerie Mitchum had a profound effect on the formation of the academy. I was not around when Mitch first came to the attention of the authorities. If it hadn't been for the closers Mitch might never have become a police officer."
# ###
"I can't believe that school is still in session," T'ger, a thonian teenager commented as he sat down with them as they boarded the city bus to take them to their neighborhood,
"You would think that they would close school because so many of us are staying home."
"Yeah," Lamile remarked, "A lot of the guys are staying home."
"That would be cool," another kid was saying, "Not having to deal with Mr.
Kilner's biology class would be great. Dissecting that frog, even a virtual one was gross!" "You're friends with Marshal Wilson aren't you Lam," one of the girls asked.
"I've known Uncle Mike since I was born," Lamile answered. "He's been like a dad since my father was killed."
"That's right," one of the thonians commented, "your father died almost a crimen ago. Things seem so normal with you it's hard to believe that your family is still in mourning."
"Yes," Lamile agreed. Normal wasn't the right word though. Her father had been killed almost three earth years ago, a crimen, as her people's called their year. Her mother was still in mourning for her father and would be for at least one more sub crimen, a couple of months the way her human friends divided their crimens. The mourning period was not cultural, it was physiological. The aqaut, which had made her mother and father telepathic and empathic with each other, took a full crimen to dissipate in the surviving lifemate. Normally when a lifemate dies, their lifemate dies also. That was because the couple often died of shared illness, or old age. Her mother was one of rare exceptions. As her father had been killed suddenly, his death shock didn't kill her. Her father's death nearly a crimen ago, her mother's period of morning, and healing was drawing to a close. Already she could see the difference in her mother.
Now a couple of months from the end her mother's mourning her mother was if not back to her old self was changed for the better. She was already noticing that her mother didn't look as haunted as she did when they had first arrived on Trena.
"You've known the Marshal all your life then," one of boys interrupted her thoughts. "Isn't he spooky being a Black Guardsman? I've met a couple of them they are spooky to be around. Like Mr. Rice."
Mr. Rice their civics teacher was indeed spooky to be around. He would be the cafeteria monitor during lunch and would defuse a situation before it became one. Talking to the kids involved, or removing the would be offender before the kid acted out. The kids loved him as he wasn't like some of the other retired military and who were hard cases with the kids. She had never thought of her Uncle Mike was spooky. He was just Uncle Mike!
"No he's not spooky," Lamile replied, "He's just Uncle Mike! He was only a Guardsman for few years. He became an MP after that. I've never known him as a Guardsman."
"Remember when," one of the boys spoke up, "he and Mrs. Wilson threw a birth day party for you last year. He's cool!"
A couple of the kids chuckled as they remembered the joke they had tried to pull on her uncle. They threw a water bubble at him. It was a bubble with some water in it. Like the centuries old water balloon prank that usually ended up with someone getting wet. He just caught it before it hit him and threw it back to the boy who threw it at him. It was designed for just that thing. It could be caught; but if it wasn't caught just right it would burst drenching the unlucky catcher with water. For almost fifteen minutes Uncle Mike and some of her friends tossed the water bubble around. Then her Uncle Mike deftly managed to hit the first kid squarely in the face. The bubble exploded drenching the kid with water. Everyone broke out laughing. Uncle Mike had endeared himself to her friends.
"Yeah," one of the girls remarked, "He's not spooky! He's dreamy!"
Lamile had to agree with that! She remembered the night of the announcement and she saw her uncle in his dress uniform. If he not been lifemated to Aunt Lisa she would have been trying to lifemate him right then and there. He was very good looking. Almost as tall as her father, who had stood almost two lengths tall, her Uncle Mike stood one and three quarter's lengths tall, or six and half earth feet tall. She had seen him with his shirt off and she swore he had muscles on his muscles!
"So has he said anything about his plans?" Troy asked.
"No, Aunt Lisa won't let anyone talk about the evacuation at her table," Lamile replied, "and after dinner we just don't talk about it."
"Does the Chief say anything?" another of the boys asked.
"Mom doesn't say much either," Lamile replied. The kids knew her mother as Chief Atomi of the Trenaport Mounted Patrol. "When she share things with me, it's things that she wants me not to do. Like the other day when all those kids raved South Mall and shop lifted all those stores. She wanted to make sure I wasn't part of that rave!"
"So did my dad," Troy remarked, "Damn near accused me of being one of them because Ted Olsen, one of the guys I run with was arrested. I can't believe they did that!"
"Me either," Lamile commented, "Mom says if those kids were in school they wouldn't have gotten in trouble. That's one of the reasons when I'm not in school why I'm either at the palace, or I am babysitting. Mom is making sure I can't get in trouble."
"That's right," Troy said, "You have been hanging out at the palace. What's Queen
Agatha like?"
"I don't think of her as the Queen," Lamile answered, "You remember Miss
Car'this?"
A couple of them nodded or said yes. Miss Car'this was a thonian student teacher who didn't act like a teacher. She was a history teacher who was very informal. She was so informal that there was no barrier between student and teacher. Lamile learned more about history that semester than ever before.
"Well Aggie reminds me of her," Lamile continued, "When Aggie is with us she's very informal."
"Wow," One of the girls commented, "The circles you run in!"
The bus stopped near South Mall. Several people got on the bus. She saw someone she knew. The dark haired girl who got on the bus with a gamma biowoman she thought she knew. The girl was a couple years older, but she would know Lead Rigger Mitchum anywhere. She had spent her first summer on Trena aboard an old fashion sailing ship called The Adventure of Learning, while her mother was still recovering from her father's murder. The Thonian Embassy had paid her passage on the boat. Mitch had been her rigging leader. She was part of a team that climbed up to the top sail where they helped to set sail by unfurling the top most sail so they could put on speed or furl the sails when they dropped anchor. She had been terribly afraid of heights. Mitch helped her over her fear! By the end of summer she was running the rigging like a t'amo, the thonian equivalent of a Terran chimpanzee. She smiled when she remembered how she flew up the climbing net the school had draped from the gym's ceiling. Then grabbing on to one of the climbing ropes hanging from the platform under the ceiling, that she dropped onto after her climb, she seemed to fall down the rope and landed unscathed on her feet. She had enjoyed that. If it hadn't been for Mitch she would have never thought of trying to climb net, let alone flying down the rope. She wondered what Mitch was doing on the bus.
"So you're friends with Marshal Wilson, and on first name basis with Queen Agatha." Troy asked, "Whose next Princess Carroll from Earth."
"Well I have had dinner with her," Lamile quipped. She looked at Troy seeing his mouth open she reached out and gently closed his mouth, "you shouldn't let your mouth fall open. Something might fly in!"
As Valerie Mitchum took a seat next to Lottie, she thought she recognized the thonian teenager. Though it had been years since she had seen her, the summer she had made rigging leader. Maybe four years ago. If it was the same girl, the girl a year or so younger than herself, and was taller than Mitch herself. The thonian girl was no longer all knees and arms.
As she sat down beside Lottie, she marveled at her good luck. After she had fled the shelter, she slept on the streets for a few nights until she had stumbled upon Lottie. She met Lottie, the owner, of Lottie's Kettle, a small restaurant. Lottie sensing she was homeless had given her a free meal and allowed her to hang out during the day. Eventually she began waiting tables and helping out. Lottie had been watching her over the last week or so, and had finally hired her last week. Mitch was thrilled. It was the very first job she had ever had. Between what Lottie was paying her and the tips she was making she barely had enough to pay for a room in an apartment on the top floor of South Mall. It wasn't much; but it did beat sleeping on the streets like she had been doing since she had left the shelter. So far Lottie had been pleased with her. She was easy to work for and didn't mind showing her things. Today before they opened for their lunch trade, Lottie had asked her to accompany her to the market.
Lottie turned to the girl as they got of the buss earlier and asked, "Did you ever shop here before the announcement?"
"No," Mitch answered walking with the gamma biowoman into the mall.
"The market before the evacuation notice," Lottie continued, "had been a flea market open only on the weekends. The mall's owners let it occupy the South Mall's main promenade. When Mall's owners had built the Mall, they had designed the promenade to be a gathering place. Things like charitable auctions. What started out as a way for charities to have their rummage and white elephant sales, soon became a once a week event. Before the Notice, the merchants grudgingly tolerated the flea market on the weekends, even when the booth holders started to sell the stuff they sold in their stores. They tolerated it as the flea market funneled shoppers into their shops.
They walked to the edge of the balcony that overlooked the promenade. Spread below then was all kinds of booths and tables some still closed, or with tarps and blankets covering them. What she could see was mind numbing. There was all type of things. She saw things she had never seen before. Luggage, tool belts, emergency rations. Tools, survival equipment, even car parts. As they started down the escalator, Lottie continued, "Once the announcement had been made, much to the chagrin of the merchants, it opened every day. Before the market had sold mostly garage sale stuff, typical family bric-a-brac that was cluttering the family garage or attic. Stuff that mom or dad wanted gone because they were tired of tripping over it! It had always sold new stuff, usually off season goods, or knock offs. Now it is selling stuff that aren't knock offs, and new this season. Goods that an evacuee might want to take with them.
As they got off the escalator Lottie said, "Normally I don't come here when we're open; but I saw something the other day that I think will make good table decorations." "One of the guys is selling keep sakes and mementos of Trena." Lottie continued as they walked past several tables. "He is selling little holographic displays of the Ice Caves, or the Princess Falls, or other scenic mementos of Trena herself. Stuff the regular merchants sell at much inflated prices."
Mitch had been curious as to why they had come to the mall. She was curious what her boss was going to buy. She didn't have long to wait. Lottie went over to one of the venders. On the table were small table top holographic projectors. They were all the same model of projector, but each one projected a different three dimensional model of one of Trena's spectacular tourist attractions. One showed the Princess Falls. The projection was so life like that when Mitch reached out to feel the water, her hand just interrupted the imagery. Not just the Princess Falls were displayed. Included in the available images were the Ice Caves, the harbor with all the antique sailing ships and passenger liners. There were scenes of Trena as seen from McKay, jewel like images of various space stations and off world facilities. Mitch thought they were awesome. Lottie bought nearly 100 of the projectors.
As they boarded the bus Lottie commented, "I normally wouldn't buy this many; but they're cheap enough, I thought I could sell a couple as people left or entered the shop.
I thought I would let them cycle through their display."
Mitch knew she would buy one from the woman who was quickly becoming a friend. Months later she would be honored when she was added to montage.
They had gotten back to the restaurant barely in time to set up for lunch. They quickly put the boxes in the store room but not before Lottie opened one of the boxes and took out enough projectors for each of the tables. As they set the tables they put one of the projectors on each table. Each of the ten tables had a projector and a different scene displayed from the projector. Gaylord, Lottie's husband, growled over having to wait tables while she was gone. But it was mostly the late morning counter crowd. Who mostly drank coffee, and discussed as they said, how to save the world. He didn't add how he enjoyed talking with the crowd as Lottie either ran errands, or set the dining room up for lunch.
"So you left me here to go to that flea market," Gaylord needled Lottie playfully,
"And you brought that junk back!" "Yes dear," Lottie replied.
"How much did that junk cost us," Gaylord asked.
"Not much," Lottie playfully answered, "a quarter crown a unit!"
"That much," Gaylord exclaimed! "I thought I said no more than 10 penny for each one. But you had to spend more!"
Mitch was mortified thinking she needed to be somewhere else as the couple fought. She had witnessed several fights between her father and mothers. A couple with Vickie had almost come to blows! As she put the last of the eating utensils on one of the tables she saw the smirk on Lottie's face as she said, "You didn't say I couldn't spend more!"
"And I did tell you to go buy them!" Gaylord laughed.
"You guys!" Mitch broke out laughing when she realized that the couple wasn't fighting.
Lottie suddenly stopped laughing there was a look abject fear on the biowoman's face. Before she could turn to see what had frightened her friend there was crash behind her. Turning to see what was going on behind her, she saw a hulk of a woman pushing tables out of her way. She watched in horror as the woman grabbed Lottie by her hair.
L'eam and F'rena, members of the 83rd Thonian Military Police Battalion, known as the Companions, were stopping by Lottie's. A thonian in the Mounted Patrol had recommended the restaurant when he found out the Thonian couple were to patrol the South Mall district. When it was time for their lunch break they had made a point of stopping by the other day. The food was good. The owners had made them feel welcomed, especially a young girl on the verge of womanhood who had been their server. When the lifemated pair found out that they cooked Thonian foods they had to come back. They had been surprised to see the thonians in the small eatery. They skeptically order a prta'tch stew. A dish that was very difficult for non thonians to prepare. It was a widely held belief that only Thonians could cook Thonian foods correctly. It was done so well that they had come back to see what other thonian foods the eatery had to offer.
They were just stepping into the small restaurant when they noticed that a hulk of a woman had grabbed Lottie, the owner, by the hair and was pulling her out into the middle of the restaurant.
"You dirty filthy half-witted piece of garbage!" the woman was yelling, "The company has come to collect you. You are going back to the vat!" She lifted the biowoman up and threw her against the floor. As the two MP pulled their side arms, the woman took a knife out of her cloak. She grabbed the biowoman again by the hair and slashed the woman across her face a couple of times.
Not understanding why, Mitch jumped onto the back of the woman who was assaulting Lottie, trying to rescue her friend. But the hulk threw Mitch off her with back with her free hand. It seemed like the woman was waving an irritating fly away when she threw Mitch off her back and into a wall. It knocked the wind out of Mitch. As she struggled to get her breath back and stand up to try again, she saw the thonians.
"That will be enough!" The male of the two MPs said in near perfect Terrish. He held his service weapon in both hands squarely at the Lottie's attacker.
"Screw you!" the woman said. She was one of a squad of closers led by Captain Martha Hozenbur. They had been dispatched by the Security Coordinator at EBio's Headquarters on Earth to finish some unfinished business on Trena. This bio had been on the escape list for more than a decade. They had suspected that she was on Trena, but this was the first indication that the bio was on Trena. She had stumbled upon the biowoman by accident. She had been taking a walk through the flea market, just walking not working at all when she saw her. The bioperson was accompanied by a teenager as they bought some nick knacks from a vendor. She was certain that this was the biowoman that had escaped from the company ten years before, setting a fire in a security barracks. The closer thought about killing the biowoman right then and there. She thought better of it. In the Empire she could kill the halfwit and no one would charge her with nothing more serious than disturbing the peace. On Trena, she would be charged with murder. Captain Hozenbur had made sure each and every one of her closers knew what the risks were coming to Trena. They were all committed to closing the clone CD 1984 AOS's file, otherwise known as Lady Wilson. She was a special project they had been brought in for; but they were supposed to close as many files of any biopeople they found. They wanted to make sure that every escaped bioperson on Trena knew that they still belonged to the EBio.
"You piece of filthy scum." She shifted her hold on the biowoman so she could slit Lottie's throat. "I am going to close your file!"
"I said that will be quite enough," The companion repeated, "Do that again and I will take you down."
"Your file is closed halfwit!" the hulking woman yelled as she slit the biowoman's throat. The MP fired one time into the closer's heart, killing her instantly. He put the weapon on the counter as his lifemate called it in. The Thonian bent down checked for a pulse on both women. He shook his head. Both women were dead.
Valerie Mitchum watched in horror; as the Thonian put a table cloth over Lottie.
She did not want to believe that Lottie had been killed right in front of her. Lottie was the gentlest woman she had ever known. She had befriended the teenager for the last couple of weeks. She was becoming a good friend. Now she was dead.
"Are you okay Miss," The tall thonian woman knelt down in front of her.
"No," felling suddenly sick Mitch got to her feet and ran to the restroom. When she was through getting sick into the sink she went out into the restaurant and saw the arrival of an ambulance.
When the Trena Mounted Patrol Homicide Unit arrived, the lead detective looked first at the biowoman and then at the dead closer then turned to the MP, "You couldn't have just wounded the closer?"
"No sir," The MP said, "A wounded closer is much more dangerous than a dead one. She had killed one person and I wasn't sure she was not going to kill another."
"Okay." The Mounted Patrol officer replied, he had worked with Thonian MPs before and knew they wouldn't fire unless they had too. The cop searched the woman and found her company ID and saw that she was part of an EBio Containment and Alignment team. It amazed him how the company worked. If he had been on a world that made it a habit of making life difficult for EBio Containment and Alignment teams he sure wouldn't have carried an ID tying him to EBio. The Mounted officer looked at the Thonian MP and said, "She was a closer all right. She would have done you next if she could."
"I thought you guys stopped closers at the port." L'eam the male thonian asked.
"We register them, read them the riot act and let them go. We can't legally touch them until they break our laws. We have some closers on world who have retired, or defected. We have to give them the benefit of the doubt or we become just as bad as them.
Good shot." he said "Who are the witnesses?"
"That young lady," the Thonian said pointing to Valerie Mitchum.
The cop walked to where Valerie was standing. He knew her immediately. He had arrested her for shop lifting a couple of weeks ago; he had been at a grocery when she tried to shop lift some food. To his knowledge the kid hadn't been in trouble since, "Mitch, how you been doing?"
"I don't know," the teenager answered. She had seen people die before. She had seen a rigger fall from the Adventure's top sail; but she had never seen anyone kill someone right before. Her stomach was still queasy. She still couldn't believe she had jumped on that woman's back.
"Why are you here," the detective asked.
"I am working here for Lottie or was." She pointed to the covered body of her friend.
"What did you see," the cop asked. He turned on his pad and recorded the girl's statement. It backs up what the companions said. Where are you staying?"
"I've a room in an apartment at the mall," Mitch replied. "But not for long. If
Lottie's husband closes this place I'll be out of a job."
"Here," the cop gave her a ten crown note that he was going to use for lunch the next couple of days. He shouldn't do it. She was a witness in the murder he was investigating. If someone saw what he did they might question Valerie's statement. He had a soft spot for the young girl.
"Thank you," Mitch took the note. She answered a few more questions and was told to stick around for a while. She was standing outside a few minutes later when a large car with the royal crest on it pulled up. She recognized one of the people who got out of the car as Marshal Wilson. She wasn't certain who the thonian woman was, who accompanied him enter Lottie's. The Marshal looked around a bit and left the restaurant to stand next to the car that brought them. Mitch was still sitting on a bench waiting to be allowed to leave when she overheard Officer Caruthers making his report to the Marshal.
"It's a righteous shooting. The MP did it by the numbers, and was backed up by the others in the restaurant. Victim number one is Lottie the owner of the restaurant. She was DOA when Trenaport Fire and Rescue arrived. She was killed by victim number two. Victim number two was killed by Warrior L'eam Re'Ta of the 83rd MP Battalion when the woman killed victim number one and wouldn't stand down. Victim number Two or the killer, we're tentatively identifying at Roberta Foster. This is based on the EBio identification she was carrying identifies her as Roberta Foster. Ironically it puts her as an EBio Containment and Alignment officer. What the company calls a closer. She didn't come through the space port. So she must have been smuggled in. We may be able to track her movements. Forensics will run everything there is to find on her. We may get lucky."
"Okay," Wilson said, "I want a full review. I want it to go through the entire system. I want those two officers on desk duty while this is settled. It sounds like a righteous action; but I want it to be proved."
"Yes sir," The man had sat in on Wilson's principles of internal affairs course and knew what the Marshal was after. All police involved shootings had to be proved one way or the other, and they have to be one hundred percent open to public scrutiny. "Just the way you taught us sir."
The thonian with the Marshal waited for the inspector to finish his report and then came up to Wilson, "Typical closer operation. Grab the clone and brutalize the poor victim, and then kill her. She had cut the girl's face a couple of times and then knowing that she was going to be killed slit the woman's throat."
"Mac," Wilson turned to a tall huskily built, sandy haired man, "You'll have this in writing before the end of the day; but as of now any closer seen around the palace, the Queen, my family, or that of Mylea's; you have permission to close their file! You'll have your hunting license soon."
"Aye sir," the huskily built man replied. Mitch wondered what the Marshal had meant by a hunting license.
"Boss," Mitch watched one of the men in suits poked the husky sandy haired man in the ribs. Mitch thought the man was distracted. She wondered what he was distracted over.
Mac had been deep in thought when his subordinate had elbowed him in his ribs. Unlike his troops, he had been distracted by his charge's statement. He followed his subordinates pointing finger.
"Shit," Mac cursed, turned to Wilson, "Sir Mike, it's time to leave."
"I see them," Wilson replied, and got into the limo. Mitch watched the limo pull away wondering what would become of her now that Lottie was dead.
She saw Gaylord his face ashen as he walked with the body of his wife to a vehicle with the words Trenaport Coroner on it. As the body was packed into the vehicle Mitch went to Gaylord and held him. They both walked into the restaurant and soon were crying each other's arm.
###
Jill Wilson was sitting in her room working through a history lesson about the early days of the Trenan Star Nation with the Holo running in the back ground, when out of the corner of her eye she saw her father on the Holo. He was standing with her Aunt Mylea listening to a man who was dressed in a business suit. Jill guessed he might be a cop. Just the way he stood and his haircut indicated he might have spent a good deal of his life in uniform. She had seen many like that in and around her grandmother's home and her parents' home here on Trena. As the camera panned back to the restaurant it briefly came to rest on a young woman with long black hair and a perfect figure.
A voice was saying "About an hour ago. A woman entered this restaurant and killed the owner. Two members of the Companion Military Police unit walked into the restaurant as the woman killed Lottie, the owner. The two Thonian MPs killed the woman. The woman is reputed to be a special security officer from EBio. The owner a woman named Lottie was a bioengineered human."
Jill watched the news story until they went back to normal programming and then went in search of her step mother.
"Lisa did you hear?" Jill she burst out as she entered the study interrupting Lisa and her housekeeper as they planned the next week.
"Did I hear what," Lisa snapped. Although she would have preferred that the teenager had not interrupted them; she decided not to chastise the girl. This was the first time the girl had shown any rudeness since she had been in the house.
"There's been a bioperson killed." Jill said and Lisa looked to Georgia who simply nodded. Until Jill had burst in on them, she assumed that the agent was just checking up on her. She turned from Georgia to hear what the girl was saying, "Two companions walked in on an assault and tried to stop it but not before she was killed. Dad was on the news with Aunt Mylea. They mentioned something about the woman that the companions killed was a special security officer from EBio."
"A Closer," Lisa retorted, "That's not good!"
Lady Wilson had noticed that Georgia had quietly entered the study a little while before, and took a position by the door. They very rarely saw members of the detail in their home. She didn't think much of it until Jill told them about the closers. Lisa was furious. She had a right to be told why the security unit had increased its presence in her home and about her family. She felt Georgia should have said something to her as she came into the study. She cooled out a bit as Georgia had simply done what she had been told to do.
As she cooled out she became concerned. Closers were a fact of life on Trena every so often. Every time one of these Closer units showed up on Trena, it caused a panic in the bioengineered community. Often one or two murders and several disappearances would be reported. The Trena Mounted Patrol had a special squad that dealt with the Closers. Usually the Mounties dealt with the Closers as harshly; if not as brutality as the Closers were to her brothers and sisters.
"Aunt Mylea said they were really bad people," Jill's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Aren't they here to capture you and Dad?" "They'll try," her step mother responded.
"Are you and Dad that much of a threat to EBio?" Jill asked.
"Jill," Lisa started; but didn't know what to tell her step daughter. There was a lot of her past she still hadn't told her husband about. She felt Michael should hear it first, from her before she shared it with anyone else. She really didn't want to keep secrets from the girl; but now wasn't the time to share them with her. Lady Wilson looked at the girl and continued, "Yes. Of all the biopeople that have escaped, none have ever been CDP's. Then there is some information that I know that the company doesn't want to see the light of day. There are a few other reasons they want me partly because who I was!" "Who were you," Jill asked.
"I was a Containment and Alignment officer," Lisa replied, "They get pretty upset when people like me leave C & A teams. We know too much. They are afraid who I might share what I know with. They assume I have told your father."
"So these Closers are here to take you and Dad some place you can't talk." Jill asked.
"Yes," Lisa answered, not knowing how far to go with this. Jill needed to know more about the company she was the major stock holder in; but Lisa wasn't too certain if she should be the one to tell her about it. She was after all highly prejudiced when it came to EBio.
"But why did they kill that biowoman?" Jill asked,
"To try to intimidate and terrorize the biopeople who have sought refuge on Trena." Lisa answered. "But all Closers aren't assassins Jill. In the early days they did do some good. When Company officers or managers tried to sell clones without the company knowing about it or some other skullduggery the closers tried to at first to keep things from getting out of hand. But then Closers became assassins as they tried to apprehend the escaped clones."
"Why haven't I heard more of this? I know that Grand Mom and Princess Carroll didn't tell me about my heritage in the company, but I thought I would hear about these closers."
"You might have heard them referred to as Earth Bioengineering Containment and Alignment Teams." Lisa said, "We were the company's special forces."
"You were part of them?" Jill asked incredulously, she couldn't believe that her step mother was the type of person to be associated with the woman who had killed the clone.
"For a short period of time," Lisa said, "I escaped from a containment team."
There was a lot more than just escaping from the containment team. A lot more but Jill didn't need to know the details. Yet!
Jill was quiet and Georgia looked at her charge in a new light. There was something about Lisa that Georgia couldn't quite place, and now it made a little sense. Lisa had a discipline that she herself wished she had.
"They are on Trena," Jill asked, "For you and Dad?"
"Yes," Lisa said, "But for more than what I am. The Company does want me back. Over the years I seemed to be at the right place and the right time to keep the company from doing some things they shouldn't. A couple of the company security people and a couple of company execs are a little ticked off. There's more. Jill; I don't want to keep secrets from you; but there are some things that I will not discuss with you. You have to trust me when I say that today is not the time to discuss it. We'll sit down and talk about my time on the run and with the company but not today. For now just believe me when I say I never have nor will I harm anyone who isn't harming me or mine."
Seeing the intensity on her step mother's face, Jill knew that Lisa meant every word she had said. Jill decided to let it drop for now. It was obvious that Lisa didn't want to talk about it. She would honor her step mother's desire to speak about her past at a different time and place. She thought that it was probably for the best; as she was having some trouble with her mother's statements. She needed to know more; but she would have to wait for it.
"Lady Wilson," Maggie intruded onto her thoughts, "I think we're done here."
"I think so too," Lisa agreed with her housekeeper. Seeing the time she turned to
Maggie, "We're having an early dinner tonight aren't we`?" "Yes," Maggie replied.
"Then it's time for us to prepare it." Lisa mused, "Jill if you aren't doing anything right now would you join us in the kitchen?"
"Sure," Jill said glad to get away from her homework
"Are the Queen, Lord Mercer, General Alphine, and Chief Atomi still joining us?" Maggie asked.
"I haven't heard anything different." Lisa turned to Georgia, "Are they on time?"
"Yes ma'am," the redhead replied. "They are back in the Queen's office, going over the Marshal's testimony, and they just about done."
"Okay then," Lisa turned to Maggie and Jill, "We need to get busy."
As they trooped out of the study Jill commented, "I listened to Dad's testimony for a while Mom. I think he did okay. At least Lord Ramsey seemed to back down."
"Yeah, Michael did do well," Lisa responded. She had sat through the testimony in the small study she had made her own. It had surprised her. But it gave her a quiet place to work without the kids or people disturbing her. Maggie had later told her that it was the Queen Mums private study. The main study was for the kids and the family but this small place was for the Queen Mum to get away from the family. Lisa had adopted it and it soon became her special quiet place. Even Mike didn't bother her in the study unless he had to. As she reviewed her husband's testimony it surprised her that Jill had paid attention to her father's testimony. She didn't think watching parliamentary testimony was a normal teenager routinely watched.
"Jill," Lisa said softly stopping the girl in her tracks, "Don't take this wrong; but what are you doing watching the news. I mean I would have thought that you would be watching Trena Now, or some other thing geared toward you and your fellow kids?"
"Ever since you and Dad disappeared, I always have had a news account. Trying to find out what happened to you. I was desperate to hear about you. So I thought the news might tell me. If I knew how rich I was I would have hired a PI to find you! As it was I was limited to using an expert system to help me to find you. If I had not seen the Queen announcing the disaster on the Holo I wouldn't be here now."
"I see," Lisa said, up until the evacuation they had tried to live as quiet a life as possible. Avoiding the press as much as possible to keep EBio from finding them was something they had done for years.
"Since I arrived on Trena I wanted to know more than I did about Trena. Watching the news helps, and of course anything about you or Dad I am going to pay attention to." Jill continued.
"I see," Lisa said, "I was just curious. All right let's see what Maggie needs. Jill we'll talk about things later."
###
The last couple of days had been hectic for Mitch. She had stayed with Gaylord, Lottie's husband as he prepared for Lottie's memorial. Lottie had been cremated, so they didn't have a traditional viewing as many families had, nor did they have a wake. Gaylord planned to celebrate his wife life, not her death. Gaylord let Mitch look through their albums to find pictures of Lottie; he wanted to display them around the restaurant, which was her life. She found hundreds of pictures. It surprised her as she leafed through the albums to see that Lottie was heavily involved in the community. She found pictures of Lottie volunteering at a local culinary school. Mitch found that over the last ten years that she wasn't the only person that Lottie had tried to help. There were several, both norms like herself and biopeople. She collected all the photos, much too many to post around the restaurant. Then she idly picked up one of the Trena holo projectors, and wondered if she could add to its library of images. She could. Spending an hour composing the presentation, she then loaded it into a remembrance cube. She added some music and was reviewing it when Gaylord stopped in to check on her. When he saw the presentation she had put together he was speechless. He gripped her shoulder as a tear slowly crept down his face.
"Thank you," his voice softly obscured by emotion. "You know. A lot of our friends might like a copy of this. Why don't you make some copies?"
"All right," Mitch said and began to unbox several of the remembrance cubes. She unlocked them so they could have Lottie's program loaded onto them. She told the expert system to load Lottie's program onto them and went to see if there was anything she could do to help Gaylord.
She threw several table clothes over the counter. She did it so the clothes draped over the stools. She finished placing photos of Lottie around the dining room and helped Gaylord set out drinks and snacks. Then it was time for the memorial.
People began arriving. She knew most of the people who came to the service. There was the older couple who took every meal at the restaurant. Then there was the shoe shop owner who ate lunch every day at the counter. Then the guy who drove the Restaurant Supply Service truck came in. She listened to everyone's remembrance of Lottie. But not everyone shared their remembrances of Lottie. A short balding rail thin man found a corner and seemed to watch the crowd. Gaylord went over and spoke to him for a bit. She went around the group that now numbered fifty seeing if anyone needed anything, getting it if they did. She stepped out of the back door to get some air and found the rail thin man standing there with a couple others.
"Any news on getting the rest of them," a young woman asked.
"No," the rail thin man answered.
"Kellogg," a Mounty asked, "Is there anything I can do to help you find them?" "No Boise," Kellogg responded, "I've got everything I need. I just need some time. She's gone to ground. She and her team have holed up somewhere. They'll go underground and bid their time."
"Kellogg," A gamma biowoman spoke up. "We both know Hozenbur doesn't do what other people like her do!"
"I know," Kellogg responded, "I know."
The others lapsed into silence and went back in. Feeling a little chilled in the night air, Mitch started back in, but was stopped by Kellogg.
"Miss Mitchum," The man said, "I know you were one of Lottie's projects." Mitch didn't know what to say.
"If you need anything," He looked into her eyes, "call me."
He handed her a business card and walked into the restaurant with her. She stopped long enough to put the card with her things in Gaylord's office. As she was walking into dining room she saw the two Thonian military police officers pay their respects to Gaylord, then leave.
Shortly the memorial service broke up. A couple of people stayed behind to help them tidy up. There wasn't a remembrance holo projector left.
The morning after the memorial, Gaylord came up to her as she finished cleaning up from the memorial service.
"Mitch," Gaylord said to her, "I am not going to reopen the restaurant. If we were not going to close it anyways because of the evacuation I might make a go of it. That's what Lottie would want me to do."
Mitch nodded understanding. "So what are you going to do?"
"My brother lives on McKay," Gaylord answered, "He thinks he can get me a job working with him. Mitch, I asked if there was a job for your there. There isn't. Too many refugees from Trena are already living on the moon. I wouldn't be able to go there if there wasn't a guaranteed job waiting for me on McKay."
"I see," Mitch said wondering what was going to become of her. She missed the boat. The Adventure had been the one place she felt she belonged. Now she didn't belong anywhere.
"I'm sorry Mitch," Gaylord said sincerely. "It'll take a couple of weeks to close up the restaurant. I'll need some help closing up. Until I turn the keys over to my land lord you have a job."
Mitch nodded asking, "Where do we start?"
Gaylord looked around. He obviously didn't know where to start.
"Do we have boxes?" Mitch asked.
"Not enough," Gaylord replied, "Let me get some boxes in here. In the meantime why don't you look around and see where we should start."
A few days later Mitch and Gaylord were packing up the remaining food so they could donate it to a food pantry, when a woman entered the kitchen. "Mr. Nambi?" "Yes," Gaylord answered.
"I'm Nicole Johansson," she introduced herself, "I'm with the Crown's Crime
Victims Comprehension Service."
"Oh," Gaylord took the card the woman handed him.
"I'm here to discuss your wife's murder and help you recover from her murder,"
The woman said, "Do you have some time to meet with me?"
"I guess so," Gaylord said, "Let's go into the dining room."
For over an hour the woman met with them both. Before she left she had gone over what she could help them with. Mitch was surprised that when the woman found out that Gaylord was closing the restaurant, she offered to buy the restaurant. Mitch was dumbfounded when the woman issued her a pay card for two months wages.
Within a week the Crown had purchased the restaurant for twenty thousand crowns. The Crown provided professional packers to pack up the restaurant, and Gaylord's and Lottie's apartment over the restaurant.
"Mitch," Gaylord was waiting for the taxi that would take him to the space port to get his flight to McKay. The Crown had secured passage to McKay when they found out he has a job waiting for him on Trena's only moon. "You've been a great help. I just wish I could I could take you with me. Here's where I'll be. Let me know what's going on with you."
She took the paper with his contact information as the taxi arrived. He got into the taxicab leaving her behind. As she watched the taxi carry Gaylord disappear into traffic wondering what would become of her.
# ###
It was the end of class and Cadet Wilson was reading aloud from her great grandmother's diary. "I didn't know what to say to Mom after she told me she had been a closer," Jill had written, "I have not found much about these closers except that they are really bad people. I was having trouble getting my head around what Mom had said.
"I had asked General Alphine to tell my company to shut down the closers," Jill had continued. "She said she had; but couldn't get this group stopped.
"I wish there was something I could do to get these people stopped!" Jill had written. Her frustration spoke to her as princess Jill read from her grandmother's diary, "But there is nothing I can do! I have never been so frustrated! The company I own wants my parents dead! Neither Dad nor Lisa will tell me why! I am also afraid to ask! Especially after mom told me she had part of a closer team! I want to talk to Mom about her closer days. But I am afraid to ask more about it. Afraid to hear things I may not be able to deal with.
"I wonder when Mom and I will talk about all this." Jill had concluded the passage. "Did they talk," Lamile Morgan asked her cousin as they sat in the class room.
"I haven't read that far yet." The princess replied, "I have been trying to keep in the same time line in the text. I want to read her reactions to the stuff we're learning in class." "What does she say," T'harla asked.
"She was very curious to say the least of her step mother's activities. She was also afraid too, to hear what Grandmother Lisa would say." The princess answered.
"In addition to the closers," the general felt she had to bring the class back on track, "various other bad actors gave us fits clear to the end. The companions impressed all of; but none more than Queen Agatha. She rewarded their service to the crown and our people. Bestowing a Queen's Star, on the Companions."
"Okay I'll see you next week," the general called as the bell rang, dismissing her class. As she walked to her seldom used quarters in flag country she wondered how the cadets would react to the next part of the class.
Lamile Mitchum left the class wanting to know more about her namesake. This class had expanded her knowledge of her great, great grandmother Mitchum; both almost nothing about Lamile. When classes were over for the day she dived into her study carol and looked up Lamile Atomi. Most of what she found she had read before. Lamile had been a historical figure herself. There was a lot of material to go through. She was torn between writing her paper on Lamile or Mitch. She was leaning strongly towards Mitch.
She had to make up her mind soon or she would not be able to finish it in time.
# Chapter 7: A Castle's Desecration
Over the weekend the young princess read more of her ancestor's diary.
"Dad continues to surprise me," she had read, "Everyday he tries to have lunch or dinner with us. I don't know how he does it. With his job taking more and more of his time and all the stuff that is happening you would think that he wouldn't bother. But I was in his office the other day when he was gently chastising one of his officers about how the job isn't done for the day until he gets home and his family was complaining about something he was not there for. I have also heard Aunt Mylea say the same thing to her staff and others. Even in the midst of this disaster, both of them are trying to stay connected with their families. They were setting an example for their staff.
"I didn't realize until a few days ago how much we mean to him." The young woman had written. "I am a little jealous of Abby; as Dad never colored with me or read me stories when I was her age. At least I don't remember him stretched out on the floor coloring with me as he does with Abby. But then Dad wasn't home much when I was Abby's age. The other day he treated me to dinner at the convention center. We went to one of the restaurants in one of the turrets that over looked Princes Bay and Trenaport's harbor. The center is breath taking in its own right. The center draws a million tourists a year from all over our part of the galaxy. It looks like a glass sculpture. Where a giant sculptor had taken a torch and sculpted a large castle from a gigantic block of glass. How they built it I don't know.
"Dad had, had a busy day from what I knew. I never know his schedule, but from what I can tell from what he and his secretary were talking about at breakfast this morning, he had meetings scheduled with the Queen, Orbital Industries, I think he and General Langtree were going to spend some time with the Princess at Fletcher. He looked exhausted when he came home and I suggested that we didn't have to go; but he said let's go and took me to the center. I am glad he did. He got to relax a bit and the view was fantastic. He really enjoyed describing what I was seeing. He pointed out the docks where antique sailing ships of the fifth century before empire were moored. He described to me of a landing craft landing on the docks next to one of the ships, as the passengers went from the landing craft to one of the ships as it began to make sail. I could visualize what he described.
"I looked around and felt self-conscience." Grandmother Jill had written, "We were the only ones in that part of the restaurant. The detail was making sure we were not disturbed.
"I am glad we went. Dad was very mellow when we went back to the palace." The princess finished reading the diary entry and went on to read the assigned chapter. There were pictures of the convention center. When she read the chapter she became outraged again over what happened. This wasn't the first time she had read this history.
# ###
"Not everyone was trying to help us get our people off world," the general began her class. "The Theocracy worked against us from the start. They felt we were getting our just deserts. The Theocracy had been one of our traditional enemies ever since King Ralph threw them off world for torturing biopeople fifty years before the evacuation. They felt that god was punishing us for our evil ways and our secular society. We were and still are secular society. They sent one of their penitence teams to Trena help god punish us. They almost stopped the evacuation cold in its tracks."
# ###
It had started with so much promise. The weather was good. Jill was no longer being restricted to the residence on the palace grounds. She was attending a high school nearby. She was actually enjoying it. She was getting tired of the tutors, and wanted to be at a regular school. She wanted to be with people her own age; there were too many adults at the palace. She was enjoying being around people her own age. She was making a few friends.
She was just finishing her second week, getting back into the routine of going to school instead of being tutored. It was shortly after her gym class, a gym class that she felt fairly good about, when things got crazy.
The gym teacher was an expert in unarmed combat. At least once every school year he taught judo. It just happened it was time to teach the kids judo. The gym teacher had observed her during the class as he worked with his other students. Unlike many of his students, the girl clearly knew what she was doing. She was evidently a ranked judo fighter. It was her turn for him to work with her.
"I've been observing you this morning," he said when he began working with her. "What is your rank?"
"My sensei on Mars said I should be ranked as level one black belt," Jill answered. "I see," the gym teacher replied, "shall we?"
Before they started the teacher spoke to the class, "Miss Jill and I are going to spar for a bit. As we spar you'll see how all the moves we've be going through are put together.
Miss Jill?"
They squared off in the middle of the mat. They bowed to each other and went to it! After a few seconds of sparing he realized how good she actually was. How they managed to not hurt each other was proof of how good they both were. They finished as the class period came to an end. As the class went to take their showers, the gym teacher spoke to her.
"Miss Wilson," The man said as she started for the showers, he had a proposition for her, "I am very impressed with you. I've never have had a student who was as good as you!"
"Thank you," the girl replied wanting to get her shower so she could get on to her next class.
"If you're willing," the teacher asked, "would you help me with the class for the next few days? I could really use the help."
"I don't know? I don't think I am that good!" Jill had answered. "You are that good." The man had returned. "I could really use the help." "Let me think about it." The teenager said.
"That's fair," The man said "do you have a sparring partner yet. Some one here on
Trena you can work out with?"
"No," Jill replied. She really missed the daily session with her grandmother's driver. He had been working with her for over six years. Long before her father had disappeared. "I've been doing the basic moves, but I've not asked around about a sparring partner. It can't be just anyone. I could hurt someone!"
The teacher nodded in full understanding. Then he saw Jenny, who was standing by the entrance to the gym, keeping an eye on Jill. He smiled asked the woman "Mrs.
Alkire, did you know Miss Jill was so skilled in Judo?"
"No, Mr. Toby," Jenny replied, she was with Jill anytime she left the palace and had never seen the girl practicing judo.
"You know each other?" Jill asked.
"Mr. Toby is one of the unarmed combat instructors at the academy," Jenny answered. "We sort of bounced each other around a bit."
"Miss Jill," the man said, "it is your choice, but if you want I'll make time after school for you and give you a private lesson every day. Or I can set something up with
Mrs. Alkire. It is time she became a sensei!"
"I don't know Mr. Toby..." Jenny said. Her job was to protect the young woman, not her to be her sensei. Then she remembered the tennis game between the agents, her majesty and Jill, "I'll talk with Mac."
"While you get your shower," he pointed to the locker room, "me and Jenny will
talk."
She had just stepped out of the shower, with a towel wrapped around her when she looked up and saw Jenny and her partner standing on either side of the shower opening, with their guns out.
"What going on?" Jill asked, wishing that the Tom, one of Jenny's male partners, would leave. She drew the towel tighter around her wishing it covered her better. A couple of the girls she was showering with wanted to leave the shower and get dressed but seeing Tom they hesitated, the thonian girls were quite embarrassed. No male outside their family was ever to seem them nude. Even with a towel on, they wouldn't walk past Tom. They would cower in the shower until there were no males in the locker room.
"We have a Mountain Event," Jenny said the magic words that she had been taught was the code phrase for an emergency that affected the nation or the monarchy. "We need to get you to safety!"
Seeing how uncomfortable Jill was, and thonians trying to stay out of Tom's eyesight she turned to her partner, "Tom, stand outside! She'll be safe with me here and you outside!"
The agent left them Jenny made a note to herself to get additional females on Jill's detail. With Tom gone the thonian girl's left the shower and Jill went to her locker so could dress. As they did a couple of the girls vented their displeasure.
"Mom's going to hear about them allowing a man in our locker room!" one girl said.
"Mine too!" another one joined the first.
"Since we were naked," one girl remarked, "the least he could do was return the favor!"
"Helen!" another girl said sharply, "what makes you think her nibs would share with us! I wouldn't! Not a stud muffin like Mr. Tom!"
An embarrassed Jill quickly dressed. She wondered what the Mountain Event was? She had been told when she heard the phrase, "Mountain Event" she was to stop what she was doing and go with her agents without protesting. It was the code phrase that her agents and others used to describe a national security incident.
As Jill dressed Jenny filled her in, "There's been an assignation attempt against the Queen and her party. We don't know how many assassins there are. We need to get you to safety!"
"Was Dad with her?" Jill asked pulling her hair back so she could fix it. Jenny just nodded. "Is he okay?" she asked waiting for Jenny's answer before she tied her hair back with a couple of elastic bands she had worn during gym class.
"Your father is okay." Jenny said. A relieved Jill took the elastic bands and tied her hair back, as Jenny continued, "The Queen is okay. I haven't heard anything about Chief Atomi."
"Okay Jenny," Jill said, picking up her book bag, "I'm ready."
"All stations," a relieve Jenny touched a stud behind her ear, before speaking out loud. "Stand by for departure, Runaway is moving to the transport."
Mac was going to have her head, Jenny thought as they moved to the limo. Jill should have been man handled to the limo! Even if she wasn't dressed! There was no way Jenny was going to drag a half-naked Jill through the halls of the high school!
As they left the locker room with Jenny on one side of her, and Tom on the other side of her both agents had their weapons out. It was a short walk to the main entrance of the school. As they made their exit; a couple of her friends started to approach her to ask what was going on but; backed away when they saw Jenny and Tom with their weapons out. Jill was surprised to see the limo parked as close to the doors as M'phan, her thonian driver, could get to the doors of the school. Jill was surprised; M'phan was parked on the side walk blocking it and the doors so no one could get in. His lifemate was standing outside the limo with an assault rifle plainly visible sweeping the parking lot.
"Halt!" L'enkle, her driver's lifemate, yelled at a teacher approaching the limo. "If you come any closer I will kill you!"
With the assault rifle squarely pointed at her, the teacher stopped in her tracks as did several of the students who stopped where they were.
Seconds later Jill and her party were in the limo. They were barely aboard when M'phan had the limo in motion. Leaving the school in a hurry, they caused a wreck as they pulled onto the street in front of the school. It was only when two Trenaport Mounted Patrol hover cycles began to escort the limo did the gravity of the situation sink in. She was going to have to find a way to make it up to the teacher.
As she settled into her seat she asked, "What happened?"
"We don't know much," Jenny replied, "only that a bomb went off at the Castle where the Queen, the Marshal and the Chief were opening the employment fair. That's all we know."
The Castle was what everyone called the convention center.
Jill nodded and turned to the limo's communications console. It wasn't the typical civilian entertainment and communications panel. It was a military console, with an expert system to manage its communications suite. She spoke to the console.
"Tune the channel that is being used by the fire department and others at the convention center." Soon they were listening to the responders.
A voice came over the audio "Convention Center this is Life Guard Flight with a flight of five Galaxy Lifters responding to your incident. Where do you want us?" "FAC to Life Guard," A voice cut in.
"Go ahead FAC," the Life Guard flight called.
"This is the forward air controller for the convention center command. " The FAC voice said, "Please state load out!"
"I have five say again five LC sixes, heavy with ambulances, and medical personnel. I have 250 marines that can be air deployed. The on board ready group includes battle field medics, and surgeons."
"Please enter holding north of the center over the harbor. We are still searching for UXB. We'll call you in as needed. If you have any EOD people on board you may air deployment them."
"Roger that," His voice came up on another channel. "Life Guard Five you are go to make a run on the convention center. Deploy your bomb squad. Then join us in holding."
"Life Guard Five commencing run now!" the pilot called. A holograph lit up in the open space of the limo's back seat showing the flight of landing craft with one of them breaking formation and diving for the deck. The landing craft came in barely missing the crystal turrets on the north side of the structure. As it came over one of parking lots, the immense ground to orbit vessel stopped as if on a dime, people began jumping out of the back as it hovered.
Suddenly the scene then changed to the image of the Queen being hustled out of the convention center to safety. She stopped and approached the camera.
"Take this live!" The Queen snapped, "Citizens, and visitors of Trena, a bomb exploded in the Convention Center a few minutes ago. It harmed and possibly killed a great many of our people, and injured scores more. I don't know if it was an attempt to take me out, or to cause problems. Maybe both! When the justice department finds the person who is behind this, the full weight of my government will fall on that person or persons. It is one thing to attempt to kill me it is another to go after innocent people. Now if you don't mind I need to get out of here so these folks can help the survivors, they can't do that if I am in their way. Get us out of here Mac."
The image changed again this time from an overhead view of the convention center. It had been a magnificent building. It looked like a giant had used a torch to carve a castle out of a block of glass.
Even now with the great tragedy, the computer that control the convention center, was still running its morning routine of diffracting sunlight into rainbows around the center's parking lots. It was surreal. The parking lot was filling with responders being illuminated by rainbows. The holograph changed to show the front of the center. The damage could be readily seen. Several of the glass panels on the side they were showing were broken or shattered. The crown jewel of Trena's tourist industry had opened only a year or so before and had drawn people from all over this part of the galaxy had a ghastly wound in it beautiful façade.
Jill looked over to Tom who had a tear quietly streaming down his face. That surprised her. She wouldn't have thought anyone in the detail would be that emotional over anything. She thought they had ice water in their veins.
"Those no good sorry bastards," Tom muttered under his breath. "Whoever did this has no appreciation for beauty!"
"There was an employment fair there today wasn't there?" Jill asked.
"Yes," Jenny said, "It was supposed to be a way to get some of our people off world!"
"News media Jenny," one of the thonians in the front seat called as they approached the palace.
"Thank you L'enkle," Jenny replied seeing the news media camped out front of the palace. She keyed her implant, "Runaway One to the command post. We're approaching the palace."
"Roger Runaway One," The palace command post responded.
As they approached the palace several of the Queen's Guard, a special unit of the Trena Militia and the Trena Mounted Patrol came out from the gate like a spear head and pushed the media representatives out of the way of the limo. None of the Queen Guards were dressed in their normal uniforms; they were all dressed in battle dress uniforms and were all heavily armed. There was even an armored vehicle supporting them. That shook Jill a little. Once through the gate, an in the entrapment area the vehicle was completely and carefully checked and their identities were thoroughly verified. The whole episode sobered Jill.
Once through of the entrapment, (the space between the gate and the courtyard of the palace,) they went directly to the Wilson residence. As she stepped out of the limo a Lamile came up in one of the electric carts the palace used around the grounds. She got out the car joined Jill.
"I see they got you too," Jill said.
"Mom's detail insisted that I come here." Lamile said.
"Is she okay?" Jill asked.
"I don't know," Lamile said seeing Lisa coming out of the residence. "She was with
Uncle Mike and the Queen at the Castle."
"I think she is okay," Lisa said hugging both her girls. Lamile was as much one of her girls as was Jill was becoming. Seeing the obvious worry in her young friend's face, "Mike would have told me if he knew if she was hurt or not. Come on let's take a walk I want to talk with you both."
"But I want to..." Jill started.
"Look girls," Lisa cut her off suspecting what the teenager wanted to do, "There will be enough time to watch the holo to get more information than we need about the bombing. We can be overly worried latter. Mike's safe, and so is Mylea. I don't want you obsessing about the news every time something happens. Things are going to get worse before they get much better. So I want you both to focus on our family, and helping our friends. Obsessing about the news and events will not help you."
The girls were quiet while Lisa walked with them to one of the many secluded gardens on the grounds. The security detail walked a few paces behind them. The grounds were designed to allow people to walk in relative seclusion. Lisa turned into her favorite garden, known as the Queen's Garden; it had roses from around the galaxy. There was one ancient American Beauty rose bush that had been under cultivation since the first queen planted it over four hundred years before. Lisa had already taken several pictures of the rose. It was something to take her mind off the events going on around her. She took a seat on one of the benches and indicated that the girls should join her.
"Jill, I shouldn't have snapped at you earlier," Lisa said, "But this thing is horrible. I have seen some photos and holos that you haven't. I don't know when your father is going to be home, or when you can go home either Lamile. The thing I need your help with is to help keep things calm and collected at home. I won't tell you to be happy and don't worry. That will be a dumb thing for me to say; but I want the commotion to be kept to a dull minimum. Michael and Mylea will be dealing with an atrocious thing. The images will be raw, and they were almost killed today. I don't know the entire story. There were two bombs only one went off; but if the second bomb had gone off; they would all be dead. All of them! I had a brief conversation with the Queen and she told me the bare bones of it."
"Damn," Jill muttered. That got her a dirty look from Lisa. Then Jill asked suddenly, "Mom, are you okay?"
"I don't know," Lisa answered, "I nearly lost the most important person in my life today. I don't know what would have happened had he been killed."
Lisa began to cry. Jill hugged her step mother until she stopped.
"Michael is never to know about this." Lisa told both girls. Both girls solemnly nodded. "When we get back to the house, I want you to help me to make things good for them when they get in. I want our home to be an oasis of peace and tranquility. No matter how crazy things are getting, I want our home to be sane. For that I will need your help Jill; yours too Lamile. It is important that your mother has a place she can decompress whether it's at our place, or at yours. Michael and Mylea are critical to the evacuation. Without them this is not going to happen."
"We'll do our best Aunt Lisa." Lamile said. Lamile lapsed into silence as she thought of how her mother was dealing with things. When her father was alive she had an outlet to vent. But her father had been dead for almost a crimen, or three earth years now, and the special bond between them was gone. She didn't know enough about the aqaut, to know if some of her father still resided with her mother or not. Finally she said, "Mom will be okay."
"Lamile," Lisa said softly. Mylea and Lisa were very close she prayed that her next statement was true. " She'll be okay. Now we have to get back to the house."
They walked in silence back to the house, the security team giving them their space. Georgia, who was Lady Wilson's principle agent, was deep in thought as she followed her charge back to the residence. Mulling over what the older woman had said. Although Georgia was unmarried she understood why her charge wanted her home to be a haven against the craziness of what was happening. The Marshal needed a place where he could be husband, father and friend and be off duty for a while. She made a vow that she would help Lady Wilson achieve her goal.
When they got back to the house they trooped into the study where Abby was watching a kids program about a dragon and a little boy named Jackie with Sally. Abby climbed into her mother's lap, the moment Lisa sat down. Lisa held the small child as Jill and Lamile wandered into Jill's room.
"Will Aunt Lisa be okay?" Lamile asked.
"You know her better than I do!" Jill snapped. She saw Lamile flinch and said,
"Sorry. But I don't know. She's been a rock through all this."
"Yes," Lamile said flopping down on her friend's bed. "I have never seen a clone with that much back bone!"
"Lisa is a very unique lady," Jill said. She walked over to the holo in the corner of her room and turned it on. They watched the continuing coverage of the bombing. One of the images was of two officers walking a long line of what looked like black bags that were about the size of a body. They were in deep conversation. The voice over said "These 75 men and woman are known to have died at the center. Their identities are being held until their families are apprised of their death.
"The authorities have one person in custody. Witnesses say that the young woman the police have in custody had a bomb strapped to her body. Questions have arisen as to how she got through the explosives detectors at the convention center. Especially when there were two bombs the one that exploded and the one they authorities found. Lord Ramsey is demanding that the Marshal account for the lapse in security." The holo dissolved to that of Lord Ramsey a middle aged man with a receding hair line. "I don't know what the Marshal is all about, maybe a suicide wish! How can he deal with our safety when he can't even protect himself and the Queen? I will launch a full investigation into this." The holo dissolved again to several landing craft waiting to land and a long line of military ambulances coming into Interstellar Rescue Service Hospital that had been brought down to assist in the evacuation.
"This was the scene earlier today when the casualties from the bombing were brought to the 1052nd IRS Evacuation Hospital. Local Hospitals were quickly over whelmed with casualties. Some one hundred and seventy five people were treated by the medical community. The IRS hospital treated some one hundred of the injured from the Castle. Some of the most critically injured people from the blast were taken to the hospital.
Some were evaced straight to the Hospital Patrol Ship Valiant. Admiral Klond of the Interstellar Rescue Service spoke to us briefly before she went into the carnage at the center." The holo dissolved again to that of admiral Klond, a small in stature older woman.
"Admiral Klond, what will the IRS be doing here?"
"As part of our protocol when we have been invited in to assist the local EMS and Medical Community during an emergency we provide a Disaster Medical Response Team. The EMTs and Doctors with me will provide triage, and initial treatment."
"Are you here to replace the Trenaport Fire and Medical Emergency Service?" Another asked.
"I doubt if Ensign Meriwether will let me replace her medics and fire fighters." Michelle Klond said.
"Ensign Meriwether?" Another asked.
"You know her as Chief Janet Able." Michelle said, "She was a fire fighter with the Iris, ten fifteen years ago. She was on her nugget assignment when I first knew her. Now if you don't mind, there are a lot of people who need my help now that the ordinance people are done."
The holo dissolved again to show Mylea and another woman who was dressed in a fire fighter's turn out gear. She was holding Mylea's arm.
"She's okay Jill!" Lamile said. She had been worried about her mother but didn't know what to do about it. If she had tried to call her mother and not have gotten her, Lamile would have been a basket case. If she got her, her mother might have ripped into her. Her mother had always told her that no news was good news, and that simply because she had heard that some police officer was hurt; did not mean that her mother or her father was harmed. "She's standing with Chief Able. Oh look! The chief's splinting her arm."
"It's only a break Lamile," Lisa had come into the room to tell Lamile about the phone call she had just gotten, "Your mom couldn't get a hold of you so she called me. She says there's not much pain. She says she's so far down on the transport list that it might be sunset before they move her. It's a very minor injury." "Can I talk to her?" Lamile asked.
"She gave me a message for you," Lisa said and then spoke to the AI that ran the residence's system. "Page, playback the last part of my conversation with Mylea."
"Tell Lamile, that I am okay, and that I will be at your place for dinner." Mylea said, "Tell her that I love her."
"I'll see you for dinner." Lisa said, "And bring my wayward husband with you." "Will do," Mylea said and cut the connection.
"Mom, why would anyone do this?" Jill asked pointing to the holo image of the bomb going off.
"Jill, it is terrorism!" Lisa spat. "Someone wanted to prevent those people from going off world to a better place, a place safe from the disaster that is going to befall our planet."
"Aunt Lisa this sounds like the Theocracy! They have been causing grief here for nearly a century!" Lamile commented.
"It does," Lisa said, "If it is then, your mother has got her hands full. Those people will think they are helping their god punish us."
"Mom," Jill said, "Princess Carroll's here. Didn't she and Dad serve in the Black
Guard before my mother died?"
"Yes," Lisa said hesitantly. She wasn't sure how much Jill knew of the Black Guard. They were the special force of the empire's Special Forces. Primarily made up of marines, they also had members of every one of the Empire's police, fire, ems, military, and intelligence services. They were the unit that the Special Forces called in to get them out of trouble. They had originally been formed to deal with the blackest of missions. Missions that the empire needed done but didn't want the light of day to shine on it. Later, as the Black Guard was used as part of the IRS security unit, and then as the unit of choice to handle certain high profile security operations, many of their missions were not black.
Still a good many of their missions remained very black, "Why?"
"I am just thinking out loud that maybe the Princess and some of the guardsmen she has with her could find these people," Jill commented.
"They could," Lisa said, "but first they need to know if they were working alone or not. It's not as simple as it sounds."
"This is going to get very ugly isn't Aunt Lisa." Lamile replied, "I mean, if this is the first strike of people trying to prevent us from leaving, then the crown is going to have to do things that may be hard on all of us."
Lisa looked at her friend, realizing not for the first time that Lamile was not a typical teenager. She had amazed Lisa more than once with how she understood a situation and some of the consequences. "Yes this is going to put a new light on the whole thing. Michael and I talked about some of this. He is very concerned about who and what may try to stop us."
"75 people," Jill said, "Hundreds more hurt. Not to mention the impact on all the people responding to this, or who survived."
"My friends in the mental health service will be busy for the next little while," Lisa said. "Let's go into the study, I'll have Maggie bring us a snack."
For rest of the afternoon into the early evening the three of them watched the coverage of the bombing. Occasionally Maggie would sit with them. She was plainly upset. She had never seen anything like the bombing. Trena was normally peaceful. The few malcontents were normally not violent. The ones that were, were dealt with only the amount of violence needed to contain the situation. This was the worst thing that had happened since King Ralph threw most of the theocracy of Trena half a century before.
Just as Lisa got up to stretch, Abby wandered in and complained, "Mommy I'm hungry!"
As she started to answer the child she glanced out the bay window at the far end of the study, she saw that the sun was setting.
"Okay baby!" Lisa said, wondering why Sally hadn't mentioned something to her, or had fed the child herself. Lisa looked at the time and said, "It can't be that late!"
"It is mistress," Maggie who had followed the child in replied, she had decided to wait until her mistress said to start dinner. She wasn't going to disturb the family for anything. Missing a meal wouldn't hurt anyone.
"Get dinner started," Lisa said, "Jill can you help her? Do you want help Maggie?"
"We were going to have stew." Maggie said, "I am having cold cuts and finger food instead. And yes, I could do with some help!"
"Nothing that looks like a body part," Lisa replied, then thinking of all the tragedy that had happen and the visit she had made to see doctor Klond the day before. She knew what she had to do; but first things first.
"Maggie would you have Francine join me for a moment," Lisa asked.
"Sure Lady Wilson," Maggie had thought it odd that Lisa's personal secretary had not been around much of the day. The nearly sixty year old delta biowoman had been part of the household for several weeks.
A few minutes later the elegant and stately looking woman that had been part of the palace staff for nearly forty years came into the study.
"Francine," Lisa handed her a sealed envelope, "Would you take this over to the
Complex and give this to my husband."
"Yes ma'am," The clone said leaving quietly. Lisa knew she couldn't just go over to the complex and the EOC where her husband and his team were working and ask him to come home. There was nothing wrong with giving a note for Francine to deliver for her. The note, a simple message, "Michael, I know you and everyone are trying to save the world, but you have to eat sometime. Dinner will be ready when you are ready. Try not to be too late."
She could have called but she didn't want to seem like a nagging wife. With Francine safely on her way she went into the kitchen, and waited until Jill left for a moment before she spoke to Maggie, "Maggie, you know I went to the IRS hospital yesterday?"
"Yes ma'am for a checkup or something," Maggie said wondering what her lady was getting at.
"I wanted doctor Klond to confirm something," Lisa said, "I am pregnant with
Michael's children."
"Children," Maggie said the first smile to cross her face since the horrible events at the convention center were brought to her attention. Even though she was confused how a biowoman could be pregnant. By imperial edict several centuries before all clones were sterile.
"Yes I am carrying twins." Lisa said, "I haven't told Michael yet. I am going to tell him tonight."
"I see," Maggie said, "Why?"
"After so much news of death, I think it's appropriate to announce the beginning of new life." Lisa replied. "What do we have in the wine cellar?"
"I have just the thing," Maggie said. Jill and Lamile had come in on the end of their conversation.
"Mom," Jill asked, "Did I just hear that right?"
"Yes," Lisa turned to her step daughter, "Though your father is not to know I am carrying his twins. I want to tell him in private about the twins."
"Sure thing," Jill hugged her stepped mother. "But how are you pregnant? I thought you were sterile?"
"I am obviously not," her mother replied, "It's one of the reasons EBio wants me back."
"Oh," Jill puzzled, wondering what other secrets her step mother had.
"Girls, come with me," Maggie commanded breaking into Jill's thoughts. She led the two girls through a door in the back of the kitchen down a set of stairs to a small cramped pantry and wine cellar. "I was going to save this until our last night here. It was bottled the day before the Queen made her announcement. I purchased several cases of it." Maggie brought out four bottles off the rack. She handed two bottles to Jill and two to Lamile then carrying two of the dusty bottles herself they went back up to the kitchen. There she dusted off the bottles and opened them and set them on the side board in the dining room. The vintage was not lost on Lisa when she looked at what her maid had chosen.
Eventually the five of them the Queen, General Alphine, Mylea, Lord Mercer and Michael arrived at the Wilson residence an hour later, and found Lisa waiting for them in the dining room.
"Daddy," Abby ran to her father. Michael scooped his daughter up into his arms.
"What are you doing still up?" Mike asked his youngest.
"Mommy said it was okay," Abby said and Jill nodded.
"I'll be back in a minute," Mike wondering what was going on, Mike put his daughter down and walked down to their room to get out of his uniform.
"Mom; are you okay?" Lamile asked seeing her mother with a cast on her arm.
"Yes it's a simple break." Mylea said patting the sling that held her arm. "It's been set and the fast heal drugs are taking care of business. I'll be okay in a day or so."
"Mylea do you want me to do therapy with me?" Lisa asked. She was a registered rehabilitation therapist and worked all over Trena, or had before the disaster.
"We'll see." Mylea said, "I have an appointment with Doc Klond tomorrow and I'll see what she says."
"Well let's get seated." Lisa asked.
When Michael came back to the dining room Lisa had seated everyone. As he entered Lisa nodded to Maggie who went to the side board where several wine glasses had been filled with the wine she had chosen. Maggie placed a glass before each place and quietly withdrew to a space behind Lisa. Ready to assist her mistress in anything she needed. Wilson looked at the wine glasses cocked an eye at Lisa and wondered what was going on. It had been a hideous day, and he wasn't up to any of craziness. Lisa didn't let him wonder long.
"Normally I wouldn't be this dramatic for such a simple thing as announcing my pregnancy." Lisa said softly, "but with today's horrible events I think a little drama is appropriate. Normally a wife should tell her mate she is carrying his child in private so he can share his feelings with her without an audience to witness his reactions," She locked eyes with Mike and nodded, "Sorry Michael. However as all of you, are part of my family, it is appropriate that I share this wonderful news of a new life with you. More so on this day that has taken and harmed so many souls.
"I offer this toast," Lisa raised her glass, "to life, both new and old and to a future that brings peace to all of them."
Wilson walked around the table and took his lady in his arms and kissed her passionately. Every woman at the table seeing the expression on Lisa's face wondered how they could be next. After a few seconds, Maggie cleared her throat, "Lady Wilson may I serve dinner."
"Yes," Lisa said quickly, afraid to say anything more, wanting to do nothing more than to take her husband to bed.
"Dad," Jill said, "Mom. I hope I am as blessed as you are when I marry."
Jill got up from her seat next to Lisa, and went to where her father normally sat. Her father seeing the silly grin on his daughters face said, "I hope you are truly that blessed."
In the few weeks she had been on Trena, she had not seen her father much. He made a point of sharing at least one meal with the family a day. Sometimes it was breakfast, sometimes it was diner. He rarely missed a single day without connecting with his family. Although she missed her grandmother, she had found Lisa okay to be around. She had thought Lisa would be a green eyed monster or worse. But she hadn't, Lisa had given Jill her space; but had let her know what was expected of her, and was there when Jill needed someone to talk to. They had started to bond. She was wishing that she had met Lisa years before. She locked eyes with Lisa and slowly nodded. There wasn't a doubt in either's mind where she stood with the other.
"Well enough of this sentimental slop!" Lord Mercer said seeing it was time to move on, "It's time to fuel the furnaces."
"Lisa," Afterwards when dinner was over and the others had left, the Queen lingered long enough to speak to Lisa alone, "If you need anything you let me know." "I will your highness." Lisa said.
"Lisa," The young monarch looked into the older woman's eyes with a stern expression, "if you don't start calling me Aggie I am going to send you to the dungeon. "
"Okay Aggie," Lisa said, it was hard for Lisa to break her lifelong habit of knowing her station. Most of her life she had been a servant to people of Aggie's class. It was foreign to her nature to call even this young woman who was becoming more like a daughter, rather than her husband's employer by her given name. Even when she considered that with Michael's nobility she was closer to the queen's peer than a servant. Sensing Aggie needed something, but not what, Lisa spoke softly, "come on lets walk you back to your place."
The two women left the Queen Mum's residence and walked to the
Queen's residence. Jill never learned what they discussed. Lisa never discussed it with her, and her majesty was not a diarist.
###
"Jill didn't know what Grandmother Lisa and the Queen discussed." The princess told her class mates. "People have speculated for two centuries but neither grandmother, or Queen Agatha ever discussed it. I researched it a bit over the weekend."
"They never did," the general commented. "This was one of the many incidents that the evacuation command was dealing with. There was a lot of prep work being done. Not many people had been evacuated by this time. People were starting to get rowdy. But the Theocracy was causing grief also. Using people like Lord Ramer to spread dissension. Duke Wallace, while not spreading dissension was questioning everything. More and more of the nobles were trying to get off world on their own some leaving family and businesses behind. One of the families dealing with abandonment was Lady Hawthorns. A day didn't go by that there wasn't some landing craft that left the planet with someone being smuggled off world. The militia couldn't shoot them down or force them to land, as the pilots knew that they could fly the gauntlet as the militia didn't want to shoot down a ship loaded with kids. It was believed that someone took a couple of shots at one or two of the landing craft.
We later found out it was the theocracy agents; who were trying to cause a lot of grief."
After class the princess was in the dorm, reading the entry of her grandmother's diary of the night Queen Jill's mother announced her pregnancy.
"I was floored when mom told me and Maggie she was pregnant," Jill had written. "I haven't had a chance to ask mom how this could be. During the time when clones were being used by the out worlds of the empire, Empress Regina had declared that no clone, or bioengineered human sold by EBio could reproduced except by cloning. They were forbidden to procreate as natural human beings. They had to be sterile like mules in ancient times.
"So I am very curious how Mom could be pregnant. She is a delta clone, so she should be sterile." Jill continued, "Then she said this is why the company wanted her back so bad. The more I learn about my step mother the more questions I have.
"The look on Mom's face," The princess could almost see a smile in the writing of her ancestor, "when dad took her in his arms and kissed her was mind blowing. I have never seen a look like that on anyone's face. Contentment and lust came to my mind when I saw mom's expression and where her hands had strayed to!"
"I am hoping that mom and I get a chance to talk about how she could be pregnant."
Jill had ended the entry. "It is a mystery that I have to have answered." She closed the diary up and got ready for bed.
# Chapter 8: Worlds
"I didn't know it at the time," The princess was reading aloud in their dorm room from the first queen's diary. Her audience was not only her cousins and aunt, but a couple of other first year cadets from the history class and to her surprise the barracks cadet sergeant. He had been about to break it up until he heard the princess reading from the diaries. He had heard about the first year cadet's research and wished he was in her class. "But on a planet not too far away, things were happening that would affect me for the rest of my life.
"Though prohibited by their constitution and charter with the Galactic Council, from exploring other star systems or colonizing them, Dad had authorized an expeditionary voyage to a nearby world that the Galactic Council's Star Exploratory Force said was an earth like planet that the people of Trena could colonize. I was surprised when the council didn't stand in our way to try to colonize another world. The chain of events that this voyage caused I find hard to believe. The Roustabout's voyage changed everything."
As the princess read from diary the cadets reviewed what General Jones had told them earlier in the day.
# ###
The Roustabout was not an exploration ship. It was an Electronic Intelligence Coordination platform. The elint platform was designed to be a coordination and control platform for the Surveyor Flights, the real work horses of the surveillance and electronic intelligence gathers of the early warning system for the kingdom. It also acted if needed as a control platform for squadrons of fighter space craft, directing the kingdom's response to an attack. When Roustabout flew it usually flew with a constellation of four Surveyor craft, and if things got hairy it would have twenty space air superiority fighter space craft sometimes known as SASsies join the constellation. This time when Roustabout flew it was with the four Surveyors Craft and one LC-6 medium lift landing craft called a Moon Lifter to land exploration parties on the new world. As they approached the world, Roustabout launched the surveyor craft. Although the Surveyors were not designed for mapping or exploration, these long endurance ships were easily put into service as exploration vessels. Their basic sensor suite could be used to map the planet and see what else was going on it.
"This sure beats a long patrol," the lead sensor operator called as Surveyor 008 left the Roustabout. A typical patrol for a Surveyor was ninety days; but not this time. The flight from Trena had been a couple of weeks, the survey would take a week or so, they would be back in Trena within six weeks. They had been chosen for this mission as they were one of the best crews in the Surveyor Wing. They had been the crew that had spoofed the Imperial Attack Carrier Battle Bourne. They had infiltrated the screening fleet of cruisers, and destroyers to uncloak in front of the battle carrier. They had poured salt into the wound by the mission commander softly saying over the open com, "The Emperor regrets to inform your families that you died at the hands of a single unarmed recon vessel of the Trena Militia."
That only caused the Battle Bourne's Fleet to be more diligent the next time. The war games lasted three days, and the crew of Surveyor 8 was able to infiltrate the imperial fleet several times. Not always in time to prevent their own demise, but always soon enough for the Trena Militia to mount a defense. The Trena constitution prohibited them from having heavy war ships. They didn't need them. Trena's Militia whole defense strategy was based on delaying an invader until their allies could come to their aid. It worked most of the time.
"Yeah," The crew chief said as he checked the ships systems. "A couple of quick turns around the planet with full sensor sweeps and back to the Roustabout then home. Hell this is the shortest survey mission we've been on."
"Okay folks," The Mission Commander broke into the circuit. "As a reminder, the Star Exploratory Forces flew the system a hundred or so years ago. They only flew the outer system. They did an electromagnetic sweep. Hoping to find the origins of some signals they had been hearing in the solar systems vicinity. They were involved in a SETI hunt. They had been receiving signals from this portion of the galaxy. When nothing electronic was coming from this system they moved on.
"Surveyor double ought three is going to survey the moons. Surveyor Double Ought five will be dropping marine survey probes." He continued. "Surveyor ought ten will be watching our back. So pilot, take us to the top of the world and let's begin our mapping mission!"
"Aye, to the top of the world sir," the pilot replied and activated the preprogrammed flight plan.
So they went to the top of the world and began their survey. They were going to peel the world top to bottom as if was a piece of fruit. Their first slice would take it over the west coast of a rather large continent. Like Trena it had an ice cap that came down a couple thousand miles from the pole. It was an arctic desert, with only a few large roaming animals inhabiting it. In the upper latitudes there was no indication of civilization. As they continued making their slice, going south away from the ice cap; the terrain went from artic desert to a richly forested land. Although their slice was only a couple of thousand miles wide they, could tell that the forest went beyond their scan. Soon they came upon a mountain range.
The sensor operators were narrating their observations. Sometimes the mission coordinator would occasionally let the crew hear their narratives.
"We're coming up on a mountain range now. Most likely this continent's continental divide, it runs south west to north east. Looks like it might be seven, eight thousand miles long. What is that Jack!" the senior operator nudged the operator beside him. He had been half watching his station mate's display. At first he thought it was a large inland sea. Then he saw several large animals roaming the plain below them out ahead of the brown moving mass. They were four footed and had large horns. As the sensor operator zoomed in they saw that the animal was covered in a shaggy fur.
"Damn, those are big!" The other sensor operator remarked. "Trena has nothing like these; on Earth they were called bison. We nearly made them extinct!"
"On Thonia," the copilot called "Largils are that big and they are as gentle as a new born child."
"It's moving toward that dark mass!" Jack called, "Damnation, it's a herd of them. It's like a sea! Hey what the hell is that?" He tightened the zoom controls on the camera to its tightest viewing scale. "Hey it's a man. Man there's twenty or thirty of them! They're stalking one of those shaggies! Damn one of them has climbed up on the shaggy and is riding it."
"Look at that!" The co-pilot yelled, "They're swarming it. They brought it down and they did it with only their bare hands! Can you believe it?"
"Okay folks settle down," the commander broke in. "Let's go to full stealth. Pilot, get us down close; but I don't want us seen by those abos."
"Roustabout, Roustabout, this is Surveyor Double Ought eight." The commander called, "Condition Bust. I say again, Condition Bust! We are feeding you live video and surveillance, we are in full stealth mode, I want Surveyor five down here also I want another set of eyes say a thousand miles west of us on the south east slopes of this mountain range. I want to make damn certain that this isn't a case of a downed space crew. I want them to start doing a debris scan."
"Roger eight," Roustabout replied. "We are seeing your scans now."
"Pilot," the coordinator called seeing another group of men dragging a sled towards the woods, "I am tagging a group on the ground. They're moving some where towards the woods. I want you to keep us over them. I want you track them to where they're going."
"Roger!" the pilot called. The pilots saw the group that the commander had put an icon on the screen over. The commander now standing in the doorway to the flight deck watched as his pilot team worked without saying a word to each other. The Thonians were unnerving to watch. They could make the surveyor craft do things its designers would consider impossible, without saying a word between them. They flew the ship into a near hover as they followed the tribe back to the woods.
The woods were so dense that the natives couldn't be seen visually from the sky. The crew of the surveyor switched to infrared and radar sensors that allowed them to see through the dense forest. The Crew Chief was able to direct an almost never used surveillance microphone onto the natives and recorded their language. A thonian back on Roustabout began the process of translating what they were saying with the help of the AI. "It's not any known language," the linguist said, "It's not Terrish, Thonian, or even
Vaylin."
It took days for the hunting party to a get to its settlement. Usually the Surveyor flights could stay on station for weeks at a time, but Captain Vaughn, the Roustabout captain, decided that the surveyor flights would only stay on site for a few hours at a time. No more than eight hours at a time. When the surveyor flights came off station they continued the mapping mission. As they continued their mapping they found more civilizations. They found no evidence of high technology, no radio, holovision, no machines greater than human powered or wind powered. There were sail powered sea craft. They found nothing more elaborate or technically complex than a man of war from Earth's 5th century pre empire. Their hope of finding the remains of a star ship that had crashed that would allow them to colonize this world came to a dramatic end when they found a fleet of the sailing vessels in a battle off the east coast of one of the continents. Finally Captain Vaughn recalled the surveyors and made preparations to leave the planet.
The last Surveyor Flight to be on post of the first natives they had discovered was Surveyor Double Ought Eight. As they pulled out, the surveyor's stealth system flickered allowing the leader of the Woods Clan to see the large boxy space craft for a few seconds. He was in a meadow a little ways from the clan's village where he was pointing out the stars to his son when the stealth system failed. The head man didn't know what it was he was seeing but he didn't think it was a good omen.
# ###
"Sir Mike," Marshal Wilson was working at home the Sunday morning after convention center bombing when Maggie knocked on the door to the study. He was watching the Sunday morning talk shows, as he read reports from his various staff officers and commands.
"Yes Maggie," Michael said looking up from the reports.
"The captain from the Roustabout is here." Maggie returned. "The palace staff brought him straight here."
Wilson nodded. The Queen and Lisa had decided to pack up both girls to spend Sunday at the queen's summer estate. Thinking it would be a nice get away for the kids, and the two of them. Lisa had suggested that they pick up Lamile, so as to give Mylea some quiet time also. Wilson had at first been hurt that the invitation didn't extend to him, but his bride put it to him, "Michael, this is a gift from me and the girls to you. You need some quiet time. Give you some time to yourself."
He had finally relented by saying next Sunday was his. He was surprised how much work he had gotten done and how it helped to get his mind together by just being a bachelor for a couple of days.
"Show him in Maggie and would you bring me and the good captain a pot of coffee?" Wilson asked. Maggie nodded and left to show the captain in.
"Good Morning Marshal," The captain said as he came into the study, "I'm sorry to disturb your Sunday; but I wanted to make sure you got this before it's leaked. I have my crew on restriction. No off ship communications and no leave or liberty until I deliver this report."
"Well let's see what you have," the Marshal asked as Maggie set a coffee service on the edge of the desk and poured coffee for the two men and retired.
"Marshal I have a presentation for you, but when it is all said, and boiled down to the essentials; Cherokee, as we are calling the world, is unsuitable for our colonization. It's a beautiful world, temperate, and quite livable, but already inhabited by a six century pre empire civilization. We hunted for evidence of a crashed star ship thinking that a colony or passenger ship crashed on the world but there was no evidence. Even if we had, they are so backward that it wouldn't be a good idea to make contact. We put beacons out hoping that future visitors won't land. I flagged the Star Exploratory Forces and the Council about the world and they'll send patrols in every once in a while and try to keep the wolves out." "Anything else captain," Wilson asked.
"No sir," the captain answered, "I'm sorry Sir Mike. I was truly hoping this would work."
"Well it's always a crap shot when we go look at a colonizable world. Publish your results." Wilson said,
"Aye Sir," the captain fired off a salute and left.
###
The next morning, during the Monday Staff Conference, further bad news was heard.
"Sir Mike," General Langtree started, "I've now got enough space lift to start lifting people out. However without star lift we don't have anything to lift them to. Sir Mike we don't have enough heavy star lift to go anywhere."
"That and the fact that we don't have a place to take them," Wilson responded.
"As of right now we have six months to get everyone off world." Queen Agatha snapped, "We don't have a place to take my people. Our people are dependent on you" She pointed to Marshal Wilson and swept the table where everyone was sitting, "and you guys carrying the ball. By the end of the week I want to know where you are going to take every one."
The queen got up from the table and stormed out of the room.
"Well folks," Wilson replied. "I can't say I disagree with her. We need to come up with answers, and we're getting short on time. We need to locate star lift, and a place to take our people."
"Sarge," Lady Gray who had been sitting in on the meeting spoke up. "You know the empire has moth balled several older attack carriers, they are in the Patton class. They are designed to deliver an entire army into battle with all their equipment, 40,000 combatants and enough materials for six months of war. I think that the IRS and the Imperial Navy have maybe a hundred or so heavy lift ships just going to pot."
"And Marshal," the Thonian ambassador, who was now part of these meetings said, "I think my people may also have some vessels that we could donate."
"Okay that gets the heavy star lift done," Wilson turned to Princess Carroll and the ambassador and asked. "Princess, Ambassador, will you see that we get those ships for me."
"Yes sir," the princess replied. The thonian nodded.
"Now what about a place to go," Wilson said. "There's got to be a place we can go."
"Is there a vacant world we could occupy," Larry Mercer asked,
"None close," the Galactic Council's ambassador commented, "nothing with in five hundred light years."
"And then it'll be a crap shot," Marshal Wilson remarked.
Several people around the conference room nodded. Vacant worlds were worlds that had at one time a vibrant prosperous civilization; where an extinction level event had destroyed the world and all their civilizations and people who had lived on. Often there was no life anywhere on the world sometimes not even single cell life. Sometimes the world had been populated by an advanced civilization; but nothing sentient had survived. As a general rule the Galactic Council hesitantly issued exploration permits, and was reluctant to let them be colonized. The one time they had, the colonists had succumbed to a plague that killed them all. Most of the vacant worlds were proscribed and off limits.
"I would prefer that we find some other world before settling on a vacant world," Marshal Wilson stated.
"Sir Mike," Kellogg said after a few minutes of silence, "I almost hate to mention this."
"Go ahead Kell," Wilson encouraged the former EBio closer. Mike found it ironic that one of the most notorious near criminals on the planet was sitting in on this meeting. "EBio has several worlds. Many of them are unpopulated, and are used as training grounds for various closer teams and security personnel. We could buy one of those worlds and set up shop on them. There's a world not too far from here twenty light years. It's one of the abandoned worlds."
The Marshal pondered what Kellogg had said. An abandoned or vacant world was a world that had at one time a vibrant bustling civilization at one time; but when discovered by Earthling or the Thonians were vacant. Many times they found the planet's infrastructure completely intact. The buildings had been sealed and moth balled as if the owners were planning to come back. There were not that many, maybe a dozen. They were scattered all over explored space. When discovered the Galactic Council quarantined them, and supervised the exploration of them.
"And it was abandoned?" the marshal asked. "It was not a victim of a war or ELE?"
"No," Kellogg answered, "there is no evidence of war or a large scale plague. There are no bodies, and there is no wide spread damage. It's like they closed the place up like one would close up their summer home."
"EBio owns it?" Marshal Wilson asked. Kellogg nodded.
"Yes," Kellogg answered the Marshal, "EBio was thinking about a production world. Even had begun setting up the labs."
"But we don't know why EBio left the planet?" some asked.
"It became too expensive to manage." Kellogg replied, "It is too far off the trade routes. So after a couple of years they closed down operations and left. It would have been the cheapest production world they owned. They didn't have to build much. They only had
to build the production facilities. It wouldn't take much for us to occupy it." "The clones won't go for that," Wilson retorted.
"No sir, not really," Kellogg said, "There is a difference between being shipped in as a slave, and another coming to world as a free person to settle it."
"He's right Sir Mike," Lord Mercer said. "The clones I know would kill for a chance to thumb their nose at the company."
"General Quorum." Wilson said, "You get Roustabout's captain, and Kellogg together. I want that expedition mounted in forty eight hours. Jonesy I want a full pioneer kit to go with them."
"Sir Mike," Lady Hawthorne said from the holodisplay. "I'll have a list of people who have pioneer skills and have said they'd like to pioneer ready by this evening. General Langtree, If you can have the containers delivered to these souls ASAP we can pull this off."
"Lady Hawthorne, the Roustabout can't carry many containers," General Langtree spoke up. "The Roustabout will be hard pressed to carry a beefed up survey team. Let alone pioneers to get the place ready for the initial landings.
Delores frowned, "how do we get their stuff to them?"
"The first ship after the Roustabout we'll make sure their stuff is on it." Mike replied. "That's the best we can do now.'
"What about those who don't want to pioneer," someone asked.
"We'll need to start getting those people off world too." The labor minister said. "I had wanted to make sure every one of these people had employment when they left Trena. But that's not going to be possible. The recruiters won't come here because of the bombing. I can't say that I blame them. But we can start sorting people out who want to immigrate to other worlds."
"Kellogg you said this world was somewhat civilized?" Wilson asked.
"Yes sir." Kellogg replied, "EBio left it twenty years ago. But we found everything to support a modern civilization. I think it was someone's colony at one time. I think there is housing to support three or four million people. But there's plenty of natural resources for our people to draw on."
"Lady Hawthorne," Wilson called to the holodisplay. "Start putting together some construction battalions. When they go I want them to be self-contained, logistics people, medics, carpenters, electricians you name it. I want them a self-contained team. I want them selected by week's end and ready to embark in three weeks. Princess I'll want the first of the heavy lift equipment here by then." "Aye-Aye sir," The princess replied.
"Anything else," Wilson asked. There was a chorus of no sirs and head shakes.
"Good enough, I'll defer the emigration decision for three weeks."
"Foreign minister," then thinking better Marshal Wilson turned to Lord Kenworth the foreign minister, "I want a letter prepared for the Queen's signature asking that all star nations that we have diplomatic relations with to consider allowing our people to emigrate to their worlds. I also want a list of colonies that are phase two and three where they are ready for people with manufacturing experience and are past the pioneer stage on their worlds. Mrs. Ambassador, Mr. Ambassador I would also appreciate what ever wheels you can grease to help our people. Your highness," he turned to Princess Carroll, "anything you and your father can do I would appreciate. Now I need to speak with the Queen."
Wilson got up and left. As he did he turned to Mac and asked, "Where is she?"
"The Queen is waiting in your office sir." Mac said leading the way to the conference room that the Marshal was still using as his office.
Wilson entered his office and found the Queen sitting in his quest chair. She turned to him expecting him to lash out.
"You mad at me?" The young woman asked. She was afraid he would rip into her.
"No Aggie," Wilson replied shocking her. "I am not."
She was once again surprised by her marshal's professionalism. She wasn't so certain if their positions were different, that she wouldn't have ripped into the older man. She was tempted to ask why. Instead she held her tongue.
"That outburst actually helped. It refocused us," He continued, "EBio has abandoned a world twenty or so lights from here. Kellogg said it's abandoned. I've ordered Qoum and Jonesy to ready Roustabout and dispatch her to this world. I have also instructed Jonesy and Lady Hawthorne to be ready to send the first pioneer ship to be go to the planet once Roustabout says it's okay to okay to occupy. You helped to focus us."
"Michael," The queen exclaimed when she heard this, "That's not one of your better ideas."
"I know Aggie," Wilson replied slumping into his chair, "but it's worth a shot. If it's abandoned which Kellogg says it could be it's worth a shot. Something is nagging at me. Something about its ownership! If it's occupied we'll need to back track. I just wish what is nagging me at the back of my mind would get clearer. Oh well it will come to me." He was silent for a few seconds as he pondered what was bothering him then shaking himself as if to clear his head he turned to his Queen.
"Aggie," Wilson said, "I'm sorry that we've let you down."
"Sir Mike," Aggie looked to the older man, "I've been in each and every one of your staff meetings, and I have listened to your plans and have endorsed the actions you have taken. I'll let you know when you have let me down. To date you've done your very best. Continue to do so."
"Thank you ma'am," Michael replied.
"Keep at it Michael," the young queen got up and left. It wasn't lost on him again, that the Queen was not that much older than Jill.
It was later in the day when it dawned on him what was bothering him about the world Kellogg had told them about. His daughter may actually own that world. He did a little digging and later made a couple of calls.
"Princess," Wilson was talking to his old friend on the communicator, "Could you, and Lady Gray, meet with me later today."
"Yeah," General Alphine said, "would 1500 be okay?"
"If it works for Lady Gray," Wilson said, "Oh before you ask, I need you as Jill's proxy. I want to talk about EBio Planet Zulu Foxtrot 89. I have been talking with Larry and the thing that has been bothering me is that I think we can buy EBio Planet Zulu Foxtrot 89 from Jill."
"Oh I see." The princess replied.
Several hours later, Larry Mercer, Lady Gray, and the Thonian Ambassador, were shown into Wilson's office. The Galactic Council Representative was already there.
"It's your show," The princess prompted.
"Okay Princess," Mike started, "here's the deal. Larry and I have been looking over some interstellar law. We believe that since Jill is the biggest shareholder of EBio, she could sell EBio Planet Zulu Foxtrot 89 to us or just give it to us. But I am concerned that should the biopeople file suit against EBio that we could lose the world."
"Well it is not in Earth Space, nor is it in Thonian Space," The Princess said, "So it would be hard to file suite in either of the Thonian or Earth Courts."
"That is correct," the representative from the Galactic Council commented. "The interstellar court would most likely not take the case as a human rights violation. The EBio worlds are not part of the Council. We have little information on them. From what you have said you and your daughter have not had day to day operational control over the company. As such I think it would be hard to sue you personally. I don't know where they would be able to file."
"According to Jill's trust, everything you owned is now in her name." Princess Carroll stated, "So you couldn't be sued anyway. Now Jill on the other hand can be sued in the Empire. She more or less owns EBio since she is the single largest shareholder of
EBio she can be sued big time."
"But I thought you were trying to get her out of EBio," Mike replied.
"We have tried. Some of the minor stock holders are employees who were given stock as part of their retirement package. Also to be on the board of directors each and every board member must own stock. Some of them only have a nominal amount, one or two shares." The Princess replied, "None of them would be able to buy even one share of Jill's stock. Because of the articles of incorporation Jill's stock can't be sold to anyone other than the descendants of EBio's original founders. Jill and you are the only surviving direct descendants of EBio's founders.
"Of the four founders of EBio, only Hazelton's line survives. One of the original founders died with no children. Not even a spouse. One of the founders' heirs died in a mysterious fire at their home. It killed every one in the founder's family. The prenupts prevented her spouse's family from inheriting her EBio stock. Besides one of the step children had set the fire. The third heir had left his portion of the company to his daughter. The daughter was an adopted biowoman. Hazelton led the charge to get her disinherited. He was successful because the corporate instruments stated that only normal non bioengineered humans could own anything of EBio. Because of that Jill is the sole surviving heir of the founders.
"So that leaves Jill as the majority stock holder of the company," The Princess continued, "What we have done when possible is to sell off what we could from the company and take the profits and invest them in non EBio instruments.
"Why do you ask," Princess Carroll asked.
"I was hoping you could just turn this world over to us," Wilson asked.
"That I may not be able to do," Princess Carroll said flatly. "If it is owned by EBio itself, then only the chief financial officer can dispose of it. Neither Admiral Wilson or I, can dispose of EBio's property."
"That makes sense," Larry Mercer commented, "Only the CEO or chief finical officer can dispose of company assets."
"But you said if it is owned by EBio," Mike asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"Sometimes EBio titled property in EBio's name or company officers." The princess answered, "It may be owned by Jill."
"I see," Marshal Wilson responded. Not certain why EBio would do something like that he asked, "Why would they do something like that?"
"Mostly to keep Dad's investigators from snooping," the princess responded. If it was titled in EBio's name the Imperial Bureau of Justice and the Bioengineering Commission could pay a visit to see if any imperial law is being broken. Under Jill's name and being outside the empire the IBJ was unable to make unannounced visits." "Is there some way to find out about the ownership," the Queen asked.
"Yes," the Princess said, she took out her pad and spent a few minutes interrogating the database of Jill's assets then turned to the group, "Well it took some doing but I finally got a list of property owned by Jill. I knew it would be in her financial reports. But she does own Zulu Foxtrot 89. It is one of about thirty or forty planets, both inside and outside of the empire she owns."
"So where do we go from here?" Michael asked.
"Your lordship," the Thonian Ambassador said softly, "you have your daughter write a contact. The contract will be with the Crown here on Trena. This contract is to first check on the planet to see what condition is it in. If the planet is uninhabited the contract will stipulate that Jill representatives can make the planet ready for re occupation. Then write a separate contract or a codicil to the original with the Kingdom of Trena to provide people to settle it. By not calling it a colony and leaving it in your daughter's name we get around the sticky business of the Queen's charter and Trena's constitution."
"What if it is occupied?" Marshal Wilson asked.
"Not much we can do," Lord Mercer responded, "Just like EBio claimed it as salvage because it was abandoned, so could anyone we find on it!"
"It's not abandoned," The Princess said, "There is a beacon telling all who owns the world!"
"So we issue the contracts and hope for the best." Wilson looked to the council representative, "Is that okay with the council?"
"I think that will work," the council representative replied, "the council was struggling with the Queen and her people colonizing another world. This will work."
"Okay so I need to talk to Jill." The Marshal said wondering how to approach his daughter.
Mercer was deep in his thoughts missing what the marshal said. What Larry was thinking though, was that as people left Trena; the nobles and politicians were going to want to retain the power they now held. That they would try to fill the power vacuum with their own idea of what a government should be and it wouldn't necessarily be a good thing they developed. There were many in the Trena parliament who wanted to be king rat that would be dictators if given the chance. By leaving Jill in control of the world they might be able to keep some of the political fun and games to a minimum.
"Sir Mike, the Thonian Realm will without saying support your decision and help to establish the people of Trena on EBio Planet Zulu Foxtrot 89." The Thonian Ambassador stated.
"As will the people of Earth Empire," The princess joined in.
"Larry, get the contract written." Wilson said, "Somehow I have to break it to Jill. This is going to be interesting."
# ###
"Jill," her father came into her where she was working through some homework some time later. "We need to talk."
"About what," the teenager asked, wondering what she had done now.
"Well something's come up that you have to be part of and that you need to be fully informed on." He then went on to explain what they had found out about EBio Planet Zulu Foxtrot 89.
"I want you talk with the Princess. She is your representative on Trena right now for your finances. She will explain it to you." He finished telling Jill about the planet she owned.
"But you are my father," Jill replied.
"I know and where most things are concerned I can speak for you and with you and we'll make things work." Her father said, "But this is too important and since I don't control your financial assets, you need to talk with Princess Carroll. Your grandmother and the Princess are your financial guardians. The Princess has been letting you know what's going on in your portfolio for the last couple of weeks now, if I remember what she said." His daughter nodded.
"So I want you to see her and let her explain it all to you." Wilson said. "Jill, I want you to know that any decision you make will be okay."
Jill was silent as she contemplated what her father said. The next day she asked her detail to take her over to General Alpine's Fletcher Militia Base office. The general had been expecting her. When she entered the general's office; she was in conversation with one of her officers.
"All right," the future empress of the Terran Empire was saying, "we have nothing else for the bag. Just get that courier on her way."
"Yes ma'am," the officer replied, "By your leave?"
The heir of the Earth Empire nodded seeing her ward in the outer office "come on in Jill."
"Dad said we should talk." The younger Wilson said.
"About the EBio planet," The princess asked. Jill nodded.
"It's simple." Princes Carroll continued, "EBio owns a world or rather you do twenty light years away. The Trenan people want permission to explore it and inhabit it.
They can't do that without your permission." "Why mine and not EBio's CEO," Jill asked.
"That's a good question," the princess replied, "It is a world that is owned by you but was up to a while ago managed by EBio. Years ago when this world was first discovered and colonized by the company it was put in your grandmother Hazelton's name. She most likely didn't even know that she owned it. But what this does for us is it puts you as the owner with a clear title and not that of the company." "Why me and not dad," Jill asked.
"When your father left imperial space he turned all his holdings over to you. He couldn't just abandon them so he had to transfer them to you so a direct descendant of the Hazelton Fortune would have control of them. That's what's in your great grandfather's will."
"Now I remember we talked about this when I got here last month." Jill said remembering the session. It surprised her then how much she owned. It still didn't make much sense. It was something she was going to have to get straight over time. "So I own everything Grandmother Hazleton owned and left dad, who in turn gave it all to me."
"That's right," the princess said, "That's why I needed to talk with you this morning."
"Dad mentioned something about a contract." Jill asked.
"What everyone thinks is that you need to authorize an expedition to check on the planet. To see what type of shape it is in." The princess answered. "If it is inhabited you may need to deal with the squatters. Kellogg thinks it has been abandoned by EBio so there may not be anyone left behind."
"If it's occupied," Jill asked she couldn't comprehend an earth like world that wasn't occupied.
"That's why we're sending in an exploration party to find out what is going on." her trustee answered. "If we find out it is occupied then we determine who they are and go from there,"
"If we find it abandoned?" Jill asked.
"Then phase two of the contract is to allow people to start inhabiting it." The princess replied.
"In other words, a colonial contract," Jill asked. That got the general's attention.
The scope of the question was one she hadn't expected out of a teenager.
"Yes," the woman replied. "Though colonization is not the phrase I would use as the world won't be a colony of anyone. I would say a habitation contract."
"Why can't you just authorize this," Jill asked. "Wouldn't it be within your job duties as my guardian to check on all my holdings?"
"Yes it is my job to check on all your holdings or to see that it was done." The
Princess answered, "After receiving the brief's I've gotten from Lady Gray and the Galactic Council Rep. It seems my guardianship of your finances is good in the Thonian Realm, Trena, The Earth Empire, but because the planet is so expensive and outside of a star nation's territory, all parties believe that since you are almost eighteen, feel that you need to be fully involved in the contract. They don't want any problems. They are afraid that EBio might throw a fit and since it is just out there as an independent world they feel you as its owner need to have some say in the world's future."
"I see," Jill commented, and said, "Is there a draft?"
"Yes. Let's go over it," the princess said. They spent the rest of the afternoon on the contract. The princess was surprised by how much her young ward picked up, and more surprised when she took out a whole section concerning the governing of the planet.
"I think that's putting the horse before the cart Princess," Jill said, "There will be no need for a government on this world unless it's habitable, and then only if it's uninhabited so we can inhabit it. Let's let the Wilson family retain control of the world. If the world is suitable for habitation we'll deal with ruling it then. At the present time it is sufficient to authorize a mission to the world and see what is going on with it. If it is uninhabited I'll authorize people to begin settling it. Until that happens there will be no need for a government. Besides you can hire agents who are government officials of the crown here to supervise."
"Okay Jill." The princess replied a little astounded that Jill made that change. But it was a change she thought would work.
"Let's go see the Queen," the Princess said. She called the palace and found out that the Queen was in her office and would wait for them. The Princess forwarded the revised contract to the Queen, Marshal Wilson and Lord Mercer. By the time they got to the queen's office, everyone had read it. No one changed another word of it.
"Jill," Queen Agatha replied. "The people of Trena thank you. I have signed the contract."
"Princess Carroll," Jill said, "Can I sign it? Or do you have to?"
"We both sign it," the Princess said, she signed her name and then thumb printed the contract and gave it to Jill. Jill did the same. Their thumb prints sealed the deal by leaving their DNA on the document. The DNA while not 100% full proof was nearly, as it took a very special cloning lab to make a near perfect clone of an existing person. Just creating the person on a world other than the world of the person's birth could be traced, due to the differences in gravity and back ground radiation that caused some minor mutations that were easily checked. Jill's DNA was on file in the empire and as part of her pass port. It would be hard to say the signature wasn't hers.
"I am releasing the Roustabout to Wilson enterprises," the Queen said after the signatures were affixed to the contract.
"They will be on their way shortly." Marshal Wilson replied turning to his daughter,
"Jill thank you."
"I guess I should treat you as a peer," Aggie remarked.
"Pardon," Jill asked, the comment taking her by surprise.
"From what Princess Carroll said, and what my own foreign department has researched you are an empress in your own right." Aggie said.
"Yeah right," Jill said, still in a little awe over the situation.
"Thank you," Aggie said, "we will never forget your gift Queen Jill."
"I don't want to be a queen!" Jill said. "I just want to be a girl!"
"I'll stop needling you Jill," Aggie replied, she understood a bit of Jill's statement. When her parents died years before she hadn't wanted to become queen. It had been her mother's job to be the Queen. "Thank you again."
Jill left the Queen's residence with Princess Carroll. As she walked with the future ruler of the Earth Empire to her car she asked, "Am I really that rich?" "Yes you are," Princess Carroll.
"I sometimes find it difficult to believe all of this," Jill said, "I mean I own that planet, and was able to sign it off to Queen Aggie."
The marine corps general, who had been around Jill off and on for much of her seventeen years, paused for a minute. She knew how easy it was to be over awed with her life. As the future Empress of the Earth Empire she had always known what it meant to be rich and powerful. Jill though, still thought of herself as a daughter of a Marine Corps enlisted man. She didn't realize that her father was the most powerful person on Trena next to Queen Agatha and that she herself could buy the planet Trena three or four times over with just her pocket change.
"You'll get used to it." The princess general consoled her ward, "Just remember you can buy almost anything you want, but that is not your wealth. You were wealthy before you even knew of your fortune. Your wealth is based in family. Your dad, stepmother, sister and soon to be brother or sister, your friends are what makes you wealthy.
Money just makes you rich, family and friends make you wealthy."
Jill shut the door to the general's car and walked back to the residence. She was deep in thought and didn't see her step mother quietly observing her as she came up the walk. Lisa was concerned for her step daughter. She was being hit with a lot of stuff all at once. Lisa didn't know how to deal with all of it. Partly because she didn't understand it all that well herself. She knew that her husband was rich, but it wasn't real to her. Since they had come to Trena they had always lived on his police department salary. They had to because Michael had brought only a modest amount of money with them, leaving most of his fortune in the Empire.
"Kind of overwhelming isn't," Lisa asked as her step daughter started to step onto the porch.
"Very," Jill said, sitting down on the porch stoop. Lisa sat down next to her and hugged her.
"I know it's going to be difficult," Lisa said. "I wish I had to words to help you."
Jill looked at her step mother and said softly, "Just be here for me. Just be here for me. I don't understand all of this. It over whelms me to think of the money that I have. It is so much that it has no meaning for me. I just signed off on a contact that allows Aggie to explore a planet I own. Three months ago I was living in my grandmother's home, a military brat, now I don't know..."
Lisa said nothing for a while then said, "Jill. Life is throwing some strangeness at you right now. It can't be helped. Deal with the parts you understand, the parts you can actually do something about. The other parts when it is time for you to deal with them you'll be able to."
"Is that how you deal with most things?" Jill asked.
"Try to," Lisa said, "I focus on what I can get done, and deal with what I can't. I was on the run for nearly fifteen years and throughout it all I had to focus on the today; worry a bit about future and try not to dwell on the past. Not much we can do about the past. Except maybe learn from it."
They lapsed into silence for a bit, both lost in their thoughts. Jill wondering where she was headed and Lisa was wondering how to help her step daughter remain a girl.
# ###
"Miss Wilson," a tall young man entered the study with Jenny in tow the next morning. Jill was catching up on some last minute homework before she went to school.
Jill turned to see the pair.
"Yes." Jill said closing her tablet.
"I'm Pete Voinic," the young man said, "I am the PIO for your father."
"What can I do for you," Jill asked, having seen him and her father working on some of the public affairs issues for the evacuation.
"Since your gift," Pete stated, "we need to get some more information about you." "My gift," Jill asked not sure what the young man was talking about.
"The EBio planet that you own," Pete replied.
"What type of information?" Jill asked, "You know my father is fairly adamant about keeping me out of the lime light."
"It's okay Jill," Jenny spoke up, "I cleared it with the Marshal." "What do you need," Jill asked.
"Not much," Pete said, "We need a photo to add to the press release. Your father seemed to think you were only fifteen."
"No I will be eighteen on my next birthday," Jill giggled a bit, her father always thought she was younger than she was.
"You were born on Mars right," The man asked.
"Yes," Jill said, "I was born at Marine Corps Barracks, Westpoint Mars." "Your mother Killen died on Mars?" Pete asked.
"Yes she died when I was born," Jill replied a little subdued. She had never known her mother. Her grandmother and Mylea were the two mother figures in her early life.
"Your grandmother is Admiral Wilson of the Interstellar Rescue Service," Pete continued.
"Yes," Jill brightened a bit as she replied, "She's been retired about three years now. But with my father still being deployed around the empire grand mom said she would look after me a long time before dad left Earth."
"Is there anything you want to say about the gift you have given the people of Trena?" Pete asked.
Jill was silent for minute, and then said, "I think we're putting that ahead of things. Let's see what the Roustabout finds before I make any announcements about the world.
Now if you don't mind I need to get to school."
"Thanks Miss Jill," Pete concluded.
# ###
Princess Lisa concluded the passage, "It was almost too much for me to deal with. But I felt good about what I was able to do for the people of Trena. Listening to mom helped; but it is still a lot to comprehend. I was tempted to ask the princess how many other worlds that I owned. But it frightened me to a certain extent. Mostly because how do I deal with them."
The speakers chimed and the AI called, "Lights out in five minutes cadets."
"Okay guys let's get going," The cadet sergeant spoke up, "I'll be along in a bit to check on you."
When the cadets had filed out he turned to the young princess, "Thank you that was an enjoyable evening."
"You're welcomed," The princess was shocked as the sergeant sometimes only talked to them to yell at them for something they did wrong.
"Princess," cadet continued, "You have brought this to life for me tonight."
He left then and took a lot longer than he was supposed to for his bed check. He owed that much to these cadets who were trying to learn more about their first queen.
# Chapter 9: Roustabout's 2nd Voyage
The Princess looked tired when she walked into the class room the next day. She had stayed up all night reading; but not the queen's diaries; but the narrative of Roustabout's second voyage by the voyage's historian Violet Perkins. The general was about to say something; but decided not to.
When the rest of the cadets were settled the general began, "Roustabout was not an exploration support ship. But my mother Jonesy, and General Langtree and a brilliant engineer named Hooper had within a couple of days working around the clock to get her ready, had turned her into one.
"The loading of the Roustabout was different this time. The four surveyor flights were uploaded and chained down to the hull of Roustabout. This would be where the surveyor crews would make the voyage. At the other hard points on the hull had four containers chained down containing the pioneering party's equipment. A landing craft was docked at the docking port, while another was loaded on the hangar deck. The pioneer team was hot bunking in Roustabout. There were two hundred souls aboard the ship. The ship was never designed to handle this load. They were all experienced in survey, scouting, primitive construction, and trail blazing. Accompanying them were a Trena Mounted Patrol Special Weapons and Tactics Team along with a Militia SpecWar team. Included in the team was a handpicked team of biopeople from the associations.
"None of the biopeople had worked on this planet. They were there simply to convince any clones that they might find on the planet that they were not from EBio and that they would be okay with the people from Trena. By the time that the Roustabout left orbit that captain was making bets whether his ship would be able to carry the load or not.
"They made planet fall ten days after they departed Trena." The general continued her lecture.
# ###
The Roustabout entered the solar system where Zulu Foxtrot 89 was as a ghost. They were in full stealth mode. They were passive not transmitting. The signals intelligence team began the task of listening for any communications traffic. They were surprised, when they heard no voice or data signal. There should have been a beacon. Identifying the star system, how to contact traffic control and other pertinent data an arriving star ship needed to know. But there was no beacon.
"I wouldn't worry about there no being a beacon," one of the biopeople commented. "EBio hid a lot of their resources. There's a beacon and sentries. When we cross a line they'll let us know."
"Let's continue on," The captain said to no one in particular.
They crept in system using the elint platforms' full stealth capability they discovered several smaller planets that were on the fringes of the solar system.
"I image light from yonder star," a technician on one of the surveyors indicating the system's primary remarked, "would freeze solid on their surface."
As they continued in they discovered a large gas giant several AUs out from the primary with a constellation worlds orbiting them. None were able to support life.
"Skipper," one of the mapping crew spoke up as Captain Vaughn walked into the mission coordination center of the ship, "Good news!"
"Oh," Captain Vaughn replied.
"No asteroids! Or rogue planetoids," The chief replied.
"That'll make everyone's day." Vaughn commented.
At length they entered the inner solar system they found three planets. All of them were able to support life.
"Skipper," the mission coordinator spoke up, "I would like to redirect the surveyor flights to foxtrot."
"What about the other two planets," the captain asked.
"We've identified foxtrot as this one here," the mission coordinator responded pointing to a dot in the holographic image, "We feel that that these two worlds here are not in our contract." He pointed to the other two worlds, "We are certain that they are uninhabited. What we want to do is to check these two worlds out after we check on Foxtrot. They are not listed in the records as being owned by Miss Wilson. At least we can't find the records on who owns these worlds."
"Let's assume for the moment that Wilson Enterprises owns the entire system. Let's check out foxtrot first then we'll worry about the other two." Vaughn stated, "It is time to look at the planet we've come to explore."
"Attention," the mission coordinator called pressing the button that would let him speak to his surveyors, "ninety nine surveyors. You are clear to begin surveying planet
Zulu Foxtrot 89."
"Double ought eight," The mission coordinator on Surveyor 008 called into his communicator.
"Zero one zero." The mission coordinator on surveyor 010 confirmed the mission assignment.
They approached the planet in a wide formation separated by several thousand miles. Surveyor double oh eight took the north pole of the planet, and double ought ten took the South Pole. They would orange peel the planet; just as they had on Cherokee. This time they were hoping that they didn't find anyone on the planet.
It took several hours to survey the planet. The planet had four continents. They appeared to be mostly empty of any sign of human habitation. The middle one was the biggest of the four and had evidence of past habitation scattered over it. There was a large town or small city in the center of the continent at the confluence of two rivers. The town looked more or less intact. Some of the buildings had been ravaged by time and the weather. There was no sign of any one living anywhere on the planet. The river that the two smaller rivers formed in the middle of the town, it flowed north towards, the north coast of the continent. As the river flowed north there were many small towns and villages along both banks. The small towns all had docks. A couple of the docks had barges tied up to them. In one instance the barge was still tied up to some sort of tug. It appeared that the entire river was navigable.
"There's not a lock or dam on the entire river." The mission coordinator commented. "Not even for flood control."
"There are flood walls around each of the villages," one of the sensor operators remarked. "Even that one, down near the delta has flood walls."
The largest town before the delta did indeed have flood walls. But it also had several graving, and dry docks. There was one ship that had been abandoned in the middle of its construction. The crew of surveyor double oh eight were shocked to see several boats had been beached. A good many of them were up on cribbing. Some of the cribbing had failed and the boats had either crashed down among the cribbing or were lying on their sides.
To the east of the outpost was a spectacular home looking out over the northern ocean. It was up on a cliff looking east onto the ocean. The home was U shaped with the open end of the U facing the ocean. The dominant feature of the home was a stained glass atrium over the pool that was in the space between the U's uprights.
"That's the planetary mangers place," one of the crewmen said, "What little data we have on the world shows that this building belonged to the planetary manager. I think they called that village Out Post 1."
They continue their survey. They were impressed with the level of development the main continent had and how little development was on the other three continents. They had one or two small settlements on each continent and some roads but there was nowhere near the development of the main continent. Even the buildings and the other things left behind there was no sign of the people who built what they were seeing. It was if everyone went home at the end of their day. Even though there was plenty of animal life on the planet the surveyors found no evidence of primates or other animals being the precursors to sentiency. There didn't appear to be any one on the planet.
"There's no one down there," Mission Coordinator on Roustabout mused. "I think it's time to land the survey parties."
In the mission coordination center Captain Vaughn turned to his communications signals intelligence team, "Let's see if can wake up the Care Taker."
The communications signal intelligence leader nodded, "Roustabout connect me with the Care Taker!"
"Okay baby," the voice of a centuries dead entertainer replied. The Roustabout's Artificial Sentient went to work. Before leaving Trena he had spent some time conversing with Kellogg and General Alphine, Miss Wilson, financial guardian. They had come up with the protocol to get the Care Taker to acknowledge them. If that didn't work Roustabout was going to assault the Care Taker by over whelming the system in such a way that it couldn't respond.
"Zulu Foxtrot Eighty Nine," Roustabout broadcasted on all the channels the Care Taker was supposed to be listening to, "to this is corporate alpha omega with upgraded data for your station. Stand by to receive data!"
"Standing by," the Care Taker replied.
Roustabout sighed in relief and sent the data packet to the Care Taker. As part of the packets he was sending down was the code to shut down. Everyone held their breaths as they had no idea how sentient the Care Taker might be. If Care Taker was more than a dumb AI they could be in trouble. If the Care Taker suspected a hostile takeover this was where he could react accordingly. If the planet had even rudimentary planetary defenses then Roustabout was in trouble. The Roustabout didn't have any weapons to fight anything. Their best weapon was stealth, then speed. They were in luck the Care Taker's last message was, "Care Taker off line!"
Everyone including Roustabout breathed a sigh of relief. As the holographic image of Roustabout sighed he took the bandanna from around his throat and wiped his brow.
The captain seeing the hologram wipe his brow commented, "Me too Roustabout! Let's get the ground teams down."
"Mr. Kellogg said that the computer system was in the main town." Captain Vaughn mused, then ordered, reinforcing the mission plan, "Have the first mission in the town.
They are to find and permanently disable Care Taker."
"Yes sir," the ground mission coordinator said from his landing craft.
The first mission team landed at the largest city at the confluence of the two rivers. It was strange. They made a standard landing and off loaded a couple of hover jeeps and drove through the abandoned town.
"It looks like any abandoned town," One of the Mounty's commented. He was looking at the buildings. Some of them had broken windows, some had roof damage. The doors were wide open. The damage was not man made. More like that of storms or other weather. But other than storm damage and debris there was no evidence the town had been abandoned in a hurry. They passed a parking lot with trucks and heavy equipment parked in neat orderly rows. The town was not in bad shape over all. It looked without a doubt that the people who had lived there had just picked up and left. It appeared as if the last one who left the city had turned the lights off and shut the door.
At length they finally found the headquarters building.
It was in the center of town in a large ornate building that reminded the ground team leader of a government building. He thought of it as city hall. Its door was unlocked. Providing no barrier to the ground team. They entered the building. Here too, the building was clean. There was no paper or debris in the building, just some animal droppings and a musty smell of a building being closed too long. Only the office furniture was left. They carefully swept through the building, praying that it was abandoned. They found it deserted like they did the town.
They found the computer center. It was buried in the basement. The door to the center was open. It was spooky. It was silent. The typical noise associated with a large computer were not present. The cooling fans, power supply fans and all the other noise generators had been shut down. The computer that ran the planet's infrastructure was indeed off. The team wasted no time as they disconnected the computer from all power sources. But they didn't stop there. They opened the computer itself and removed the memory core. They very essence of the computer. They searched the center for a backup but didn't find it. It became a priority for all the teams. Where was the backup? The location was probably in the memory modules they had removed.
As they left the building the Trenaport Mounted Patrol criminalist with them commented, "I'll be happy when we can interrogate that computer. I wonder what else it might know?"
"Well until we can get this crap to a computer forensic team," the ground team leader pointed to a large crate sealed with evidence seals, "that computer could be a
Pandora's box!"
"Ground Leader this is Surveyor 008 priority traffic," The mission coordinator on the surveyor flight called interrupting them.
"Go with your priority," The ground leader called back as he sat down in his jeep. He had escaped from an EBio facility years ago. The memories were coming back. Not all of them good. He was a little uncomfortable being on this world and in this town. "Ground Leader, radar mapping indicates that there may be a mass grave in a meadow 2 klicks north of town." The surveyor's mission coordinator called, "We would like you to dispatch a field team to check it out."
"On it," the ground leader replied nodding to his driver to take him to the site.
When they got there, they found a large meadow, maybe a quarter of a mile on a side. The meadow was covered with flowers from one end to another. The meadow was flat there were no mounds or small hills in the meadow. He didn't know what to expect. He had never seen a mass grave; not even in pictures. The meadow was tranquil and serene almost park like.
The escaped bioman did not want to disturb the site at all but they had to drive onto it to obtain the data they needed.
"Alex," he nudged the driver of his jeep, "Turn your sensor pod on. I want you to drive straight through the meadow."
Before they got five feet into the meadow the sensor suite began to provide data. The ground team was hoping that the mass grave was that of the original occupants, their hopes were dashed when the sensor suite began reporting the bodies the sensors were discovering were those of biopeople in the grave site. One of the sensors emitted signal that activated the identifier chip each clone was given the moment they were considered viable. Thousands of identifier were being triggered and recorded by the sensor suite. Within a short period of time they began to find pieces of bodies, and then small children. The sensor technology allowed them to determine that there were a thousand bodies buried in the meadow. The bioman was heart sick. Here were a thousand of his fellow biopeople who had been violently put down, and he couldn't do anything about it. They couldn't prove who did it, let alone if EBio was responsible.
"Ground leader to all personnel," The ground leader called over the all call channel,
"From now on the meadow just outside of town is off limits. I want a guard on it." "Aye-aye skipper," someone called.
Later as they made the planet ready to occupy over the period of a few days, a low brick wall began to be built. It was spontaneous. No one claimed to be the architect who designed it. The bricks came from a pile near a building that had been abandoned during its construction. People not on duty would wander over and spend several hours working on it. It wasn't a very good wall, nor very professional, but it would last almost forever. There were a thousand bricks in the wall. The wall was five feet high and a thousand feet long. The low height allowed people to see the meadow; but prevented them from entering the meadow itself. The bricks held the serial numbers of the ID tags the sensors had found. One for every bioperson who were believed to have been executed in the meadow. Over the years it became a matter of honor for biopeople to make a pilgrimage to this wall when they were first on world to pay homage to the biopeople so honored by the new settlers on what would become known simply as Home.
The survey and pioneer parties found no other mass graves. The small towns were never inhabited by EBio and were in near perfect order. There were signs of EBio exploration; but few of the buildings showed signs of occupancy. One of the large warehouses had been turned into barracks where the clones had been housed. They also found the abandoned cloning and reproduction labs. At least that's what the explorers thought they were, but there was no equipment in the building. The ground leader was tempted to destroy them but he had to remember he was the agent of Jill Wilson and he couldn't just order the destruction of her property.
A week after their landing Captain Vaughn came down to meet with the survey parties. They met at the small abandoned space port. It had five large landing craft pads, a small control tower and two hangars. They gathered outside one of the hangers. Some stood, other's sat with their backs to the hangar. The senior officers were discussing the results of their explorations.
As the officers were meeting, a shy historian who was quietly observing everything and had, when she could, conducted interviews of many of the team members, she stood with her back against the hangar as the captain spoke with his officers.
"Well it is deserted," the captain replied, "we've found nothing on the ground that indicates the planet has any population."
"That is if you don't count the large herds of cattle and sheep we're finding," someone said.
"But there is no sign of human life on the planet," Vaughn asked.
"Yes sir," The ground leader spoke up, "We have found no sign of recent human habitation of the planet."
"We also have not discovered any pre-sentient primates." An anthropologist spoke up. "Nor any sign of aborigine settlements. There is no native intelligence on this world."
"So you all feel that there is no reason not to let our people occupy this world?" the captain asked.
"Captain," the historian spoke up, "I think I can speak for all of us. But there is no reason for the people of Trena not to come and live on this world and to make our new homes upon it."
There was a series of nods as a few people voiced their agreement with the historian's statement.
"All of you are aware then that the other part of the contract I have with Miss Wilson is to make this planet ready for our people to occupy. I now activate that portion of our contract. Ladies and Gentlemen, please make our new home ready for our families to find refuge on."
"So the Diaspora begins," the historian commented mostly to herself as the meeting broke up.
"Diaspora," one of the ground team members asked.
"This isn't the first time in any our peoples' history that some of us left a bad situation to a better one." Violet replied, "About the fourth century before Empire the people of an island nation known as Ireland began leaving their small island during a famine to the old United States. They came to a small island known as Ellis Island where they were processed and allowed entry into the country. But that is only one example the thonians had their own diasporas as did we again once we discovered star travel." "So this is our Ellis," the man asked.
"In a manner of speaking," Violet replied. "But more importantly this will become our Home."
As the pioneer parties began arriving from orbit, the crew at the landing pad welcomed them to Home and to Ellis as they stepped off the landing craft. Soon everyone was calling the EBio planet Home.
As the pioneer parties spread out working to see what it was going to take to make the planet ready for the arrival of thirty five million people, one of the teams walked into a warehouse near the clone barracks. They found man sized rolls of fabric. They were made of gray canvas. The bioman with them shook his head. Before he had left the company he had worn a shapeless gray smock or a jump suit made of this material. He shuddered.
His wife was standing with him. He had told her of the company and what he had suffered at their hands and that of his owners before he had escaped. She saw his shudder and wondered if this had been a good idea for the both of them. She asked. "Are you okay?"
"Oh yeah," the young bioman replied. He pointed to the rolls of fabric, "I was never so happy not to have to wear that shit again!"
"Why didn't they take this stuff with them," Another team member asked, "This is just wasteful!"
"Not to them," an older bioman spoke up, "When they abandoned Home they thought they could take it to their new world. Or thought they could give it to another world. Obviously they couldn't so they left it here thinking they would come back for it or just forgot about it."
"But the expense of it!" the man said.
"Oh it didn't cost them much," The older bioman exclaimed, "Eats for thirty clones, that was all. The biopeople would sleep in the barracks across the way. Hell the raw materials cost them more than we did! If we got sick and it was something serious they would just put us down! No fuss, no muss they just put us to sleep like any sick or injured animal. That is what they thought of us, a beast of burden."
The bioman's wife looked at both her husband and the bioman who had spoken. It was now her turn to shudder. She knew that her husband's life before escaping had been bad but she hadn't realized how brutal it had been.
"You know," her husband commented, "what would be poetic justice if we could turn this into something we could use for our people when they arrive. It won't be much but..."
"March," one of the bioman asked, "didn't they sometimes make tents and such for company functions out of these places?"
"Yes they did," March said turning to his wife, "Madeline we need to find the control center. Let's hope the computer is a stand alone!"
"Yes we don't have a new AI for the planetary system yet," Madeline replied.
They found the control center and soon found a way to turn the computer on and to begin to getting the plant up and running. Within a couple of days the plant was producing several different types of inflatable tents and awnings. By the end of the week there were nearly a thousand inflatable tents and dinning flies that could house a family of ten quite easily.
As the Roustabout flew back to Trena, the pioneer parties began to spread out and began to get the planet ready for occupation. With the exception of the small towns and villages scattered throughout the continent, (which were few and far between,) there was no place to put millions of people when they came to Home. No one wanted to see the planet's natural resources plundered and raped to house nearly a thirty five million people.
Everyone was concerned about the impact that people would have on Home.
# ###
"The abandoned world was quickly explored," General Jones concluded her class, "They now had to make it ready to receive our people. Trena's population was close to seventy five million people."
"But our population is just now reaching forty million," princess Lisa remarked.
"Not everyone wanted to come here and colonize Home," the general replied, "Only thirty five million souls migrated to Home. Even with the infrastructure we found, it was still going to be primitive. We would be pioneering Home. Populating the existing towns and villages. The exploration party thought that there was enough housing for maybe five million people. Not nearly enough to house one twelfth of our population. We would have to build cities, towns, and villages. Many of our people didn't want to be pioneers. Many truthfully were not up to the task of pioneering a world. They were used to a civilized, settled world.
"Thankfully," the general continued, "only thirty five million people migrated to Home. The rest were able to be repatriated back to their home star nations. Others were recruited by various off world out of nation employers. Our people were always being recruited by the Empire, the Realm, even the Republic to name a few. We had a well educated, and experience work force. Our businesses were known galaxy wide. Often an enterprising star nation would try to lure a corporation to their home worlds. Few took their offers as Trena's business environment was better than the Empire's. But with Trena having to be evacuated, including some of the in orbit off world industries it was open season on our people.
"The Crown reluctantly helped some of our best and brightest to be recruited and allowed immigrate to other star nations with the Crown helping the person, their family and their firm leave Trena." The general wrapped up the class, "Almost forty million people found homes and employment among our many friends. Otherwise things would be worse than what they were."
"Okay," the general said, "Next week we'll be going over chapter ten. It discusses in greater detail the first migrants to Home."
Chapter 10: Who Goes First?
The Princess was reading the Queen's diary after lunch the next day during a study period, "I had to attend a meeting with Roustabout's captain, Dad, Princess Carroll and Aggie this morning. The captain was reporting on the results of his expedition to what we are now calling Home. The captain shared some video and holos of my world. It is a beautiful world. What he showed us was breath taking. He showed us one holo of a river cutting through a heavily wooded river valley. It split the continent. There were a couple of small villages along the river. Other than these villages there is very little evidence that man has ever set foot along the river. He showed us where large plots of wild grain had taken over the prairies.
"The Ag people reported," the captain reported, "finding Maze, beans, wheat, and other food grains for hundreds of miles of prairie."
The image changed showing an over flight of a large heard of cows that went on forever, or so it seemed, "They appear to be some variant of cattle from earth. The biologist says their DNA is a close match to terrestrial bovine. They slaughtered one and found that it was edible. As is the grain."
"That makes things a lot easier," her father commented.
"There are some small towns and villages beside the main city that is now being called Ellis. But there isn't enough existing housing for all our people. I am concerned about destroying the world before we even get a chance to live on it." Princess Lisa paused in her reading looking out of the libraries windows to the lush woodland that the academy had been built in. "I need to talk with Dad, Aggie and maybe General Langtree and possibly Jonesy. I am owner of this world so I should be able to find some way to make sure the planet isn't destroyed."
The bell rang and the Princess left the study to go to the day room to finish reading the entry.
After she got settled in the day room she continued to read "The opposition led by Lord Ramsey is really giving Dad a hard time. I wish someone would shut him up. He and Duke Horton! They are doing nothing to help. At least Horton isn't as bad as Ramsey. Horton seems to be more concerned about Dad and Aggie not over reacting. Ramsey on the other hand isn't. He and his friends seem to be obstructing the evacuation whenever possible. Now that the Roustabout is back they are raising a fuss about who is to go first.
"They are actually stating that the rich will get off world first," Jill had written, "From what I heard Dad and the others say they are feeding a whole bunch of stuff into an expert system to choose. I thought it interesting that an Artificial Sentient wasn't going to be used but when it was explained to me by Jonesy, the Boeing AS. She told me that AS's did have emotions, and could be manipulated like flesh and blood people; but an expert system was a dumb computer that would just process the numbers and the facts unemotionally.
"Guess part of what is stressing Dad out is that they are ready to announce the first lifts to Home; but the press isn't letting them." Jill concluded "I am going to try and watch the press conference today. I overheard Mr. Vornic, Dad's Public Information Officer, complaining the other day to Dad, how tough it was getting."
The Princess was anxious to hear the general's lecture the class met.
# ###
Jill knew she was not supposed to be anywhere around the press pavilion. Her parents didn't want her anywhere around the press. Although some of the press both friendly, and unfriendly had asked for interviews, her parents, had refused to grant one. How long that would last neither she, nor her parents were certain. As an excuse to go by the pavilion, she had told Lisa she had lost the stylus for her pad and wanted to go to the palace post exchange to see if she could replace it. Thinking that it was Saturday, and Jill was bored and just wanted something to do, Lisa didn't say anything as Jill with one of the protective agents in tow, she went to the post exchange she purchased a gaudy flashy stylus. On their way back they passed the press pavilion.
The pavilion was a recent addition to Serenity's grounds. News media from all over the galaxy had flocked to Trena to report on the death of planet. Soon their numbers out grew the palace's modest press briefing room. To accommodate the press her father had the pavilion erected. I was just a tent like structure open at the sides. If the weather was bad; then a force field activated to keep rain, or wind out of the pavilion. It was on the other side of a hedge that obscured the walkway on the other side of it. The walkway was the direct path from the palace exchange to the Wilson residence. Which was why she had decided to go to exchange at this time. As they walked back to the residence the press briefing began. Jill stopped to listen to it. No one could see her behind the hedge; but she and her escort could hear everything.
"Good morning," the young man started the press briefing. He was mildly surprised when the reporters settled down quickly. "I have an announcement to make concerning the first evacuees to Home. Based on a manning schedule put together in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, we have compiled a list of applicable professions, and trades needed for the first lift to Home. A list of names meeting the criteria that the Marshal's staff came up with was fed to the Census Expert System and those whose survey stated they would be interested in becoming part of a pioneer party or an initial colonial set up team that met the criteria have been selected. As I speak, the evacuation command is sending out notices to those selected. By midnight tonight those selected will have been notified. All those selected have until midnight tomorrow to acknowledge their selections. Should they not answer the summons, they will be given another twenty four hours to acknowledge, should they not acknowledge the summons, the command will go down the list until it has 25,000 individuals for the first lift. Once they acknowledge the summons they will receive information on how to proceed. They shouldn't just start for the space port. The names will be posted on Evac Net by the end of the week with the first lifts to the newly commissioned I'm Outta Here some time next Sunday or Monday."
"I will entertain a few questions," Pete Vornic, the Evacuation Command Public
Information Officer stated. "Please state your name and affiliation."
Several hands went up. He acknowledge one he hadn't called on before.
"Simon Travis," The reporter responded, "McKay Free Press. How many families will this entail?"
"I think and these numbers will change," Pete answered looking at the notes the computer projected on his podium screen. "But some six thousand families will be going on the first lift."
"What are you calling families," Simon followed up.
"They will be traditional Trenian families. As you know we have a very liberal definition of marriage and of families. Many have multiple spouses and many children. Some families have twenty people in them. This will include their spouses, children, and may include grandparents, aunts and uncles. The lift will include everyone in the immediate family including family members who have retired. People who can pass their trades on or help take care of others as needed. The idea was to mix older people with younger people, with a diversity of skills and knowledge. For instance one family is the owner of a bakery. But not everyone in the family is a baker, one of the daughters is a police officer married to a warehousemen. Another of the sons is a school teacher. Another of the daughter in laws is a therapist. We need all those talents and we don't want to break up a family if we don't have too. So far we have been able to find those families whose skills we need. You have to understand that this first lift will be the people who will be setting up facilities for the rest of us. Home needs not only carpenters, and masons, but; cattlemen and farmers. They will also need someone to watch over the children, and someone to cook for them. To fix their machinery and the other support people needed so they can work.
That is our plan. Every lift we send out will have that type of mix."
"Jerome Wilkerson, Trenaport Daily," A reporter asked, "Are any nobles included with this list?"
"Yes there are a couple but they have not been notified yet so I am not at liberty to give you their names at this time." Pete answered.
"Will their entire business or estate be transported with them?" Someone asked.
"No," The press officer said, "Not every noble's business will be able to continue on Home. Some of the nobles', whose estate were mostly farming or agribusiness, who have shown a desire to pioneer on a new planet, will be evacuated with their farming equipment and their retainers who may wish to accompany their lord or lady to Home."
"Will they be given lands comparable to those they now have?" Another reporter asked.
"No," Pete shook his head, "Some of their estates are very large. Some as large as a hundred thousand acres. When they arrive on home they be granted farmland to develop. Initially the grant will be for twenty thousand acres."
Jill knew that the public information officer wasn't telling the full story. There were provisions to allow farmers, whether they be nobles or others to farm more lands. But they would have to wait until the evacuation was completed to gain more farmland. Then they would be allowed to purchase or rent tracks of farmland first from Wilson Enterprises then from their fellow farmers. Her father's and Queen Aggie's first goal was to get everyone off world. They were going heavy with farmers on the first lift so as to harvest the existing crops, and get new crops planted, and round up some of the cattle running free so they could feed the evacuees.
"Jennifer Rose, Mars Dispatch," another reporter said after being acknowledge, "What about status of your nobility."
"Our nobility is tied to the crown of Trena," Pete replied, "On Home they may retain the title, of lord or duke, but that is all it will be. Just an honorific. They be like any other evacuee. Just a citizen of Home."
"That's going to be a rude awakening to some of our nobles," someone remarked.
The PIO ignored it agreeing with who ever said it and pointed to a reporter way in the back, "You in the back!"
"Ralph Morgenstern, Political Review," The reporter asked, "When will the Marshal and his family be evacuated."
"The Marshal and his family will be the very last persons to be lifted from this planet, or nearly the last." Pete Vornic answered the question, "The Queen has made it clear that she will not leave until every last mother's child has been safely evacuated from Trena. The marshal has stated that he will insure that the queen's statement is fulfilled." "What about some of the art and precious works in our museums?" a reporter asked. "We've heard that Lady Hawthorne is making a list of the kingdom's art so it could be sold at auction to pay for the evacuation?"
Pete Vornic visibly bristled. He recognized the reporter from the Trenaport Post. An opposition news outlet. He had heard the same rumors. So had the Trenaport Mounted Patrol. They had investigated the rumors, and had reported that they were just that, rumors. They were being spread by Don Least. He was a very popular news media personality, and had quite a following. He was a very vocal opposition media critic of Marshal Wilson and the evacuation. The Public Information Officer wished the reporter wasn't in the press center; but he was! So he took a deep breath and looked the reporter in the eyes as he spoke.
"It is true that Lady Hawthorne is and has conducted an inventory of the Kingdom's precious art and museum exhibits." Pete's voice had a hard edge to it as he continued, "but not for sale. And definitely not for sale to fund the evacuation. As we evacuate Trena we plan to evacuate our libraries, and museums to Home. But not all of it. Some of the art, some of our museum exhibits will be taken to a special exhibit space on McKay to be shared with the people who will remain in the Trena system after Trena is destroyed. Queen Agatha is adamant that we may be losing our world, but our culture and heritage will not be lost or destroyed.
"We plan to ship a little bit of it out with each lift. " Pete said, "Currently there is no place to display it on Home. Some of this art must be kept in climate controlled environments. So it will remain in storage until we have such a facility to display it. It is our intention as towns and villages are created and populated to put a lot of the art in traveling exhibits. But that is a few years in the future."
"What about the Marshal," the same reporter asked, "Will he be given an estate on
Home?"
"No sir," Pete answered the reporter's question, "Marshal Wilson, won't be given anything on Home."
He paused for a moment reviewing what he and Marshal Wilson had discussed. "His daughter owns this world. She is graciously letting large areas of Home to be populated by our people. What sections of Home not populated by our people will still be owned by Miss Wilson and her family."
"Does she truly own it," another reporter asked. Everyone was having trouble believing Jill owned the planet of Home.
"Yes," Pete said, "His daughter is the heir to the Estate of Margo Hazelton Wilson, who was the granddaughter of the original EBio founder Dr. Leonard Hazelton. When Lord Wilson left Earth with Lady Wilson he assigned his shares in the EBio to his daughter in a trust to be managed by his step mother Admiral Wilson and Princess Carroll of Earth. To make a long story short, Jill Wilson owns the world as part of her estate."
"What do the Wilson's get out of it? Will they be our new monarchy?" another reporter asked.
"They don't get much out of it," Pete remarked, "It is the Marshal's intention to retire to the estate they are going to build on Home, and let the people of Home run their affairs without his or his daughter's intercession."
"What's the Queen's position on this? And the House of Lords," a reporter asked.
"The Queen has not discussed this with me or anyone from the parliament," Pete said not telling the full truth. The Queen had discussed it with him. It wasn't his place to discuss their conversation with the press.
"Thank you sir," one of Pete's assistants called from the back of the room after Pete had signaled that it was time to wind it up. He didn't want to go any further on this issue. It was filled with land mines and not small ones. As Pete left the podium the first notices were being received by those selected to go first. As he began to leave the press center he spied Jill and one of her productive detail.
"You shouldn't be here! Your mother and father will have both of our scalps," Pete scolded the teenager.
"Come on let's get out of here," Jenny suggested.
Jenny led her out of the press area. As they left her, a black cat came right over to them and began rubbing their ankles trying to get their attention. Jill picked up the cat and began to pet it. "Are you lost?"
"There you are Bugs!" A militia sergeant came up to them. Jill had seen the sergeant around the grounds the last couple of days standing various posts. She had seen the sergeant spill a glass of water on Lord Mercer. The sergeant, a young woman of about 5' 8"; with shoulder length blond hair, weighed a little under 140 pounds. Jill wished she had the nearly perfect figure the sergeant had. "I hope he wasn't a nuisance?"
"No," Jill said handing the sergeant the cat, "I wondered how he got on the grounds.
It is the first time I have seen him."
"He's supposed to be in mine and Georgia's room. He always gets out somehow!" Alice was not about to tell the young woman that Bugs was part of her security unit. He could go places she couldn't go searching for bugs and what have you.
"Well he's not a bother, if you need someone to look after him let me know I don't think mom or dad would mind if I looked after him." Jill said.
"That's okay Miss Jill," the sergeant said, she didn't have the heart to tell the marshal's daughter, that the cat though purring its heart out in Alice's arms, signaling that there were no bugs in the area, was a semi intelligent robot that Alice had built a couple weeks back. "The lieutenant had a fit when I brought him along on the assignment. It took a direct order from the XO to let me keep him. He'll read my beads if he knew that Bugs was making a pest of himself with the Royals."
"Well if Bugs, needs a home for a while let me know!" Jill said and left the press area.
# ###
Valerie Mitchum was standing outside the music store in the South Mall with several other people when she heard the announcement of the first people to be evacuated to Home. As she heard the announcement, she wondered how she could be evacuated to Home. It had to be better than living on the streets of Trenaport. A few days before Lottie's death, after helping a family pack up their apartment, they told her she could stay in their abandoned apartment. She moved in with her meager processions. It gave her a place where she could wait to be evacuated. The apartment was fully furnished as the family could only take their clothing and a few personal things. She had been surprised when she had found the apartment's pantry stocked. For first time since leaving the 'Adventure of Learning', the tall ship she had lived on for the last few years, she felt was going to be oaky. Between what Gaylord had given her and what the Crown's Victims Compensation Fund had given her she had enough money to cover her needs. She just had to find a way to get off Trena.
She didn't know how to make that happen.
She saw the shop keeper of the music store and knew it was time to move on. The shop keeper wouldn't allow the kids in the store. She didn't think he was being a hard case for not letting kids in the store. She had seen the two kids wrestling over a violin that got them all banned from the store. The violin somehow ended up on the floor in two pieces. So kids were banned except when accompanied by an adult. The shop keeper's assistant when his boss was out of the store would allow her in and to look around. He even let her occasionally, when he knew his boss was going to be out of the store, play one of the guitars. Not today though, the shop keeper was the only one in the store. She was thinking of buying the one guitar that she mostly played.
She left the area of the music store and found a place where she could sit and observe the comings and goings of the people using the mall. She bought a drink at one of the kiosks. She was sipping her drink wondering how she could get to Home when she saw the two police officers who had rendered justice on Lottie's behalf. They saw her and came over to her. The mall was part of their patrol.
"How are you Miss Mitchum," L'eam, and F'rena asked in unison. Mitch smiled a bit, this was not the first lifemated Thonians she knew. Often lifemates would speak in unison and with the same vocal qualities.
"I am fine," the seventeen year old answered.
"We haven't seen you since Lottie's closed." The female thonian said, "We were worried about you"
"Why," Mitch asked. Often the cops just wanted to bust her or wished she would disappear.
"That was a bad thing," the male thonian replied "We wanted to make sure you were okay."
"It was a bad thing," Mitch admitted. In truth she had never seen anything like that in her young life. She had seen many things in the five years she had been on the Adventure. She seen a rigger fall to his death when he lost his footing when they were pulling the top most sail in during a storm. She had never seen anyone kill someone before.
"How are you coping with it," the male Thonian asked sitting down beside her.
"I don't know," Mitchum replied. She really didn't know how she felt about it.
"Lottie was a good friend. She kind of looked after me."
"We had been told that," the other one said, "That's why we wanted to talk with you. They held a memorial for her. We missed you."
"I was out back with a couple of mourners." Mitch replied, "I saw you leaving when
I came back in."
"Patrol 29 what is your status?" The communicator called.
"In service at South Mall," F'rena called into the device.
"Respond to a disturbance in the residential section of the mall." The device called.
"On the way," F'rena, the female thonian called as her lifemate stood and they started to go to the residential section.
With nothing better to do and wondering what the commotion was on her apartment's floor, she followed the Companions.
"Give me back my notice!" someone was yelling as they came up on the group.
"It is not your notice," another voice yelled. The crowd noise was getting loud. Mitch saw twenty or so people surrounding the two who were arguing. They were a young man who was wearing a tool belt and an older over weight guy. She thought knew him as the guy who ran one of the cafes on the ground floor of the mall. As they got closer the older man pushed the younger man, who fell to the floor. He jumped back up and was about to swing on the fat man, when the male thonian simply picked the young man up by his collar and turned him around. His partner moved in on the fat man and cut him out of the crowd. Soon both men were separated.
"What's going on," L'eam asked the young man.
"I got my notice and printed it off and was showing a couple of the guys when Jonathon took it and said it was his! Said I got it out of his printer. I sometimes use his printer to print out my stuff. When he saw what it was he went crazy and wouldn't let me have it back. I tried to print out another; but he wouldn't let me," The youngster said in a rush.
"Can I see it," the thonian asked.
"He still has it," the young man said.
"F'rena can you scan the notice please." The thonian asked his lifemate. He had heard the overweight man's side of it as his lifemate interviewed him. F'rena scanned the hard copy of the notice. A holograph of the young man filed the air over the scanner.
Turning to Jonathon the thonians said in unison, "Sir if you wish to continue to challenge this we will take you down to the station house where you will be interrogated by agents of the Crown and should you be mistaken about this document, you will be arrested. The Marshal and the evacuation command are taking a dim view of identity theft."
They let it sink in and then asked, "What is your desire citizen."
"That's all right." The Jonathon answered, "I guess I was mistaken." "Do you wish to press charges," the male companion asked the young man.
"No." the young man said, "everyone is getting desperate. Just so he doesn't do it again."
"If you cause any more trouble," both thonians spoke again to the man named
Jonathon, "we will arrest you."
"I understand," the man responded.
"Come on folks, it is all over." The thonians trying to wind things down spoke to the crowd, "Move on now."
Taking the hint Mitch left for the apartment she was squatting in. When the thonians tried to find her, she wasn't anywhere to be found.
# ###
"So the exodus from Trena to Home began," General Jones said from the front of the class. "This first lift of twenty thousand souls was a milestone. Until this point, only people whose government was allowing them to return. Who had jobs or family to take them in, on other planets had been able to get off world. Now common everyday people were being evacuated in mass."
"What always impressed me was that no one tried to force their way onto the landing craft," T'harla remarked.
"Security at the embarkation points were very strong." The general replied. "Each of the embarkation points were secured by the militia. Often backed up by an armored personnel carrier. In the early days you couldn't get near an embarkation point unless you had your evacuation order. Later you were picked up at your home and taken to a shelter where you met up with the landing craft that would take you to your transport. That alone kept problems at the embarkation to a minimum."
"Chief Atomi, and Marshal Wilson," The general continued, "both extremely experience law enforcement professionals, were surprised that there was very little social unrest. We did have a couple of riots. Towards the end there were a couple of riots when a rumor was circulated that the Queen had left and was living on McKay. They stormed the palace or tried to; but they couldn't get past the perimeter fence and its force field. That and the Queen inviting several of the ring leaders into the palace to meet with her to prove she was still on Trena. That stopped the worse riot we had."
"All right," General Jones said seeing that the class period was at an end. "Read the next chapter. I'll see you in a week."
The end of class tones chimed and the general called softly, "Class dismissed!" The general stood up to leave, as she did the senior cadet called, "Attention!" The class stood while the general left.
# Chapter 11: Unwanted Excitement
The Princess was granted weekend leave to attend the christening of His Majesty's Ship the Lady Wilson. HMS 02C was a hospital ship. The original HMS 02B had been retired just last year at the end of its service life. Now the third such ship to bare her great grandmother Lisa name was being christen on Sunday. She had been asked by her father King David to christen the ship. The christening went off without a hitch. At least until they all got back to North View Palace, when her parents got into an argument.
"She's not going to do it and that's final!" her mother yelled at her father.
"Carolyn is old enough to get her landing craft license," Her father had yelled back. "Every one of us has gotten our pilot's license before we graduated middle school. It's time for her to get her ticket."
"She's too young," Her mother yelled back.
Princess Lisa left the family room where her parents had been arguing and went to her room where she opened Queen Jill's diary.
"I know mom and dad had their disagreements," Jill had written, "They never argued where people could hear them. But this evening I heard them arguing about something Lisa was dead set on doing."
As Princess Lisa read the diary entry she wished her parents were like Queen Jill's. **###**
A few nights after the press conference Jill witnessed, Jill over heard her father and step-mother arguing.
"Lisa you are not going to do that!" her father was yelling.
"Mike I am you wife!" Lisa yelled, "You don't own me! You may own the company that built me; but you certainly don't own me! I am going to the port to take those photos!"
"Lisa it's too damn dangerous! We haven't even gotten a sniff of Hozenbur and we know she'll have to try something at this lift. The terrorizing of biopeople on this lift is just too great!"
"You mean that with all the cops, MPs, Marines, and Militiamen you can't keep one crazy old woman from disrupting the lift?" Lisa asked.
"It's not just one crazy old woman and you know it!" her father snapped, "That crazy old woman has the equivalent of a Black Guard alpha team."
"Yes, she has one of the best closer teams the company has ever fielded. But she is smart." Lisa said, "She won't try anything with me or with the first lift if she can't get away with it. You know I am right about her. I am going and that is all there is to it!"
"It's too damn dangerous." Her father repeated. Then his tone softened a bit, "I couldn't stop you with a platoon of marines could I."
"Not even with one of the Princess' alpha teams." Lisa admitted. "Okay," her father relented, "But you go with a detail." "Okay," Lisa agreed.
Lisa had come out of the master bedroom and saw Jill sheepishly trying to blend into the wall. "You heard that?" "Yes," Jill answered.
"Let's go into your room for a bit," Lisa asked. It was time to tell her about Hozenbur.
In her room, Jill asked, "How dangerous is it for you to be at the embarkation area?"
"Less dangerous than your father is making out." Lisa replied a little anger still in her voice, "I'll be around people who will be the first people to get off world. They won't be interested in hurting me."
"Why does this Hozenbur want you?" Jill asked.
"I am an escaped bioperson from the company." Lisa answered, "To make matters worse it was from Captain Hozenbur's team. Which made her look incompetent. She has tried to capture me for over 20 years."
Lisa was carefully choosing her words. She still wasn't ready to talk about all of her past with Jill. There were some dark episodes she hadn't even shared with her husband. Yet Jill had the right to know more about her than she knew now. "I was born on a planet called Holly. I was to be a production clone. I was in a very small group of clones they had developed with specially abilities. My IQ was above average for even the Deltas. Instead of developing my skills they decided they were going to breed me like some prized cow" Lisa said with some venom. "Fortunately that never came to be."
"I didn't know that until much later." Lisa continued. "Someone misread my production plan. Instead of staying on Holly, to be kept barefoot and pregnant, I was sent on to a finishing center. So from the time I was thirteen until I turned eighteen, I was finished. I had a knack for medicine, specifically therapy. Once finished my contract was sold to a medical personnel firm on station 54. That was where I met your father." She smiled remembering the six months she had spent with her father helping Joyce Wilson recover from combat injuries. Up until recently they were the best times of her life.
"After your father was deployed along with the Colonel, and Joyce." Lisa's voice lost its softness, "Containment and Alignment discovered the mistake and returned me to Holly. They tried to put me into production. Every time they tried to put a developmental in me I miscarried. They couldn't determine why I kept miscarrying.
She chuckled before she went on, "they had of course forgotten that I can control my metabolism. It was nothing to convince my body not to be pregnant. Not wanting to lose my medical skills they put me in in a containment team.
"I was the team medic." She shuddered, "Patching their wounds up after their escapades. Truthfully they did do some good. There were some company employees and officers, people who caused some harm. Great harm! The team I was on captured people who had stolen from the company or raped and abused clones. Sometimes they killed company officers. The company always wanted to deal with its own problems. They didn't want the authorities to know what was going on in the company.
"That was some rewarding work. I helped shut down a smuggling operation that used the company transport system to transport crazy dust. Later I was rewarded by being assigned to a closer team. A team sent out to kill people who the company wanted dead. Hozenbur was the team leader. I didn't last long. When I found that this team had killed your grandfather, I couldn't be on the team. I took care of some business and left." "What did you do," Jill asked.
"Let's just say I rendered justice," Lisa answered, she wasn't going to tell her step daughter how she had taken care of the business. "Hozenbur has been chasing me for years because of how I took care of that business. That and because some other stuff I have done to her over the years, she wants me dead."
"Is that why Dad is so adamant that you shouldn't be out where this Hozenbur can get to you?" Jill asked.
"Yes," Her stepmother replied. She wasn't about to tell her step daughter the whole story at this time, "Hozenbur's been after me ever since. She's a sociopath among other things."
"Mom," Jill asked her emotions reeling from what she had just been told, "Is there any way I can get this bitch leashed?"
That got Jill the sternest look she had ever gotten from anyone. "Such language! Jill, the princess was given a confidential message from the CEO of EBio that apologized for not being able to contain this closer team. I wish there was something you could do."
Jill wasn't convinced she couldn't do something about this team. She was after all the major stock holder of EBio now. She thought maybe she could get a message to EBio headquarters to cease and desist. She had talked to the princess about the closer teams. She was having a hard time understanding why such teams existed. All of the company's image managers betrayed them as a benign company looking out for the good of humanity.
"Mom," Jill said, "I think I am going to talk to the Princess. From what you and the Princess have said, I want the closer operation closed down. I want the Imperial Bureau of
Justice to find these people and bring them to justice."
"Jill," Her step mother looked at her, "I am pleased that you want to be so responsible and get rid of these people, but there are a lot of former closer's here on Trena who are trying to do some good! Kellogg for one," Jill remembered the excitement when Kellogg came to speak with her step mother. "There are others throughout the Empire who are trying to do some good like Kell."
"Is there a way to get a message to them for them to talk with IBJ?" Jill asked. "Some way they can help to bring the closer operation to justice?"
"I don't know," Lisa said, "But Jill I don't want you to go off halfcocked. You shouldn't even been worrying about this!"
"How can I not," Jill responded, "Some agent of my company is trying to kill my family. Has killed my grandfather and I am to ignore it?"
"Jill," Lisa said, "I am not telling you to ignore what is going on. I am only suggesting that you be careful not to do any more harm than that's already being done. I am very proud that you want to deal with this, but don't be in too much of a hurry to be an adult yet."
That just infuriated her. She was not going to let this group of animals kill her family.
"I know with everything that is going on. That you may be getting over whelmed! That you feel that you have to help." Lisa said she didn't want Jill to go off halfcocked. "But you have to help in a constructive way. Not one that causes more harm. I know that we may not prevent you from getting involved; but I would hope that you would let
Michael, Mylea and Kellogg deal with this." "But this Hozenbur might kill you!" Jill said.
"She and her team are going to have to work at it," Lisa said, "Between the likes of Georgia and the protective team you father has built around us and all the cops that will be at the port. I should be safe."
Jill was quiet for a bit lost in her thoughts. She didn't like the situation; but her step mother was right she could do some harm by going off halfcocked. Finally she said. "Mom, I am worried about you. I don't know what I can do to help. But I don't want to cause more problems."
"Just be yourself Jill." Lisa said, "Let's go see what the rest of this mob is doing."
"You know mom," Jill said getting off the bed, "I have to remember something grand mom said years ago."
"What's that?" Lisa asked as Jill helped her off the bed.
"If you can't be part of the solution, don't be part of the problem." Jill said as they walked to her door, "the other part I have added, and don't make the problem worse. I guess by going off halfcocked I could make things worse."
Lisa opened the door and let her daughter walk through. Not saying a word. Just nodding.
Jill would remember their conversation when all hell broke loose the next day.
# ###
She had just gotten home from school, and was going through her after school routine, tablet on her desk, holo set on, and started to change out of her school clothes when the Holo got her attention.
"Trenaport News Channel with breaking news," an anchor woman's voice cut into the program she normally watched, "TNC is on the scene of an attempted assassination of
Lady Wilson. The incident is still ongoing..."
Jenny Alkire the head of her personal productive detail burst into her room.
"You heard?" Jenny asked seeing the holo. Jill nodded. She wanted to ask Jenny what she knew, but she waited. Jenny tilted her head and sighed.
"She's okay," Jenny told her, "Georgia got her to safety. But not before she was
hit."
"Is she ..." Jill was afraid that Georgia had been killed.
"Don't know," Jenny said as the scene changed to show an armored personnel carrier roar up the alley between the two hangars and moved a car out of its way. Before the carrier stopped, the scene changed to show a one man air car from the Trenaport Mounted Patrol was firing at the roof of a hangar. The scene changed to the armored personnel carrier rolling toward as a landing craft. It loaded aboard the landing craft which launched even before the front ramp closed.
"Runaway's detail copies all," Jenny spoke out loud, then spoke to Jill, "Everyone's okay. Georgia has been injured but it's a minor wound. They'll be at the Evac Hospital well they're landing now. Your dad is on his way. He'll be there soon."
"Has anyone told Maggie yet?" Jill knew how close her mother's house keeper was to her mother.
"Yes," Jenny answered, "Tom just told her."
It was then that Jill realized that they hadn't gone to a Mountain Event. She wondered why?
An hour or so later she was sitting in the family room waiting for her parents to come home watching the news coverage of the event.
"This is live from the IRS Evacuation Hospital," The anchor said as the scene shifted. The scene showed her father approaching a hastily set up press area. Her mother looked tired. Georgia, her mother's principle agent, looked ashen. She normally was very well groomed with not a hair out place, now looked rough around the edges. She also looked a little sleepy.
"Lord Wilson!" one of the reporters asked as they approached the press area, "is your wife okay?"
"Lady Wilson!" another yelled, "what happened!"
"Settle down!" Pete Vornic called. They all knew that Pete would not make another statement until they settled down. When they did he said, "The Marshal has a short statement, but will not take any questions at this time. Marshal Wilson?"
"Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen," her father spoke, "I would like to thank the Royal Protective service, the Trenaport Mounted Patrol, the Space Port Police, the Imperial Interstellar Rescue Service, and other agencies who ensured that the two beautiful ladies at my side are able to be with me this afternoon. In particular to Georgia Lancaster, Lady Wilson's principle agent risked her life so that my wife can be here with me this afternoon. Now if you don't mind, I would like to take my lady home and give her a chance to decompress. Like any incident like this, it is charged with emotion and stress it takes its toll on the soul. Both these ladies need time to get past what they have experienced today.
Good afternoon."
With that he walked with Lisa and Georgia to the LC 4 Space and Air Executive Mission landing craft that had brought him to the hospital and would take them to the palace.
Jill was waiting with Maggie and the Queen for her parents when they arrived at the residence. Lisa saw Abby and picked her up hugging her fiercely. She then hugged Jill as she walked into the residence. She didn't quite ignore the others but it was obvious where her mind was; she wanted to be with her family. It wasn't lost on the Queen that Lisa held Mike's hand all the way into the house.
"Lady Wilson," Maggie said, "Do you want me to bring you anything?"
"No, I'll be alright." Lisa said and seeing the concerned look on everyone's face said, "Guys, I know you are concerned, I am okay. I am going to lay down a while and try to get my head straight a bit."
"Okay Mom," Jill said, "we'll let you alone. Come on Abby let's go help Maggie make dinner."
"Come on kids," Maggie called and Lisa nodded to her step daughter. They went into the kitchen while her father escorted Lisa to their room. When he came into the kitchen to check things Jill asked, "Dad may I speak with you in the dining room?"
"Huh huh," He said carefully, suspecting what she wanted to talk to him about.
"I heard they got the guy Dad," Jill stated once they were in the dining room.
"Yeah one of the air units got him." Mike replied.
"Dad when are you going to get this bitch," Jill roared, she was upset and needed to vent. Her father was the closest one she could get away with venting at.
"Settle Down!" Mike snapped. His patience was pulled if not to the breaking point it was getting close. "We're doing the best we can. I've got enough people on it that we should be able to get the job done! I am already talking with the port police trying to find out how this guy got through the system."
"We almost lost Mom today!" Jill snapped.
"Don't you think I know that?" Mike snapped back. He counted to ten and said, "Jill we can't do this. I know you are upset, so am I! But we can't roar at each other! Lisa would kill us both."
"She would at that!" Jill calmed down a bit. "She would at that. What does Kellogg say?"
"Not much," Mike said, "He's on top of it; but not even the ex-closer community can find this beast."
"Dad is there anything, I can do?" Jill asked.
"Yes," her father said, "Keep cool. I know you are upset. But yelling at me doesn't help the situation. We are doing everything we can do. Kellogg knew the shooter; but because we took him out we can't talk with him. Right now I need you to be cool and help keep the others calm. We have to get through this. We have to set the example. The cooler we are the better everyone else will be. Besides we don't want Lisa to kill us!"
"No we don't. And she would!" Jill said, "Sorry dad. But I was so worried!"
"Mike?" the Queen came in the dining room, "How is she?"
"Shaken up a bit," Mike said, "A little pissed. She is concerned about Georgia."
"I talked to Mac," The Queen said, "He said she did it by the numbers. She wouldn't have seen that assassin at any rate."
"Yes I read Mac's, and Kellogg's report they both said she couldn't have stopped the attempt. But they both say that her instincts were right on. She got them both into the car and under cover. She even managed to return a couple of shots. I am very pleased with her response." Mike said.
"She's very good isn't she," The Queen asked.
"Very," Mike agreed, "She is one of the most professional protective agents I have worked with. I think I'll wander by her place tonight."
"She would like that," the Queen replied, "She feels that she didn't do her job."
"You work fast Aggie!" Jill said, "I mean they've been home only a little while and you've already talked to Georgia."
Aggie shrugged. Mike chuckled.
"Marshal," Maggie came in holding a plate of sandwiches, "Would you want to take this to Lady Wilson?"
"Yes," Mike said and took the plate and left the dining room.
"Are you okay Miss Wilson?" Maggie asked. "We heard you in the kitchen."
"Sorry Maggie," Jill feeling a little embarrassed replied and saw the look on Aggie's face, "Thank you both. Now how can I help you Maggie?"
"Help Abby make some sandwiches." Maggie said following the girl into the kitchen. Aggie followed them in and helped also.
# ###
"It's been years since someone took a shot at me." Lisa said hours later joining the family in the family room, "Not since Hozenbur took that shot at me on the developmental ship. I didn't even have a gun I could fire back at the closer with. Even if I did, I haven't had any range time in years. I doubt I could have been effective with it anyways. Poor Georgia," Lisa felt extremely guilty that someone had gotten hurt because of her.
"Don't worry about Georgia," Mike consoled his wife. He was sitting next to her on the sofa. "She's not that hurt, and you did more for her than anyone could have done." "I know Mike," Lisa said, "But damn it! She shouldn't have to be a target for me.
Why is my life any more important than hers?"
Wilson thought for a moment then said, "In the scheme of things one life is not more important than someone else's. Sometimes certain people are blessed with positions of responsibility that makes what they do important to all us. So they get the benefits of body guards, and such."
"But surely that young lady's life isn't to be thrown away." Lisa said at a lost to understand why Georgia would do what she did. She had known instinctively the men and women around her had sworn an oath to let no harm come to her or her family, and to possibly give their lives so her family might live. She had never thought that it would ever happen.
"Mom," Jill over hearing what her parents were talking about interrupted, "I've gotten to know Jenny well. She's like an aunt in some ways. We got to talking about this protective business. I wanted to understand what it was about and why she would put herself in harm's way for me. I don't know if I can explain it, mostly because Jenny said it much more elegantly than maybe I can."
Jill had her step mother's full attention. "It isn't that they want to die, or that they are ready to die. It's that they know if they can make it harder to kill you or me or Abby, then they have done their jobs, and they look at dying for one of us as an honor. An honor they hope and pray and train all their days not to have to fulfill. Jenny saw how much it bothered me, and she said that some of their protectees should be thrown in the dung heap. They are a pain and they treat the details as so much furniture. If you pin Mac or Georgia down, they will say that they much prefer us than they do some of the others. Jenny told me she has had on occasion to escort a nobleman's children. The children were spoiled and caused more problems than she was too professional to discuss. But they like us."
That sobered Lisa some more. She was now bound and determined that she would make it up to Georgia for taking fire for her.
Jenny was standing post just outside the family room where the family was lounging. The door was open and she heard everything the family was discussing. She thought about saying something. Then decided not to, the girl had mostly gotten it right.
"Francine," Lisa called softly.
"Yes my lady," Francine entered the family room a few minutes later.
"Would you see to it that an invitation is extended to the detail, their wives, husbands, and families to dine with us on the terrace this Saturday afternoon?" Lisa said, "I assume that their girlfriends and boyfriends have been cleared?" Francine nodded. "Maggie!"
"Here Mistress," Maggie stepped into the family room carrying a carafe of tea and glasses for all present.
"I want to have an old fashioned cook out for the detail this Saturday afternoon." She turned to her aide, "And Francine, this is just for us, but that includes Mylea and
Lamile, and the Queen. I want this to be a family affair. The theme is thank you." "Yes ma'am," Francine said approvingly.
"Also would you ask Georgia to meet me in the study if she feels up to it sometime tomorrow, morning or afternoon? I don't care. We have some photos to go over." Lisa said. As the servants left and they were alone again. "Jill, thank you!"
# ###
"We almost lost mom today," Jill Wilson's diary spoke from centuries before. "They got the idiot that tried to kill her. I don't know how I really feel about that. Even though I told Dad, good! As I thought about it later, I shouldn't have gloated over the death of that assassin. It was the second time in less than two months someone had tried to kill my family. Several weeks ago the Theology tried to assassinate Dad, Aggie, and Aunt Mylea, and now an assassin tried to kill Mom. I am glad Dad let me vent. It helped. I am finally cooling out. I hope this is the last time someone tries to harm my family. I hope they find this Hozenbur."
Princess Lisa continued to read from the diary, "Mom seemed to be subdued. Mom would never be accused of being bubbly or efflorescent. But she was always upbeat. I've never seen her so quiet. I wonder if she was feeling guilty about getting Georgia shot over some photographs.
"I haven't seen the photos yet," Jill had written, "But if they are as good as the other's I have seen they should be awesome."
"I wonder when they will get Hozenbur." Jill had written, "I asked Princess Carroll to tell EBio to shut down the closers. I don't think she did. I wonder if there is a way I can get a message to EBio myself. There has to be a way to get EBio to stop Hozenbur. After all she is one of their employees." Even as the princess finished reading aloud the passage she understood how naïve her great grandmother had been.
"Jill was very concerned about the closers'," The general began to wrap up her class, "and very frustrated. She had asked the Princess to send a message to Earth telling EBio to back off. Her parents didn't know that she had done that. No response ever came back from EBio."
"Everything I have heard about this Hozenbur," T'harla Atomi commented, "She was an evil witch."
"No she wasn't evil," General rebutted, "She was seriously mentally ill. Never make the mistake of labeling your opponent as evil."
Thus sobered the cadets. General Jones resume included several years as a police officer. "It wasn't until the very end that we were able to close Hozenbur's file. It was a spectacular ending."
# Chapter 12: The Photos
The cousins had all seen the photographs and holographs that Lady Wilson, their great, great, great grandmother had taken. All of them had at one time or another had seen Lady Wilson's photos. Many of which were never published. Some were the private moments of her family and friends. Her photos and holos had been published throughout the galaxy. Every generation had their own "photographer" in the cousins' generation it was Valarie Mitchum. Unlike her famous namesake, she didn't want to be a police officer. She wanted to be a photographer, not a police officer. She hoped that as she studied to be a queen's officer, that her duties would include photography.
Cadet Mitchum had devoured this week's chapter, and had spent sometime in the royal archive looking for the photos that would be discussed in class this week. She had brought one of the photos from the archive.
# ###
The day after the assassination attempt Lisa was in the big study using an expert system to view and catalog her photos. She had stills, videos and holos; several hours of them. She was still reviewing them when Georgia came in.
"How do you feel," Lisa asked indicating for Georgia to sit down.
"Okay," the young woman said sitting down, "I can feel the muscles starting to rebuild. Kind of itches."
"I've been told that the regrowth drugs will cause that. " Lisa commented. She saw the younger woman wince in pain as she sat down. She wanted to ease the woman's pain, instead she asked, "Are you in a lot of pain?"
"Not really," Georgie replied. "When I bump it, or when I forget there's a hole in my arm try to do something with it, it reminds me it is there."
"I could ease some of your pain," Lisa suggested. "But it will only be for a short time."
Georgia was tempted. Allowing Lisa to ease her pain would get her off the pain killers. She didn't like pain killers, she felt they clouded her judgment, and slowed her down. It was the reason she was going unarmed and wasn't on the watch list. She wouldn't take advantage of her protectee's offer¸ as she was unsure of the ethics of allowing some one she was protecting to treat her.
"No," Georgia finally replied, "Thank you. If it gets real bad I'll think about it."
"All right," Lisa replied thinking she knew why Georgia was reluctant to let her treat her. Georgia didn't want to mix protecting Lisa with her personal business. "Come here and look what we did yesterday."
"Okay," Georgia said. She moved her chair next to Lisa, and began paging through the hundreds of photos and Holos that they both had taken. When they got to the picture Georgia had taken of Lisa helping the woman diaper her baby, Lisa turned to the young woman, nodded and went on. After looking at the entire list they began to catalog them. Finally near mid-day, Maggie came in with lunch.
"Who took that?" Maggie said seeing her mistress hand a young woman a diaper bag. It caught the hectic scene of the people milling around the embarkation area. Of people bumping into each other and through it all, the young mother was diapering her baby and trying to keep her other children from wandering off.
"Georgia did," Lisa said, handing the young woman a cup of soup. "She's got a great eye."
"She does," Maggie said looking at a few more of the photos, "What are you going to do with these Milady?"
"I don't know," Lisa replied, "I think it's important that we document the evacuation. I feel we have to show our children and grandchildren what we went through to get our people to safety."
"Lady Wilson," Georgia said, "Why don't you send a couple of these to the net services."
"I can't do that," Lisa said. "It wouldn't be right."
"Why not," Georgia asked, "You take as good a picture as any professional news net photographer. Maybe better!"
"Look at this one mistress," Maggie picked up the photo of the father bringing his family some drinks, and refreshments. The picture showed the worry on the father's face, and gratitude of the mother for the father bringing them refreshments. "You got the whole essence of this part of their ordeal. The worry of the father of what is really going to happen when they get to Home is clearly all over his face. And the look on the mother's face; thankful that her man had thought to bring them all something, though he was worried to death about what was going to happen."
"Lady Wilson," Georgia said softly, "Look at this one as the family boarded the landing craft. That last look the mother, and father made onto the world of their birth. One last look. Look at the emotions." Georgia pointed to a holograph, of the father carrying his five year, they were at the top of the loading ramp, he had paused to look one last time at the world of his birth, a single tear silently testifying that this big strong man was anything; but untouched by the emotionally charged events of his departure from Trena. "You say I have the eye of photographer, but these are terrific."
"None of us have ever done this." Lisa said, "I don't recall a single bioperson ever publishing anything under their own name. Their contract holders usually took credit for the work they did."
"That was in the Empire," Georgia retorted, forgetting her place. "We have biopersons here on Trena who are reporters and their work is published all over the kingdom."
"But," Lisa replied, "Never out of the Kingdom!" "Then isn't time someone did," Maggie asked.
"...I've never done it I don't know how to do it!" Lisa said, "As much as I think that we have to document what we are living through, I do this mostly for myself. I don't know is if it is proper for me to do this?"
"Lisa," Francine had walked in towards the end of the conversation, "Georgia's right, there are a lot of biopeople who publish their work all over the kingdom, but few of them ever have had their work published outside of the kingdom. The publishers in the Empire are afraid that if they do, the escapee's owners will make it impossible for the clone to collect her royalty. It is not only proper, but something that you need to do for our people."
That got Francine a dirty look.
"Everyone in this room is our people Francine. I won't play that game. That caused problems back on Earth during the second century Pre Empire. I am not a Trena Bioengineered human. I am first and foremost a mother, a wife, and a citizen of the
Kingdom of Trena. If we published these prints they'll be published under the name Lisa Wilson. Not Lady Wilson, not CD 1984 AOS; but Lisa Wilson!"
"Okay Boss Lady," Francine replied wincing a little at her Lady's rebuke. She understood, "Don't worry about how to publish your photos. You pick the ones you want.
Then we'll talk with Mr. Vornic. He will know how to get them published."
"I still don't know," Lisa remarked, "I don't want to use my position to get them published. If I hadn't insisted on going to port maybe Georgia wouldn't have gotten hurt."
Georgia thought about her lady's statement for a minute before speaking. Then choosing her words carefully, as she was not Lady Wilson's peer, she spoke to her charge, "Yes, you used your position to photograph the activities at the port. And yes, I got shot. But you didn't. You haven't used your position to get special treatment or special privileges. In fact, you try not to be treated other than a mother, or a wife. Sure your name will get those photos looked at before others, but just having celebrity will not get your photos published."
Georgia paused to let what she said to Lady Wilson to sink in. When she was sure Lady Wilson understood what she saying she concluded by saying, "Yes your celebrity will get them in the door, but if they are not good or average they won't be published."
Lisa considered what the younger woman said. Georgia was right if the photos weren't good no amount of celebrity would get them published. She nodded and picked up the camera Georgia had used the day before.
"Georgia," Lisa handed the camera to the young agent, "This one's yours. You have a good eye! It would be a great tragedy should you not develop it. Georgia," She paused for a moment then said, "We all need an outlet. Something that we do just for ourselves. Something that is not job related. For you it may be photography. So take this camera, and have some fun."
"But that's an expensive camera!" Georgia replied. "I can't take that from you."
"Georgia," Lisa said, "I won't force it on you but whenever you want to borrow it, just take it."
Maggie locked eyes with Georgia and slightly nodded her head telling the young woman that it was okay for her to accept the gift.
"Okay Lady Wilson," Georgia replied as she took the camera. It was the one she used the day before. She had really enjoyed taking the photos. Before the evacuation she had been thinking about buying a camera. Now she didn't have to!
"When are you to go back to duty?" Lisa asked, as the young woman took a camera Lisa had first purchased when her daughter Abby had been born.
"In a week," Georgia said, "Mac's already debriefed me, and he's cleared me. There'll be no disciplinary action. By then according to the doctors I should be in good enough shape to take duty."
"Good," Lisa replied, "I want you back."
"I want to be back," Georgia replied. She truly enjoyed her current assignment. There had been a lot of posts in the last few years that she had loathed coming to work to take. The person she was protecting was loathsome, uncouth or just a pain to be around.
One young teenager had taken the opportunity to grab her every time he went by her. She had to sit and take it. She had said something to her supervisor. The supervisor saw the recording the surveillance system had made and later had a conversation with the family. That only made it worse. The father decided to do the same thing. Finally it got too much and Georgia just decked the father and walked out. The protective detail then told the family they were on their own. The supervisor then talked to private duty body guards and showed them the video, and let them make the decision whether to take the contract or not.
The Wilson family was still a little awed about having personal body guards. The marshal accepted it fairly well; but it was hard for him to deal with it at times. He had been a marine for nearly twenty five years. He had made combat drops with the Special Forces. He had walked posts where body armor wasn't just a good idea but a life saver. He had been shot at and sent to the hospital for it. So it hurt his pride a bit to have the agents protecting him. Lady Wilson was having the hardest time adapting. Mostly because she still thought of herself first as a cop's wife, mother, then a clone. The detail truly enjoyed working with Lisa. She had made it a point to know each and every one in her detail. She was beginning to know each and every one of their spouse's names, kids and even pets. A week or so back she had found out that Mac's little girl had broken her arm and had made a point of stopping by Mac's place and checking on the girl. Mac was a single father. Mac's wife leaving him years before, Lisa had heard about it and wanted to make certain the girl was okay. Secretly the detail called her mom.
"Just next time," Lisa said, "Let's do both our jobs without you getting shot!"
"Lady Wilson," Georgia said in a very serious tone of voice, "I will endeavor not to be shot in the future!"
That brought a chuckle to the assembled women.
Jill had come in, in the middle of the conversation and was quiet while the older women had talked. Listening to her mother talk with her staff and how she treated them was an eye opener. Lisa treated them as equals. That was more educational than being told how to handle the staff. She wandered over and looked at photos. She had to admit that her step mother had a good eye for getting the right photograph.
# ###
Cadet Valerie Mitchum, finished reading the chapter. Activating the holos, and photos that were imbedded in the chapter, she hoped that one day she would be as good as Lady Wilson.
"Lady Wilson's photos and holos of the first evacuee was the first Pulitzer Prize ever awarded to a bioperson." General Jones began to wrap the class. "Although many biopeople worked for various news agencies in the empire; none had their work acknowledged by the Pulitzer Committee. Why Lady Wilson's photos were chosen no one knows. Some scholars have suggested that since she was outside the Empire, and the prize awarded months after the evacuation, after the events of that tremendous time were still being resolved."
"Wasn't part of the reason she was awarded the prize," a cadet spoke from the back of the class, "was because of her being a noble lady?"
"That has been speculated for centuries," the general responded, "but the committee's own journals say otherwise."
"Although her pregnancy kept her close to home, she took many photos, holos, and videos of what she experienced during the evacuation. Many of the photos and holos she took have been used to document the evacuation and its aftermath."
"Queen Jill was very proud of her step mother's photos," the princess said, "the diary entries for the period were sparse but she was extremely proud of the fact that her step mother took some of the best pictures she had ever seen. In her diary is a copy of her mother's Pulitzer prize winners and one that has never been published."
The princess brought up the photograph, "I am not certain where this was taken. It might be in the reflection garden of Serenity near the pond. It depicts the marshal, Abby and Jill sitting together at an outdoor table talking. The Queen is holding her step sister."
"It appears to be tranquil," T'harla commented, "We all know that it wasn't."
"The marshal somehow always found time for his girls," The general said remembering the times when she had been patrolling the palace before she was transferred and had seen the Wilson family either walking the grounds or sitting quietly in one of the gardens. She had always admired the marshal for the way he tried to stay connected with his family.
Cadet Mitchum looked at the holos being displayed for the class wondering if she would be nearly as good as her grandmother.
She was still pondering her skill as a photographer when one of the cadets asked, "The pictures that Georgia Lancaster were as good as Lady Wilson. What ever happened to her?"
"A few years after they got to Home," General Jones answered, "Georgia did leave crown service. She had gotten married, and had children of her own. She did become a photographer."
"She became a very well-known photographer," Cadet Mitchum injected. "When she left crown service she and her family wandered Home for decades photographing
Home's natural beauty."
Valerie who had been reading about Georgia Lancaster activated her tablet and displayed a holograph of cliffs that North View, palace had built into. The holograph had been taken from the base of the cliffs looking to the top. The sheerness of the cliffs was quite apparent as they rose from the beach towering over a hundred feet from the beach. It had been taken in winter. The cliffs looked cold and formidable. This was one of her favorites.
The general smiled as she saw the holograph. She remembered that holograph and others.
"Miss Lancaster," the general spoke softly, "was sought out by land owners to photograph their lands. She spent her last years teaching photography. Her class was quite popular."
The end of class bell sounded interrupting the general. She smiled seeing the cadets getting ready to leave. They wouldn't leave until dismissed.
"Class dismissed," she called softly. As she packed up her things she remembered her friend Georgia.
Chapter 13: To Save A Forest.
The entire corps of cadets were in the woods around the academy. Under the supervision of Royal Forest service they were clearing out brush, and other debris that had gathered in the forest. They did this several times a year. In the fall the cadets also felled dead and dying trees. The Crown knew it couldn't "fire proof" the forest; but they knew they could make it harder for a fire to have an easy time of it. Every cadet, and most of academy staff, were out clearing the underbrush away. Although it was done to mitigate against forest fires it was also done to protect the academy that had been constructed in the middle of the forest.
As they worked clearing the debris, Princess Lisa was reminded of the effort her ancestors had taken to prevent the wholesale destruction of Home's forests. Both Queens didn't want the forests on Home impacted any more than needed. There were parts of the forest that had never been visited by people. Some of the trees were thousands of years old. It was habitat for millions of animals that the crown was still trying to catalog. Princess
Lisa thought it ironic that they had killed a forest to save one. It had worked! Much of Home's forests were still untouched to this day. She reflected on this week's class work as she helped to clear brush from the forest floor.
# ###
Jill was sitting with her parents and Aggie in the family room after dinner. The Queen often joined the when she didn't have anything going on. She lived alone, with only her servants as company. Occasionally one of her ministers would dine with her. Before the evacuation she might go out to dinner with either a couple of friends, or an eligible bachelor. Since the evacuation notice, a lot of her friends were scarce, mostly because she would not pull strings to get them evacuated. As for dating she just wasn't interested. Most of her energies were devoted to making the evacuation happen. Opening doors, and soothing rumpled feathers. A day hardly went by that she wasn't meeting some noble who was upset about something she or Michael had or hadn't done. It was unusual for both the Queen, and Marshal Wilson to be finished with their day by the early evening. Often one or the other of them had meeting late into the evening. Agatha loved hanging at the Wilson's. Here she didn't have to be Queen Agatha; she was just Aggie. Michael and Lisa had made her part of their family. Since her parents had died ten years before she really didn't have a family. Lord and Lady Mercer had been her guardians and regents. They had tried; but the elderly couple just took care of her. She never felt as welcomed in their home as she did the Wilson's. She was becoming quite close to Lisa. Tonight she sat with her adopted family sharing the comradery she couldn't find anywhere else.
They were watching a popular holo show about the early founding of Trena. It showed how the queen's ancestors had found the planet and how it had been four hundred years ago. It was lush. The first setters were astonished to find no sentient or pre sentient life. There were no animals small or large that exhibited that they used tools, communicated either verbally, with sign language, or by telepathy. They found no evidence of communal living. The only difference between Home and Trena was that it had never been occupied.
"Much like Home," Jill commented. "I have been impressed on how well you and your family tried to prevent large scale clear cutting on Trena."
"We've always wanted to be ecologically sound," Aggie said, "that is why most of our industry is off world."
"How do we prevent large scale eco damage to Home," Jill asked, "I am not even certain how much authority I have on Home. I mean, it is my world and all; but in allowing it to become a refuge for the people of Trena, I just don't know what I can tell them. I don't know if they will even listen to me!"
"I would think that anything that you wanted, we would have to abide by." Aggie replied, "After all you own the world! Like you, I don't want that planet harmed. Harmed any more than we have to!"
"Aggie," Jill said suddenly, "would I be out of line to meet with General Langtree and Jonesy, to see if they can help us get our people under roof without killing Home's forests?"
"No," Aggie replied, "they should have some ideas."
"What are you two talking about?" her father asked turning from the holo, that was showing an advertisement, to the two young women.
"Is there some way Dad, to not plunder those forests on Home?" Jill asked, "I just don't think we should harm that planet any more than we have to!"
"I agree with her, Michael," Aggie said, "We have to find some way to help our people make a home on Home without tearing up the planet."
"We have been talking about this, Your Majesty," Her father said, "Bob from Boeing space works has designed a container that can be expanded into a shelter. But that is all we have come up with, that and spreading people out so they are not all on top of each other. We are locating towns all over the planet. We're planning to place a major town on each continent. The plan also calls for a midsize town to in the districts to be a district capital, and a scattering of smaller towns and villages in the districts. But even to site them we'll have to clear some of the forests. We can't make an omelet without breaking eggs."
"I know that Dad," Jill replied, "but can that omelet be made with one egg instead of a dozen?"
"That doesn't seem out of line," Aggie chimed in. "Please arrange a meeting between the three of us and general Langtree, and Jonesy. I have an idea that I won't like but it could solve the problem. Oh make sure Lord Mercer is present."
"Yes majesty," her father replied and turned back to the program he was watching. This was the first time in over a week he had been home to spend some time with the family before they were all in bed.
###
The next morning Jill, General Langtree, Marshal Wilson, Princess Carroll, Larry Mercer, and Jonesy, the Boeing Space Works Artificial Intelligence, met in the Queen's office. She didn't waste any time coming to the point of the meeting.
"We can't allow the refugees to trash Home as they try to build settlements." Aggie said, "I know it is not my world and Jill owns it; but we both feel that we have to provide housing on Home without clear cutting the forests. What can we do to build homes on
Home without wrecking the planet?"
"Well we have been building the containers in such a way that they will hold the average family's belongings. They are being designed so that they can be expanded to twice their size. They won't be comfortable; but they'll be warm and secure." Jonesy said, "They are self-contained with solar power and a small fuel cell. We have been producing them for a month now and have about two thousand. A couple of more factories are coming on line and some of the orbital industries will be building them also."
"So your plan is to transport my people's goods to Home and then let them live in the containers until their homes are built." The queen asked.
"That is essentially the plan," Michael commented, "why?"
"Are they going to be secure and safe for people to live in?" Aggie asked.
"They won't be the greatest thing in the world to live in; but they'll be dry, safe and secure." General Langtree spoke up. "They will be ugly and we will need to do something with them when we build homes for people; but they'll do until we get them built." "What are your plans to replace the containers," Jill asked.
"We haven't thought that far ahead," Jill's father answered.
"I see," Aggie took a deep breath and continued, "General Langtree, Jonesy, in about five months or so this world will be destroyed. That we can't help; but we will not destroy Home in the process of saving our people from this disaster. Therefore I am directing you to use whatever it takes to bring housing supplies to Home. I authorize the wholesale harvesting of forests and natural resources from the Planet of Trena! I want you to build prefab homes and such that will be transported from Trena to Home."
"Dad, General Langtree," Jill chimed in, "I want those containers to be removed as quickly as possible. I want them off my planet or to be used in the building of homes, buildings and other facilities."
Princess Carroll looked at the two younger women and then to Jill in particular and said, "Gentlemen I will have a codicil added to the contract in a while. I have to go with the wishes of my ward in this matter."
"Jonesy," Langtree turned to the logistic coordinator, "Well where, do we start?"
"On the other side of the planet where it is still mostly virgin forest," the fortyish appearing artificial intelligence responded, "We'll need to build a saw mill and production line. I have nothing on my ways right now so we could use Boeing."
"Wouldn't it make sense to take one of the attack carriers and turn it into a space going saw mill and factory," General Langtree asked, "Cut the trees down, ship them to the carrier load it to the gunnels with the forest products and launch to it to Home? Have it building the homes in transit. It could be mostly automated."
"General," Michael spoke up, "Jonesy, I see you have the task."
"Aye sir," Langtree replied turning to the AIs holographic image, "Jonesy I will give you Hooper and his sergeant. Will that work?"
"Yes sir," Jonesy replied. "Miss Wilson, Your Majesty I will make this happen!" They nodded as Artificial Sentient disappeared.
"Thank you General," Aggie spoke to the general.
"Your welcomed your majesty," General Langtree answered, "I hate to deforest this world; but it really doesn't matter does it? It does make more sense to destroy Trena's forests to save Home's. I am sorry your majesty. I don't think any us of wanted to harm
Trena any more than we had to."
The young queen nodded in agreement. The general and his people, using school parking lots when the school was being used as a staging are. Shopping center parking lots, as well as abandoned apartment building lots and the container yards at the main and smaller space ports were going to be used to stage loaded containers. Langtree and his people from long pre evacuation experience were trying to not impact Trena any more than they had to.
"I know General." The Queen responded, "I know."
Jill saw the tears on her friends face and gently reach for her hand and squeezed it. She didn't know what to say to the monarch. Every time she turned around it was brought to Aggie's attention that her world was being destroyed. Sometimes it was more than Aggie could handle. Sometimes Jill, who felt overwhelmed by everything that was going on, hated to think how overwhelming it might be for the Queen. "Come on let's get out of here for a while."
Aggie just nodded and left with the young woman who was becoming a friend.
# ###
A few days later Aggie came into the residence mid-morning and sought out Lisa and Jill.
"What are you guys doing today," Aggie asked.
"Nothing much," Jill answered, "This my study at home day. Why?" "How about you, Lisa," the Queen asked the older woman.
"Nothing much," Lisa answered, "Why?"
"I want you two go with me to the North Coast, General Langtree and that Lieutenant Hooper have been working the housing problem on Home. They have been harvesting the forest along North Coast." The Queen replied, "I want to see it."
"Okay," Lisa spoke softly she suspected that the real reason that the Queen wanted Lisa to go with her. She wanted Lisa to photograph the damage being done to her forest.
"I'll grab my camera!"
"Thank you," Aggie returned. She wanted to see the destruction of her forest that she had ordered; but she didn't want to do it alone. She was having a difficult time dealing with everything that was going on. Especially the wanton destruction of her planet. It went against everything she held dear and sacred to her and her family.
"Don't harm the planet," her father had said worriedly every time he had to authorize a road or something else that would impact Trena. He had instilled in her, that it was a sacred trust to preserve Trena for future generations. Although she owned the planet she was really just a care taker. Now she was destroying it. It was gnawing at her soul, which Lady Wilson seemed to get. She was a calming influence on her at times like this. It didn't seem to her that much bothered her Marshal's wife. She had been a great comfort after the bombing incident. She seemed to bounce back after being shot at too. She didn't understand. It had taken her more than a couple of days to get over being almost killed at the convention center. Lady Wilson bounced back by the next day after someone had tried to kill her!
A couple of hours later, they boarded a landing craft. As they flew to the North
Coast. Jill, who had been out of the city only as far as Lady Hawthorne's Estate and the Queen's Summer Residence, a few weeks before, had no idea that Trena was so lush. She remembered her conversation with the IRS captain. He had mentioned a couple of the more spectacular sights on Trena, but not its natural beauty. She had never seen farm land like she was seeing as they over flew the prairies of Trena's main continent. Working in a couple of fields they were flying over, were harvesting machines, big box like vehicles that were taking wide cuts of ripe grain as they trundled over the field. There were long swathes of fields that were golden brown on one side and a darker brown from the stubble left behind by the harvester.
As they approached the coast they began to see an immense forest. The lush forest was like a green carpet. There was little evidence of people having set foot on the lands below them. There were a couple narrow roads through the forest; but there were no wide highways. Where the roads crossed, a village or small town had grown up, the road became a little wider, and quickly shrinking again as it left civilization. In remote parts of the forest there were small homesteads carved out of the forest. The homestead consisting of a few buildings with the forest seemingly ready to take back what been taken from it.
As they got closer to the coast the landing craft swung out over the ocean and came in a few hundred feet above tree top level. The scar was evident from several miles out. It looked like someone had taken a giant bite out of the forest. There wasn't much evidence that there had been a forest along the north coast. Only a few trees that looked as they had been left behind. But that was all as even the tree stumps were gone. As they watched they saw several large tracked vehicles working site over.
The Queen didn't recognized them immediately. They were large bulky low profile vehicles with a large turret. Their turret swinging left to right then right to left. Their main guns firing a laser that acting like a scythe. It was as if the forest was a weed patch the giant needed to get the patch under control. It was then that the Queen realized that the large tracked vehicles were two of her militia's main battle tanks. She had taken a ride in one a few years back, when she was reviewing one of Trena's two armored units. She had been allowed to fire its main weapon and had been impressed by the shear destructiveness of the vehicle. Watching it work now she was torn between being proud her militia owned something like the tanks, and saddened by the shear destructiveness of a device she owned as it took down her forest.
As they continued to circle the clear cutting the tanks ceased their scythe like cutting down of the trees and shut their weapons down. Two tracked vehicles moved into position to harvest the felled. As if by magic the trees were bundled and then floated and stacked in piles four times the height of the stacker that bundled them.
As soon as the stack was several hundred feet long, and forty feet high a landing tug, hovering over a large pile of trees. The landing tug had no cargo bay. It was designed to carry odd shape cargos that couldn't fit into an LC-10, the largest landing craft anyone flew. The Hercules, as it was called, could sling cargo under it, or if the cargo was a collection of containers, by either pulling the containers behind it, or pushing it ahead of it. Its small size belied the fact that it could lift nearly a thousand tons from ground to orbit. Within seconds it had collected all the trees in the pile. The entire pile of trees were picked up. As it hovered in place, adjusting the load, a few the trees fell to the ground.
Once the Hercules had left the area, the large stacker approached where the pile had been and started to make a new pile. Adding whole trees to the pile including the couple of trees that had dropped from the Hercules load. It made no effort to trim branches to make a more compact easier to handle load. Soon it had a new pile of trees where the previous pile had been. There were several such piles spotted along the ground. They could several landing tugs staging to pick up the piles of trees.
"Do you want to land and see it from the ground," Jill asked and got a horrified look from the Queen. Jill caught the subtle shake of her mother's head and asked, "Want to see where this stuff is going?"
The Queen nodded and excused herself. Lisa gave her cameras to Georgia and went to the Queen. The Queen was sitting in the rear most seat, crying into her hands. Lisa held her until they began to approach the orbiting factory ship. Brushing the tears out of her eyes she walked to the ramp where a force field held the atmosphere of the executive space air mission in so they could look out the still open hatch.
"That's not an Attack Carrier," Lisa commented as she snapped a few pictures.
"No, it's one of the orbital factories," Aggie replied, "It was lying idle. From what Jonesy said it was only a matter turning it on. I guess it will chew up the trees and put out a composite product."
As they watched a landing tug released its load of trees. They sailed into the open maul of the factory. Soon another replaced it and they could see that there were several landing tugs lining up to deliver their loads.
The landing craft turned so as to make its docking. When it was docked they were met by a young lieutenant in the militia. Jill remembered him as the young lieutenant whose office her father had first met her in. With him was middle aged woman wearing the insignia of a Master Sergeant. They both stood at attention until Aggie acknowledged them.
"Welcome aboard Majesty," the young officer greeted them, "Lady Wilson, Miss
Wilson."
"Thank you," The Queen returned the greeting, "You guys worked fast." "Well the General was planning on using this beast to make some of the containers. At least the interior fittings," the lieutenant replied, "We were going to recycle some of the cars left behind, Thought that was a win-win proposition. The Marshal is concerned about all the vehicles left behind. We thought this might solve some issues."
"So my order to cut the trees down was not needed," Aggie asked.
"May I, your majesty," Sergeant Erickson asked, seeing the young woman's distress. The Queen nodded.
"Majesty we are recycling everything we can from Trena. But we're in the early stages of the evacuation and there isn't that much stuff available." The sergeant began, "So we don't have enough raw materials to do what we need. We will be using materials from the asteroids as well; but the wood products will be used for trim pieces, and nailers. We need the wood products to build the prefab."
"We really need the wood products Majesty," Lieutenant Hooper chimed in, "not just for trim but for siding and such. We could use artificial materials and we will; but we also thought that using the wood from Trena would be fast and furious. Especially, since we don't have to be ecologically friendly to the planet." Jill noticed the sergeant gently kicking the back of lieutenant's leg. "I don't like what we are doing your majesty; but it will help our people."
"I know," Aggie replied.
"Let's go to the output end," the lieutenant suggested. They trooped to the other end of the factory. As they trooped through the immense factory they watched homes being built. It was an automated process with robots doing most of the work. They saw homes assembled from raw materials. There seemed to be a hundred or so homes being built at one time.
The lieutenant escorted them into one of the finished single family homes.
"This is a house for eight people." He showed them into the house, "It is all prefab. Our average family size is eight so we are building modules in multiples of eight. We won't be able to cut the house down to four people so everyone will get a house that can comfortably house eight. Everything is being made from either the asteroids or forests."
Jill saw the hard wood floors, and plastic walls. The windows were all cased in wood. The lieutenant continued getting Jill's attention, "the walls are filled with blown in insulation made from the wood we are bringing up. All of the systems are being prefab piping, heating, and communication. Some of the people are bringing their expert systems so they will be able to be plugged right in to the home's network. We're trying to make it a turnkey system.
"It takes about ten hours for the raw materials to be converted into a home. We will have about four of these factories soon in orbit. We are putting a couple of them in a couple of attack carriers. They will be star capable factories then. We hope that we can build all the houses we need within the time we have. Currently we're producing a hundred a day. We could go faster; but we disassemble them step by step to make sure nothing is damaged as we packaged them for shipping."
The lieutenant walked them over to where a home was being packaged. First the roof was carefully disassembled, followed by the interior walls and fixtures, then the exterior walls. "We wrap each section in this though plastic" he held a sample of opaque plastic, "which can be used for other things. If you notice the plastic has the assembly instructions for the section it is wrapped around. This way if the plan is lost the refugee will still have a reference to assemble each section.
"Before we wrap the pallet," the sergeant opened a large crate, "we put this crate on it." They looked in the crate and saw boxes of fasteners, tools, several hard hats, and two envelops. "This crate has everything needed to reassemble the house. Each envelops contains one complete copy of the assembly instructions."
The Queen was very impressed she turned to the lieutenant, "I am very impressed
Lieutenant Hooper. Pease keep up the very good work."
"Thank you ma'am," The lieutenant replied, the party left then as they did Jill thought she heard the sergeant scolding the lieutenant about his manners. Jill asked for and got a photo of the damage the clear cutting was doing to Trena. She placed it in her diary.
# ###
"Lady Wilson," the general finished the class, "as we discussed last week, received the Pulitzer prize for her photos." Projected behind the general was the picture of the father with his son in his arms, and the tear running down his face. The other photo was the scene of the clear cut operation along the north coast. "These two pictures, the first showing the emotional toll of the evacuation, and this one showing the harvesting of Trena's North Coast won her the Pulitzer prize.
"The clear cutting of Trena North Coast Forrest," the general continued, "was done to save the forests of Home. We have worked earnestly to preserve Home's natural resources, That is why we have built underground and used and still use environmentally friendly building techniques."
"Such as North View," Princess Lisa remarked. The palace had been built into the side of a cliff overlooking the Northern Ocean.
# Chapter 14: The Admiral's Arrival
"The Admiral," General Jones began, "surprised everyone when she showed up. The Marshal and Lady Wilson had no idea that the Admiral was coming to Trena. What surprised everyone was that she was even able to get into Trena Space to begin with! No one was permitted to enter the Kingdom unless they were a ship or a resource that was going to be used by the Marshal's team. A couple of large transports and carriers were coming in but any ship not requested by the Crown or the Marshal or a diplomatic vessels were not permitted to enter the kingdom.
"To this day we don't know how the Traveling Lady got to the inner marker." The general commented. "But somehow she did."
# ###
"Trena Control," the elderly voice said over the com system, "Traveling Lady is with you requesting clearance to Trena."
"Traveling Lady this is Trena Control we have you in bound at the inner marker." The AI called, "please confirm that you are a private vessel of two thousand tons. You have a crew of eight out of Mars and registered as a Martian vessel."
"That is confirmed." The voice replied, "Please tell the authorities that the owner is aboard."
"Roger that. The owner is on board," the AI reported, "Traveling Lady you're cleared to Trena McKay. Expect parking orbit about McKay at 0332 Trena Time
Coordinated. Time Hack is now 2152 TTC."
"Roger. Cleared to Trena McKay. Expect parking orbit at 0332 TTC and it is now 2153 hours TTC" The elderly voice replied.
# ###
"Francine," there was a knock on her door, she looked at the clock and saw that it was almost five am. She shrugged and rolled over and said "enter."
"Francine," Georgia slipped into her room. That got Francine's full attention. Georgia never sought Francine out when Lady Wilson didn't need her. "Admiral Wilson's
is about to clear customs at the port. I am sending a limo to pick her up." "Have you told Lady Wilson?" Francine asked.
"No," Georgia said and Francine wondered why, "And before you ask, one of the port cops gave me a personal heads up. From listening to Lady Wilson, I get the feeling
they were close, I thought it wouldn't be out of line to surprise her."
Francine nodded stepped out of bed and quickly dressed. "I'll go get her."
As she went to the port she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Later she knew she would do it again given the choice. The look on her mistress' face when she saw Joyce Wilson was just too precious to ever forget.
"Admiral," Francine introduced herself to the Marshal's mother. She was waiting in the VIP lounge where the customs officers asked her to wait for someone from Serenity to pick her up, "I am Francine. I work for your son's family."
"Did they send you to pick me up?" The admiral asked.
"No ma'am," Francine and quickly told her what was going on.
"She'll kill us both!" Joyce said, "But it's too good to not do!"
Francine took an immediate liking to the admiral. They loaded into the limo and went to the palace. She knew she had a small window of opportunity before the Marshal would be out of bed for his morning coffee. The Marshal would sometimes spend part of his morning working in the residence unless he had a staff meeting or an event outside of the palace. Lisa was also an early riser. Sometimes taking the girls down to the pool for an early morning swim, and occasionally taking a long morning walk before she got her own breakfast. She had called ahead to have Georgia waiting for them at the vehicle entrance to the palace. Georgia personally escorted the pair of them through palace security and to the Marshal's residence. Maggie was just finishing making the first pot of coffee for the house.
"Francine?" Maggie asked as Admiral Wilson was escorted into her kitchen.
"Maggie, this is Admiral Wilson, the Marshal's mother," Francine replied.
"Welcome to this home Admiral," the housekeeper replied. Joyce was impressed. The housekeeper, majordomo, was fully dressed, and immaculately groomed. Much like the senior chiefs and NCOs she had dealt with in her career. She also carried herself with the same air that those men and women had too.
"Hello Maggie," Joyce said. "May I intrude into your kitchen for a while?"
"Yes Ma'am." The housekeeper said, "I take it the Marshal and Lady Wilson don't know you're here?"
Joyce shook her head as Maggie raised an eyebrow. She turned to Georgia, "Get your camera young woman. Lady Wilson is going to want pictures of this! I'll go get her." Joyce poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table.
# ###
"Lady Wilson," Maggie quietly entered the master bedroom. She had known that the marshal was up and moving before she started the coffee. The AI gave her a status report as she woke every morning of where everyone was in the residence, "Can you step into the kitchen for a second."
"Now," Lisa asked she was entertaining found thoughts of joining Michael in his shower.
"Yes ma'am it's very important." Maggie said, "Francine has brought something home you have to see and she says it can't wait." Maggie would never lie to any of her principles, but that didn't mean she would tell the unvarnished truth either.
"Okay," Lisa said, so much for a morning romp she thought. She got up and put on a robe and followed her housekeeper out to the kitchen.
"Hey Lisa," Joyce said as the biowoman walked into the kitchen, "I don't suppose you can tell me where I can get another cup of coffee in this joint do you?"
"Joy...."Lisa was speechless as she nearly ran to the older woman. Georgia quietly slipped into the kitchen and was taking photos as Joyce fiercely hugged the lady that had given her life back to her.
"Joyce I am so sorry," Lisa said, "I heard about the Colonel's death on Holly, where they sent me after you left. I did get the bastard who claimed responsibility."
Joyce held her at arm's length trying to comprehend what her daughter in law was saying. As she said it Lisa remembered how she became involved with the Wilson family. She remembered the distraught, marine colonel who had interviewed her. The Colonel's wife had suffered a hideous combat injury on their wedding day. It was a couple of months after the injury, and the colonel had been persuaded by his son on the advice of the Space Station's Chief Surgeon that they look her up. The chief surgeon, Michelle Klond, then a lieutenant commander, had seen her work and thought Lisa could do wonders for Joyce. But Colonel Wilson was not happy about hiring her contract. He didn't want to have an indentured servant in his home. It wasn't just the morality of having an indentured servant in home; he couldn't afford to have one in his home. It became moot as the Interstellar Rescue Service covered the expense of Lisa's contract.
So Lisa went to live with the Wilson's. The Colonel had made Lisa welcome in the apartment that he and his family shared in the better part of the space station's housing. Mike's father never treated her like a servant, more like a daughter, or niece. She worked every day with Joyce helping her mend her arm and her soul. Her soul had taken a severe hit. Flying was in Joyce's blood. If she couldn't fly then there was nothing else she was willing to do. Lisa didn't know who was happier when Joyce got her flying papers back Joyce or herself. Joyce had been her toughest patient to date. Somewhere along the way, she had fallen in love with the whole family. Colonel Wilson she would never forget, he was a quiet man often observing and sometimes you would think he wasn't paying attention to what was going on only to repeat exactly what you had said word for word. He was the best of the best in the Marine Corps SpecWar who had become a member of the Black Guard. She remembered the last time she had seen him, and the woman she was hugging.
"Lisa," he had said, "The apartment's yours to use for as long as you want it. We own it. We should be back by the end of the year. I want to thank you for all that you have done for us."
"Your welcomed Colonel," Lisa had said, not telling him that she had gotten word that the company had pulled her contract and that she had to go to Holly where they wanted her for production. Up until her and Mike's reunion five years ago, it had been the happiest time in her life. It would be months later when the company found that she couldn't be placed in production, (They had of course forgot that she could control her menstrual cycle at will,) she had been assigned to a containment team. She was sitting in the squad lounge when one of her team described in great detail what he had done to a marine colonel who had been captured on a company base. Including the grisly details of cutting his head off and sending it back to his widow. As she heard this she made up her mind that she was not going to be team medic for these animals. The one or two missions she had been on with them already had shown her that this company team was nothing but murders. This was her second team and it was so different from the first one that she was having trouble dealing with it. A few nights later she escaped from the company. As she did she executed the man who had murdered the quiet gentle marine who had given her a place in his family. She had killed him in the bed he had taken her to. On a whim she left a note on his chest, "Never kill a marine, their family and friends will always honor their passing and if given the opportunity render justice." Later as if the note was prophecy every one of the containment team had been killed. All of them except for Hozenbur.
Joyce looked the younger woman in the eye and knew it was true. She had never told her step son, but she knew more about Lisa's activities while she had been on the run than she let on about. Lisa had been an item of interest on many intelligence summaries. She knew that the gentle caring healer who had mended her so many years before could and had render justice on more than one occasion. "Thank you!"
Maggie, Francine, and Georgia looked at their mistress with new respect. Francine had known a great deal about Lisa's exploits while she was on the run. Georgia and Maggie did not. Francine who had never been black understood what it was that Lisa had just said to Joyce.
"Let me take a look at you," Joyce said holding the younger woman at arm's length not wanting to discuss what Lisa had done. She noticed a slight bulge that some of her friends had in the past and jumped to a conclusion, "You're pregnant!" "About three months," Lisa said.
"Boy or Girl?" Joyce asked. Lisa looked fit and healthy. It had been years since she had seen her; but the years had been kind to her. She bore no scares of her ordeals on the run. At least none that were visible.
"One of each," Lisa said.
"What did Michael say to that?" Joyce asked.
"He doesn't know," Lisa said.
"I want to see his face when you tell him." Joyce as she was mugged from behind.
"Grandma," Jill had come into the kitchen. Francine had forgotten that Jill had the same habits of her father and step mother, an early riser.
"So you got here huh?" She was still angry at her granddaughter. She wanted to have an intense counseling session with the youngster. The girl had scared her to death. She knew that Jill was on her way to Trena; but until Michael had sent word to tell her that Jill had arrived safely she had been worried to death. "I thought we had discussed not coming to Trena."
The youngster didn't say a word. She knew better. If there was anything she had learned from her grandmother; it was better to just keep quiet and let her vent. If she tried to interrupt; tried to state her case before her grandmother was ready to hear it, it would only make things worse.
Lisa was about to say something; but decided to keep quiet. She wanted to see how Joyce was going to handle it and to see if Jill was going to be a problem. She was still trying to learn how Jill reacted to things. What she had seen so far had made her respect how Joyce had raised her step daughter!
"I should ground you for the rest of your young life!" Joyce said, "I should do a lot of things to explain how stupid you were. But I trust that your father and Lisa have done a better job than I could, and most likely have. The only thing I am going to say is: that the next time you pull that stunt, you best be on your way to join the marines, or to get married, because the next time, if there is next time you best will your soul to your gods because everything else belongs to me!" She hugged Jill and said simply, "You scared the crap out of me! Please don't do it again."
"Welcome to Trena Grandma," Jill said, "I will never do that again. I thought we weren't coming to Trena?"
Joyce chuckled a bit, and said "Well I got lonely on Mars!"
"All right folks," Lisa said finally, "we need to get breakfast going. Maggie what do you want me to do?"
"Set the table," Maggie replied, "I can take care of this, you folks get out of here and let me get things done."
The women filed out of the kitchen. Francine came back into the kitchen and asked, "What do you need me to do Maggie. I know you and Lisa usually do this so with the extra..."
"Start making juice, and let's put out some more fresh fruit." Maggie answered. Although she really didn't need the help, it was appreciated. She wanted for some reason to show the admiral that her family was well cared for.
They had just set breakfast out on the table in the dining room, when Michael joined them. He didn't see Joyce at first. He had barely noticed that there was one additional person at the table. It wasn't unusual for one of protective detail, Aggie, or some other member of his staff to join them for breakfast. Joyce was sitting with her back to the door. She had chosen that seat with care. She didn't want her step son to see her until he sat down.
"Why are we here and not in the breakfast room?" Mike asked without looking up from his printout. It was the morning brief that was delivered to him every morning. It was given to his aide who made sure it was sitting next to the uniform that his steward laid out for him every morning.
"Oh Mom thought it might be a good idea to eat here this morning," Jill spoke up as she poured a cup of coffee for her father trying to keep a straight face.
"Oh?" Michael said absently taking the coffee and sitting down. Still immersed in his daily brief, Wilson didn't notice Liz, his enter the dining room and sat down next to her boss. Often they worked in the study until they left for his palace office. Lisa had insisted that she join them for breakfast when they worked in the residence.
"Hello," She saw the strange woman sitting at the end of the table and introduced herself to the woman, "I am Liz Tannerman!"
"I am Rear Admiral Joyce Wilson of the Interstellar Rescue Service," Joyce introduced herself to Liz.
At that Wilson dropped his coffee cup splashing coffee all over his uniform, as he turned to his mother, "Mom?"
"Hi Mike," Joyce smiled enjoying her step son's reaction.
"Welcome to Trena," Wilson said, as Liz quietly left the table to get her boss a clean uniform shirt from his steward. "I didn't know that you were coming to Trena."
"I got bored on Mars and thought I would come out here." Joyce said, "Thought you could use another light space craft skipper."
"I sure can," Michael said, "but it would be a waste to use you in that regard." "Why a waste," Joyce asked, sipping her coffee.
"You would find it boring to be just an LC jockey," Mike said.
"Then what can a retired Admiral do for you," Joyce asked.
"How would you like to be Jill's representative on Home?" Mike asked. "We need to have someone on Home to look after our interests, and to begin building our place there." "Getting rid of me already huh?" Joyce said with a smile.
"No," Lisa said, "God I wanted to come to you for years Joyce. I just didn't want to put you in danger. But we do need someone to go to Home. Someone who can be our representative there! Someone to answer any questions the people arriving on Home might have and to supervise the building of our home. No, we're not getting rid of you." "When do I leave?" Joyce asked.
"Oh in a month or so," Mike said. "I need to get a few people to go with you. This saves us from having to hire some lawyer to do the job." "You'll do that?" Lisa asked.
"Look I am either a pilot, or CSAG." Joyce said, "I was getting bored on Mars with no teenager to run after, and truthfully I wasn't designed to be a retired grandmother with more leisure time than I know what to do with!"
"Okay!" Michael said. Looking at his seventy year old step mother he couldn't imagine her retiring to a rocking chair yet either.
A few minutes later Admiral Wilson saw the woman who had asked her who she was, brought her son a shirt. Joyce shook her head. She had never understood how he did it. It wasn't that he was having sex with all the women around him, on the contrary he didn't. It just seemed his aura attracted very beautiful women who were very good at their jobs. She had seen it when he was in the marines. Some things never changed.
"Marshal," the young woman said looking up from her pad, "I can rearrange your morning meeting with Boeing Space Works, but the Queen's briefing has been reschedule twice in the last 24 hours. If it's going to happen it has got to happen this morning. And in about twenty minutes!"
"Okay," Mike said, "Mom, Lisa I will see you at dinner. Mom if you don't want to be our site supervisor it'll be okay, we'll make it happen." He drank his coffee leaving it on the buffet by the door as he walked out the door.
"Hey get some breakfast somewhere huh?" Lisa called after her rapidly departing husband. As he waved in acknowledgment Liz locked eyes with her and said, "I'll see that he gets something Lady Wilson."
Joyce seeing the look in her daughter in law's face remarked, "That one will take care of him."
"Liz?" Lisa asked, "Yes she might sit on him long enough to get a donut down him! I just worry about him. This job is going to kill him if he doesn't slow down. He needs to take a couple of days off. Period!"
"Lisa," Jill said, "Why not a weekend at Lady Hawthorne's. She invited all of us, and Dad does like her place. Even with all the people running about it!"
"Uh Lady Wilson," Maggie commented, "We could move everyone off to the summer palace."
"But he's still got to deal with all of his day to day duties." Lisa remarked.
"That's true my lady," Georgia commented, "But the atmosphere at the summer palace is more relaxed. If you remember we bring only the personal staff, and the principle advisors. Not all of them. They can be ferried out if needed." "How do we make the suggestion," Lisa asked.
"Let me speak with the Queen's maid," Maggie started, "We've always been able to..."
Joyce chuckled interrupting Maggie, "Just what I always suspected of my aids. I was just an instrument for their needs."
"Admiral," Francine looked the admiral in the eye with a dead serious tone in her voice, "I am afraid now we'll have to kill you. We were supposed to take that secret to our graves. Right girls?"
"We'll I don't know," Maggie said thoughtfully, "It's a fairly severe offense being busted; but do you think she would let us get away with it?" Maggie nodded towards Lisa.
"Not likely," Georgia remarked, "Besides she's now part of the official family and I might have to err uh take professional interest if you try to close her file."
"There is that." Francine nodded, "Oh well I guess we have to swear her to secrecy and let her join the greatest conspiracy of all." "That being?" a bemused Joyce asked.
"The care and raising of the royal family naturally," Francine commented.
"So now that you are going to let us all live may I see my newest granddaughter?" Joyce asked.
"This way mom," Lisa said chuckling leading her mother in law out of the dining room.
# ###
It was late at night and the Princess should have been in bed. Instead she was sitting in the day room so as not to disturb her room mates as she read some more of her great grandmother's diary. They hadn't complained but the Princess felt that she shouldn't stay up late when the others were trying to sleep. So she left the dorm room and went to the day room. She had found out that late at night the CQ watch, the cadets on duty as guards and such in the dorm, would not bother any cadets as long as they were quiet and not disturbing any one. She poured herself a cup of tea from the dispenser that was always there, and sat down with the diary.
"Grand mom looks good," the princess read while idly stirring her tea, "When I first saw her in the kitchen I didn't know what to think. I was happy to see her and frightened also. I knew she had to be mad at me. She had answered none of my letters, so I was certain that she was mad me. Yet when I saw her she frosted over for a minute or so; then seemed to get over it.
"I talked with her over what Dad and General Alphine has been telling me." The princess took a sip of the tea. "She told me all of it and when I asked if she knew Dad was here all along, she simply said yes.
"I was mad at her for most of the day after she told me." The Princess chuckled, thinking she would be mad if her mother or grandmother would hide her dad's location from her, "But the next day when grand mom had a chance to talk to me she explained why she had done what she did. I still didn't like it but; after Mom's near assassination I am beginning to understand why things were done. I still don't like it; but I understand."
"Raw meat!" the charge quarters on his rounds had found her. "You are out of bounds."
"Yes sir!" the Princess snapped to her feet.
"Why?" the cadet asked.
"I was studying sir," the first year cadet answered.
"Cadet Wilson," the CQ said; it was the same senior classman who busted her a few weeks before for being late to class, "You are going to have to find a better way to manage your time. If you don't you won't make it. What are you studying?" "I am reading Queen Jill's diaries," the princess said.
"I've heard of your project," the CQ said, "Sit back down Princess."
The Princess sat down, surprised that the cadet didn't ask for her butcher bill as the CQ sat down also, "the Queen is a hero of mine. What she did impressed the hell out of me."
"She is impressive." The Princess replied. On impulse she began reading aloud the next passage aloud.
"I had not realized how close grand mom and Lisa had been years before. They didn't waste any time in filling each other in on what they had been up to." The princess read, "They are very close! It was as if the years that had passed since they had last seen each other had not happened at all."
She read to the small hours of the morning until the CQ was changed then went onto bed.
# Chapter 15: Damn Break
"We were starting to have problems with the Theocracy," the general began the class, "we knew the theocracy had managed to infiltrate one of teams to cause problems. To this day we do not know how the rest of Father Pierce's team arrived on Trena. Father Pierce came through customs with a diplomatic pass port, aid by a traitor to the crown. The Theocracy believed that because of how our people lived we were getting our just deserts.
"The action teams sometimes known as Penitence Priests were used by the Theocracy to punish its governmental officials and its own citizens and were used to convince unfriendly governments to see things their way." The general continued, "We were certain at the time that the traitorous AI that I was hunting was not in league with the Theocracy they don't like technology.
"The way we used technology, the way we allowed anyone to live on Trena, the way we define families, with multiple spouses. Then our acceptance of the biopeople, and of course AIs and humbots like me made us, in the eyes of the pious religious people and rulers of the Theocracy the most evil and vile people in the universe. Because of that they felt that the disaster was our punishment from God." The general said with a bit of venom in her voice. "There had been the bombing at the convention center, and minor incidents at a couple of the embarkation sites. A couple times a week one of the landing craft was shot at or there was some problem at the Evac Command's special sites. We thought they were unrelated until the very end. Then we recovered a body that had the entire story of what the Theocracy was doing but that's getting ahead of the story."
###
Jill was getting ready for school when the holo set came to life. She had programmed its expert system to come to life if there was any breaking news. She had just come from the shower and was brushing her hair when it came on. She watched in horror as she saw the damage that a dam break had caused.
"Oh my," Jill said. The town of Galloway was destroyed. It looked like someone had dropped a big bundle of tooth picks in the bend of the river. But what really got her attention was when she saw the barge being moved across the city of Trenaport. It was an immense barge with several cranes on it. They had tied it to a couple of landing tugs. The tugs moved the barge over the city of Trenaport lying the barge gently down in the river by the remains of Galloway. She watched as the holo showed the arrival of the Red Cross to the scene of the disaster. It was terrible. She wondered if there was anything she could do. She put her robe on and went to find her mother.
"I see it Mylea," Jill heard her mother talking to her aunt on the com, "Is there anything we can do."
"No Lisa," she heard her adopted aunt say, "The Red Cross has everything well in hand. They have shelters up and running or will have soon."
"We'll be under foot." Her step mother replied. She desperately wanted to help. She didn't want to stay locked up behind the palace walls when there were people hurting. "Our security detail won't let us do what we have to do."
"Lisa there isn't anything you can do at the site." Mylea was saying, "And your detail and you will be in the way at the evacuation hospital or shelters. They don't need a VIP visit. But maybe you and Lady Hawthorne can come up with the things those people will need. The TRC will provide food clothing and medical needs. But these people lost everything. We will need to make sure they have what they need to start life over on Home, or anyplace they are going to end up."
"I think we can make that happen," Lisa said. Her friend knew how she felt and had just the right solution.
"Is it alright if Lamile goes to Lady Hawthorne's with you?" Mylea asked.
"I don't see why not." Lisa replied. Her step mother looked directly at Jill then needling her step daughter a bit "She can help keep Jill out of trouble."
"And Jill can keep Lam out of trouble too!" Mylea said looking at her own daughter who stuck her tongue out at her. "She'll be over in a bit."
After Lamile arrived they piled in the car and went to East Wind, the estate of Lady Hawthorne. Stretched out on both sides of the drive were containers, and portable offices. She didn't know how Lady Hawthorne did it but she seemed to be able to reach out and touch someone to get what she wanted. As they approached the manner house a young woman not quite thirty flagged them down. The noble woman was a little shorter than Jill and appeared to be a little over weight. Seeing that Jill remembered that the noble woman had had a baby right before the evacuation was announced.
"Hi Lisa," the noble woman dressed in casual clothes asked, "Ready to go to work?"
"I guess so," Lisa answered. "What are we doing?"
"We have these lists of things," Delores said, "that the crown and others say that the people in Galloway will need, since their town was destroyed. The crown list isn't too bad. But you can see that a couple of lobbyists are dumping stuff on us. We need to sort it out. Also I need to get a relief supply center set up so we can distribute the stuff to them.
So there's plenty of work to keep you busy."
"That's what I want to do." Lisa said, "I want to be useful. Not just stuck in palace and watching things."
"I know Lisa," Lady Hawthorne said. She and Chief Atomi had discussed how Lisa was getting cabin fever. Lisa had been active in her neighborhood before being moved to the palace. She wasn't the neighborhood busy body, but several of the stay at home parents would bring their kids over to her place so they could play with Abby while they shot the breeze with Lisa. Also Lisa would sometimes at the request of various doctors go to people's homes or hospital rooms to assist in their physical therapy. Since going to the palace in an effort to keep her safe she had become isolated, especially after the incident at the space port. When she did get out it was with a full protective detail. Mylea had seen it immediately and Delores had seen it a bit later. "Come this way."
The rest of the day was a blur for Jill. After her step mother went with Lady Hawthorne, one of the older woman came up to her and Lamile, and asked, "You two, doing anything?"
"No why?" Jill asked.
"Come this way," the older woman said leading them to one of the immense barns on the estate. It had at one time been an indoor horse paddock. It wasn't being used now as Lady Hawthorne had gotten rid of her missing husband's horses when he had abandoned the family a few days after the evacuation notice.
"In a little while," the woman said, "we are going to open the west gates. We're going to let people bring stuff in for the people of Galloway. When they come in we need to unload their stuff as fast as possible. We'll pull them in, park them and try to get their vehicle unloaded and out of here as quickly as we can." "So what do you want us to do?" Lamile asked.
"Just help where you are needed. We have a lot of people and we may get in each other's way. So try to stay out of people's way, but don't be shy about getting in and helping."
"Your Grace," Someone called, and Lamile realized it was the duchess of Costal Lowlands who was telling them what she needed done. The noble woman turned to see an older man who was standing by the main doors of the barn. "Here they come!"
From that point on the two girls were busy. The long lines of cars started coming in. The people brought all manner of things. From baby cribs, to clothing, even toys. Some were in truck loads. Jill couldn't believe it. In some of the worse junkiest looking cars the people handed her large denomination crowns, but in some of the swankiest looking cars the people gave her the worse junk, or some of the smallest donations she got of the day. One car that looked to be on its last legs and had stalled in the barn and had to have a couple of the men to push it out of the way while they worked on it, each of the ten kids who piled out of it gave her a ten crown note, and the father who was in faded dungarees had to have help pulling a jar that stood waist high out of the back. The jar was loaded with coins of all denominations. When Jill tried to refuse the donation, thinking that his family needed it more than they did, the man in his late thirties simply said, "Those people need it more than we do. We'll get by."
The next car was that of a well-dressed woman, with rings on every finger, gave her a ten crown note, and the clothing that was taken out of the back of her car, was going to have to go into the rag bin. That wasn't the only one that Jill remembered. They looked up and saw a freight hauler come in to the barn. It was from a local furniture dealer. The owner was on one of the next lifts to Home, and the crown was severely restricting how much of his inventory he could take. He said that it made more sense to let the people of Galloway have it instead of looters.
About lunchtime, a bioman with a girl about her age came into the barn. As they unloaded the car Jill recognized the girl with him. It was the same girl who had been at the restaurant where the biowoman had been killed. Jill walked over the car to help unload it. It was mostly woman's things. As she helped she noticed that the girl had tears in her eyes. "Are you okay?" Jill asked the girl.
"Yes," Mitch responded "It's just that all of this stuff used to belong to a friend of mine who was killed a few weeks back. This is the last of Lottie's things. She would be happy that people will be able to use her stuff."
"Is this the lady who was killed by the closer?" Jill asked.
The girl nodded.
"I am sorry that happened," Jill continued, "Dad is trying to find the rest of them and bring them to justice."
The girl nodded as Jill helped her to remove a large suitcase from the trunk of the car. Jill's heart went out to the girl. She wanted to do something for her but didn't know what she could do or what would be appropriate.
As Mitch rode with Lanny, a friend of Gaylord's and Lottie's, out of the immense barn she realized the girl who had helped her was the girl who had given the people of Trena, Home. It surprised her that the girl would be helping to unload the cars of people bringing donations for the people of Galloway.
Lisa joined them after a while and worked with them taking the donations of the people of Trenaport for the victims of the disaster. Lisa her camera never far from hand took several photos. They heard more than once, that they hoped they got the men who did this horrible thing. Towards evening, a car came for Lisa. Jill learned that her step mother was to be part of a ceremony at the palace that the Queen was holding to inform the Bishop of Trenaport, the ambassador from the Theocracy, that he was persona non gratis.
Towards the end of the week Jill made a conference call to the Princess and her grandmother who was spending the day with her old academy roommate.
"Grand mom, General when would it be convenient to talk to you about something I want to do," Jill asked when the Princess was on the phone.
"Now's okay with me," her grandmother replied.
"Me too!" The general asked. "What do you want to do?"
"We are getting donations of everything except baby clothing. I want to buy about a thousand crowns worth of baby clothing and make it available to the people of Galloway."
Jill answered. "Can I do that?"
"We may have trouble finding it," Princess Carroll replied, "But you find it and I'll see that it gets paid for."
"General," Aggie had stopped by East Wind to talk with Lady Hawthorne, and had walked in on Jill, "Can you hear me."
"Yes your majesty," The princess said.
"I'll match whatever Jill spends for the people of Galloway," Agatha said. "So let me know what ends up being spent on this project."
"Will do," The princess said. This was the first time Jill had asked her to give her more money. She had been afraid of the battle she was going to have with the young woman. Afraid that they would end up arguing over something that was trivial and expensive! Instead she had asked to spend money in a direction she didn't think she would. She would have no problem releasing the money for the girl's project. "You okay with that Joyce?
"Absolutely," the girl's grandmother responded.
When it was all said and done they had more than enough baby clothing for every infant and small child in Galloway. Later they would have trouble finding clothing for other children.
# ###
"That damn break ended the Theocracy's diplomatic mission to Trena," The general began to wrap up her class for the day, "The Queen brought all the noble women, General Alphine, the queen's mother, Chief Atomi, and nearly a hundred senior women from the government and diplomatic row to the throne room. I saw a holo later of the ambassador being escorted into the monarch's presence. He was thoroughly searched. When he was done being frisked by two women of the Queen's Own Guard he was escorted to the throne room by the women, he was walked through a gauntlet of more women, thonians, humans, and biowomen from all the services. As he approached each position where the women were standing their posts, they powered their weapon on and did an about face. In the throne room the Queen revoked his diplomatic visa to Trena and ordered him off world. He left in a garbage scow."
"We still had some incidents." the general concluded, "There were still one or two action teams on Trena; but after the Theocracy's embassy was closed they were uncoordinated. We had some problems at the very end or near the end. Some incidents were fairly serious."
"Grand mom doesn't mention stuff like that in her diary. Though from other reading I have done there were riots in a couple of the outlying towns when food began to be tight." Princess Lisa said, "But there wasn't any mention of it in grand mom's diary."
"No there isn't," The general commented, "Though over the next few chapters you will see why."
"How are you doing on your papers?" the general asked. "Everyone got a title or theme?"
Everyone nodded. She was more than curious as to what the cadets were working on. No one had run a title or a theme by her. The school mistress had not mentioned anything to her. She was a good friend from the very first days of the academy. If there was a problem, the school mistress would tell her. School Mistress was the heart and soul of the academy.
"Okay then I'll see you next week," Alice finished the class.
# Chapter 16: Children
"Good morning," School Mistress, the artificial intelligence, that had been around longer than there had been an academy materialized in front the Princess. She had fallen asleep in the day room, "I think you might want to get to your dorm before the morning watch finds you."
"Thank you," The princess picked up her pad and books and started for the stairs that led to her dorm room. The School Mistress presented herself as a middle aged woman, with old fashion half reading glasses, and dressed conservatively. In all her time at the two academies she never appeared to be in a uniform.
"How is your reading going Princess," the AI appeared to walk with her to her room. The School Mistress was everywhere around the school as part of the school's computer system. While the diaries were not a state secret or classified document not everyone knew they existed. The school mistress had read them herself after they had been released. Mostly out of vanity to see what the young queen had written about her. The diaries hadn't even been released until her majesty had died a hundred or so years ago and then only the years before she married and had children. When the last of her grandchildren passed, the rest of her diaries would be released. The queen didn't want anyone's feelings hurt and had put only that restriction on them.
"There's a lot of stuff there," The Princess said, "I've been reading about all the children you guys found. It blows my mind that there were so many kids running loose!"
"I know," the AI remarked, "It was something that all of us couldn't believe. But you need to give it a rest for a while. You have to be up in an hour. So don't dwell on it now. It will become clear in the next day or so."
That morning in class, the general continued her history class.
# ###
Franklinton, what had been a small town of several thousand in the northern province of North Coast, was deserted. Not the first town to be completely evacuated or abandoned. As more and more people were evacuated from the planet, populations in the towns became smaller and smaller. When the population of a town became so small that the town couldn't function as a town it was abandoned. Even with automated city services, expert systems controlling the water, sewage disposal, managing the infrastructure of the town, it became untenable for a town to remain a town. So when the town got down to a couple of families they were moved into another town to await their turn to be evacuated. Abandoned the towns might have been; they still had to be patrolled. Looting was becoming in a problem.
"I have never been in a ghost town before," Quentin Faroze commented to his partner. They had just come into the town from the clear cut area. It had been several weeks since the clear cutting had started and a lot of the forest land in the North Coast Province had been cut down. It was just as eerie driving from the surreal scene of the clear cut forest into the town that looked like someone had just turned out the lights and rolled up the sidewalks.
"It is eerie isn't it," L'engrithi his Thonian military police partner replied as her lifemate who was working with another rookie not too far away sent her the image of bombed out towns they had patrol for the Thonian military. "At least these towns are not blown to magth and back."
Quentin was a rookie. He had graduated out of the last class of the Royal Trenaport Law Enforcement Academy. It was literally the last class; there would be no others. This was his rookie tour. He had been offered to become a member of the Home's planetary police force and be evacuated early; but he had said he would rather stay to the end of the evacuation. He was a bachelor and his family had taken the opportunity to immigrate to a more developed world, so he made a decision to let some father with his children and wife, go in his place. He did want to go to Home; but he could wait. He also thought that a tour of duty with the legendary Thonian Companions MP battalion would be good for his career. He looked around the small town, and saw that all the windows were still intact, that the road was not pot holed or cratered.
L'engrithi was a twenty year veteran of the Thonian military police. She had been on worlds where wars had been fought. Where part of her job had been to prevent soldiers and others from looting towns and villages after the combatants had left the town to continue the war in some other burg. She had been on the sharp end of the stick trying to prevent civilians from being mauled by soldiers on leave, and civilians from taking advantage of those same soldiers. So far this assignment had been more like a base assignment with normal hours. In the crimen and a half she had been part of the companions it had been the easiest assignment she and her lifemate had ever done.
"I hear they've been shutting the down the AIs," Quentin said, "What's that?" he said pointing to a shadow.
"I don't know," The older woman replied. They were in a parking lot to a deserted store. She had seen what he was talking about. It looked like a face. Her life mate had seen it also through the aqaut letting her feel that he thought it could be a child.
"Channel ten this is patrol 90," Quentin called on his communicator.
"Go ahead patrol 90," the AI said.
"Mark us out of the vehicle at place called Jackie's Supermarket in Franklinton." Quentin responded.
"What do you have patrol 90?" the human back up called, it had been a boring shift and he was craving some conversation with someone new.
"We don't know dispatch." Quentin replied, "We'll let you know." "Channel 10 standing by." The dispatcher returned.
The pair got out of the car and approached the supermarket. As they approached the front of the store, the doors opened and the lights came on.
"I guess this AI is not turned off." The Thonian said.
"No some of this could be part of an automated security system." Quentin said as he heard a rustling and turned towards it with his gun out. His partner went the other way as he approached the rustling. She wanted to come up on the other side of the noise. When he came upon the noise, he saw two rats mating in a pile of papers. Nothing disgusted the young officer more than rats. He instinctively fired. He killed both animals.
"This is patrol 90 we have shots fired!" L'engrithi yelled into her communicator hoping and praying that her young partner hadn't been shot. Her lifemate's concern for her safety was blasting through their bond. She finally sent to him "cool out I am okay now let me deal with this." She rounded the corner back to where she had left her young partner and saw him putting his gun away and the remains of two rats.
"Dispatch this is Patrol 90." She breathed a sigh of relief, "We're okay. My partner just executed two rodents." The Thonian looked at the young man and with the microphone still hot, "He's got a lot of paper work to do and we'll be having that conversation 90 out."
"Roger Patrol 90," the dispatcher said, "The LT says you both owe him a coffee for the heart attack you just gave him!"
"My partner's buying!" The Thonian said. "What the magth is that?" The woman said shining her light toward a shadow she had half seen.
"Don't shoot!" a very young voice said, "We're coming out."
To the Thonian's amazement she saw ten children walk out of the shadows they ranged in age from nearly one to five crimens of age.
"Quentin get EMS here now." The woman said as she walked to the children, and panned her light on them. They were dirty, with tattered clothing; but she didn't see any obvious injuries.
"Where are your parents?" she asked.
"They left," the oldest one said. "We woke up one day, and Mom and Dad were gone."
"Are you all brothers and sisters?" L'engrithi asked.
"No," one of the younger one said. "Denise and I were left behind before Arnold and Deanna found us."
"Are there only decade of you?" L'engrithi asked
"Huh?" the oldest asked, "Oh us ten. No, there might be a couple of more hiding in town."
"Patrol 90 to dispatch." The Thonian said into her microphone "Go ahead patrol 90" the dispatcher called.
"I need a supervisor, and a couple of additional units. We have a town that may have to be searched house to house. We have a report of unaccompanied children in Franklinton." L'engrithi replied. "Command will be at Jackie's Supermarket."
Knowing dispatch would start the ball rolling she turned back to the kids," Let's see who we have here."
"Okay kids come over here I want to know who you are. My name is L'engrithi; we're not going to hurt you." She spoke to them.
As she finished with the children trying to suppress her anger at the parents who had left the children behind, Quinten came up to her.
"L'engrithi," her young partner came over, "The alert bird at the Evac hospital is twenty minutes out. The clear cut team we passed a while back has a medic and they'll be here before the IRS. Oh your husband will be here in about five six minutes, I think I heard the siren going on the radio."
"That'll be a help," The thonian woman shook her head knowing she would have to find some way to cool her lifemate out before he got to them. She could tell he was cooling out a bit but not much.
# ###
"Mylea," Lady Hawthorne was on the phone early the next morning, the brunet's image hovering over Mylea's desk. "Have you seen the yellows?"
The yellows were the specialized briefing sheets that were sent to the top level officers of the evacuation team. They were called yellow because they were hand carried by palace pages and were printed on specially treated paper. If the wrong person touched the paper the message disappeared. After exposure to normal room light, the paper turned yellow after 3 hours making the print fade out. It was designed to prevent unauthorized people from reading confidential reports. So far it worked. Mylea was surprised that they didn't use the computer system. But with an AI suspected of treason; the evacuation command didn't trust any of these reports to be transmitted electronically, even though Jonesy compiled them. They often held very sensitive information.
"Yes," Mylea asked the younger woman, "what's got your attention."
"All the kids we're finding." Lady Hawthorne replied, "It looks like the cops have found another forty last night. That makes the count something on the order of what five hundred."
"I knew we had a large homeless population." Mylea said, "But I hadn't realized how many children were part of it."
"You know I don't think it is solely homeless kids. Some of them may be runaways." Lady Hawthorne said softly. "They can't all be runaways, or homeless kids. I think some of these kids have been abandoned by their parents! If the marshal doesn't mind I'd like to send one of my girls to the holding center and talk with these kids. I want to find out what going on."
"The marshal will approve," Mylea said without hesitation. She wanted to get to the bottom of it too. "Deloris, how many of your boys and girls do you still have with you and how many have no assignments."
"Maybe a hundred," Lady Hawthorne replied, "why?"
"These kids are hiding for whatever reason from the adults. It could be something as simple as not wanting to leave their homes, or as complicated as child abuse. Whatever it is they hide from the police. Or most of them do. Do you think some of your guys can ferrite out some of these kids? You know with a population of nearly seventy-five million people we have to have two or three thousands of these kids running around." Mylea returned. "I don't want to have them on my conscience."
"None of us do." Lady Hawthorne replied. "Put me on the Marshal's schedule some time day after tomorrow and I'll have something to share with him by then about these kids."
"That'll work in the mean-time I'm going to issue a Chief's number ordered." Mylea said.
"Okay Chief, take care." Lady Hawthorne said as she terminated the call.
"All right Betsy," Mylea spoke to her AI assistant. "This is a general order to all evacuation personnel. All social service agencies, all personnel who are assigning families to be evacuated are to acknowledge the order.
"Item1: From this date and time all evacuation personnel are to ensure that families with children are fully accounted for. Families with missing children are to be held from embarking to the landing craft until their children are accounted for. It is stressed that families with missing children may be missing for a variety of causes including missing, runaway, or other causes that may not be criminal, or against the law. Some children may be emancipated minors who for whatever reason have escaped our census.
"Item 2: Lady Hawthorne has been tasked to assist in locating abandoned and lost children. She will have a crown warrant tasking her to conduct this search. All staff members of the Evacuation Command are required to assist her.
"End it Betsy." Mylea concluded the chief's numbered order.
"Dispatched," the computer said.
"Memo to the queen," Mylea started.
"I heard Mylea," The Queen walked into the thonian's office. "I wanted to just touch base with you before I saw Mike today, but I heard the whole thing. Lady Hawthorne will have her crown warrant. I want to be kept informed on this."
"Aye majesty," Mylea said, "What else can I do for you?"
"Just wanted the updated numbers, how many have we gotten off world." The Queen asked.
"A little over two hundred thousand," The chief of staff said, "Only seventy four million eight hundred thousand more to go."
"Is that only the people evacuated to Home?" The Queen asked.
"No," Mylea responded, "that includes every one. Those evacuated to Home and other places."
"Thank you," The Queen left wondering how she could make things happened faster.
# ###
"Okay gang," Lady Hawthorne said softly before her assembled assistants a little later in the day. "We've been tasked with getting a handle on how many abandoned, runaway, and missing children we have."
Someone gave a low whistle. "Lady Hawthorne, I read a report before I left the Mounties that there might be over s hundred thousand kids homeless or having ran away from home. Try as we might we just couldn't stop it from happening. The Mounties couldn't figure out how to keep a handle on runaways. When the evacuation was announced the Mounties stopped working the problem. They have if not more important things to worry about; things that take precedent over runaways who will be, they thought eventually rounded up."
"But we don't have enough room to house that many kids here!" Someone retorted.
"I know," Lady Hawthorne, "Yet we have to do something. We can't leave them behind."
"But how do we make this happen?" Someone else asked.
"As the cities are evacuated many of the homeless kids and runaways will be swept up," one of the men said, "I can't imagine that the authorities will not check on the kids they see running about. Most of the ones we're seeing are in the rural areas. They are the ones who may not be accounted for. We have to round them up somehow!"
The young noble woman spoke, "That's why we're here. Now how do we do it?"
"Well let's face it," one of the women spoke, "if we just start showing up in the abandoned towns those kids will run from us. They may not even believe the evacuation is real."
"She's right," one of the younger men spoke up, "I was in pediatric mental health. A lot of the street kids don't trust us. They've been screwed over so many times by adults they just don't trust us."
"Why not use kids," Jill Wilson, who was staying with Lady Hawthorne for a couple of days to help sort out the stuff they were still getting for the damn break, wandered into the meeting. "There has to be a network with these kids."
"Not necessarily Miss Wilson," an older woman in the back of the room responded,
"They mostly survive on their wits end."
"Yeah; but let's face it they know of each other," Jill continued, "if not planet wide at least in their small part of it. That's how they know where things are being given out. Where they can get a meal, where they can get a place to sleep for a night. They also share who and what to avoid."
"Jill how do you know this?" Lady Hawthorne asked. She was concerned that the Wilson girl had some experience as a runaway and living at her wits end.
"It just makes sense. All we have to do is use their system." Jill said softly, "Send a couple of younger cops or people that look like they are still in high school undercover. Trust me the police know where these kids are. They may not have time to round them up right now; but the cops have a good idea of what's happening."
"She may be right," one of the younger women said, "we've got enough young people around here to make this happen. Let's get a juvenile police officer in here and let's see what they have to say."
"Lady Hawthorne," Jill said softly, "I want to do this."
"Jill your father won't allow that and I want to die of old age not at Lady Wilson's hands." Lady Hawthorne remarked thinking what she would do if one of her five kids was used by the crown to go under cover and they came to grief. Thankfully none of her kids were old enough to help. She knew without a doubt that if she let Jill go undercover and something happen to the teenager she would be dead meat.
"I'll handle Lisa, and Dad," Jill replied with a smile in her voice, "The hard part won't be them it'll be my security team."
"You got that right," Jenny Alkire, Jill's primary protective agent, who had walked in with her charge had taken her normal post just inside the door confirmed Jill's statement. She had been listening to discussion. She thought her young charge was dead on though.
"Jill it's out of the question. The detail won't let it happen." "We'll discuss it," was all that Jill said.
"That's a certainly," The woman promised, "But you are right. Jill is right she has the right approach but how do we make it happen."
"We," Lady Hawthorne asked looking to the protective agent.
"Yes we!" the agent retorted, "twenty years ago I was homeless and living on the streets. If it hadn't been for one of the kings detail I ...well we won't go there. Let's just say that I know how these kids live. Or did! I want a piece of this."
Lamile who had also walked in with Jill, had been listening to the conversation was wondering what she could do to help. She and Jill had both renewed their friendship over the ensuing months. Where one was the other was sure to be around somewhere. Both parents thought it wasn't that bad of a deal. It was keeping them both out of trouble. She began thinking of a plan. She knew that Jill just couldn't do it. Jill didn't know Trena the way that she did, and although her mother was the chief of staff for her Uncle Mike, she herself wasn't under the same type of security and protective protocol as Jill was. Besides, Lamile had some ideas where she could begin. But she would have to slip away. Lady Hawthorne would have a fit, and stand in the way if she knew what she was going to do. Lady Hawthorne was one of those people that Lamile listened to and was as close an adult friend that she would ever have, not that Deloris was that much older than her, only three crimens older, if that much. She wouldn't want to get the noble woman in trouble. Her mother and Uncle Mike would skin her friend alive after they did her.
"I would image," the protective agent said, "that some of these kids would be making their way to Trenaport. Those that believe the evacuation is real that is. The ones who are not running a gang and think they will be king rat that is."
"Many of these kids," Lamile said, "will find a spot around the port, and try to sneak onto a transport to orbit. The ones who know the truth, and are smart enough to figure things out; but don't want to be involved with adults, will be trying to find a way onto the transports. Why not set up a dummy transport." Lamile was already deep into her plan, she thought she could lead several hundred kids to Trenaport if she did it right. Unfortunately she was going to have to get the adults to help. "You know, you were talking about getting a couple of undercover people in with the kids. That's not a bad idea. But why not get them out into the country and lead these gangs of kids to the port."
"And if it's done right," one of the young women who had married a Trenan noble after a tour at the Earth embassy whose husband was now missing spoke up. "We can monitor the progress of the journey, without appearing to be trying to."
"We can also support it by dropping food shipments and the occasional friendly adult who helps out." Someone commented.
"It can't be this simple" Lady Hawthorne commented, "this is complicated, and..."
"Lady Hawthorne," Lamile said, "It may not work. And it's not as simple as it sounds. We first have to infiltrate, then we'll have to convince them, and then start them moving. We may be talking about only ten or fifteen children at a time, not hundreds; at least when it begins. Let's get General Langtree and Princess Carroll in on this."
"Why her," A defensive voice said from the back of the room. There were some people on Trena who felt that the off world police and military threatened their sovereignty.
"General Langtree owns the equipment we need and will need to make the drops. The Princess has Special Forces people we can use to help get our people in and keep tabs on what we are doing. And if they get in trouble the SpecWars can rescue us." "James!" Lady Hawthorne called.
"Yes my lady," the face of her AI butler hovered in the room.
"Please contact General Langtree and Princess Carroll. Ask when it would be convenient for them to meet with myself, Lamile Atomi, Jill Wilson, to discuss the plan we're trying to get together."
"Yes ma'am," the AI said.
"In the mean time I want to put someone into the towns and villages trying to make contact with these kids. Maybe talking to people who live in the towns can tell us what they know."
"Lady Hawthorne," a voice to her right asked, "Do you want them brought here?"
"No," Lady Hawthorne replied, "I think I read that the crown took over my old school."
"The old boarding school?" someone asked. He had gone to school there on a scholar ship. As had Lady Hawthorne it was where she had met her missing husband. "Yes," Lady Hawthorne continued, "They have been taking the kids they have found there since the school closed. I think we need to get someone there to talk with these kids. I may drift over there tomorrow."
"Can I go with you," Lamile asked, "I would like to talk to a couple of the kids." "Sure why not?" Lady Hawthorne replied turning to Jill, "Want to tag along?" "Yes," Jill replied.
The conversation with Princess Carroll and General Langtree was short. Langtree was at first skeptical and flat out said he didn't have much he could spare. Princess Carroll said she could release a couple of teams on and off over the next few weeks saying it would be a good bit of training for them. Lady Hawthorne met with her people to recruit a young adult to bring the kids in. She never got the chance.
# ###
The next day, Lamile had one of Lady Hawthorne's helpers drive her home. She told Jill and Lady Hawthorne she needed to get home for a change of clothing. That was true as far as it went; but she wanted to go home so she could start her mission without implicating Jill or Lady Hawthorne. If they didn't know what she had in mind, then when she was found out, maybe her friends wouldn't get in trouble for what she did. It was lunch time when she got home. She found her mother eating lunch.
"There you are," Her mother called, it had been a couple of days since she had seen her mother. "You get tired of Lady Hawthorne's?"
"Hi Mom," Lamile replied, "What brings you home so early?"
"I'm going in late," Her mother said. "I thought I wouldn't see you for a couple of days."
"I needed to change clothes." She answered. "If it's okay with you I'm going to go back in the morning and stay a couple of days."
"As long as Lady Hawthorne doesn't mind." Mylea gave her daughter permission to go back to Lady Hawthorne's. She had no qualms about Lamile staying with the noble woman. She had ran a back ground check on their special projects officer and found nothing to worry her about letting her daughter hang around Deloris Hawthorne. So far she had been a good influence on bother her and Jill.
"No, she's cool with it," Lamile said.
"So what are you going to do this afternoon?" Mylea asked.
"Run a load of laundry." Lamile said. "I thought I might wander down to South
Mall before getting someone to run me out to East Wind."
Mylea thought for a moment. Lamile's school was closed down. All the schools were. Their closure was causing some problems with unsupervised children. She didn't want Lamile to just stick around the house, but she didn't want her to be part of the problem at the mall. Then she asked, "I've couple of errands to run. Want to accompany me?"
"What sort errands," Lamile asked. She really didn't want to run with her mother. She wanted to plan how she was going to link up with all the children hiding from the authorities.
"I've a meeting with Chief James downtown," Mylea replied, "Then I have one with General Langtree at Fletcher. Then if nothing pops up I'm done for the day."
"I guess I could run around with you," Lamile said. Although she needed to work on her project, going with her mother to Mounty Headquarters and later to Fletcher might help her plan part of her project.
There was a knock on the door. Lamile opened the door, to find Tony, her mother's driver there to pick them up. As they went to police headquarters Lamile asked, "Mom I would really like to know more about these kids. Any ideas?"
Mylea thought for a moment the said, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to read the statements given to the officers. When we get in I'll see about letting you read them."
Unwittingly by letting Lamile read the statements Mylea helped her daughter prepare for her mission.
Her mother's meeting was in the Mounties' Emergency Operations Center. She didn't share what her meeting was about. When they got to the EOC her mother took her to the door of EOC's intelligence cell. It was closed and Mylea had to push a button to get in. The door opened and a beta biowoman came out of the room. Even though Mylea was a deputy chief of the Trenaport Mounted Patrol, she didn't have automatic entry into the intelligence cell. It was very secure.
"Lamile, this Sergeant Lenora," Mylea introduced Lamile to the biowoman, "She in charge of the intelligence section of the EOC."
"Lenora." Her mother spoke to a beta biowoman, "This is Lamile, my daughter."
"Good afternoon," the biowoman, who vaguely resembled Lisa Wilson greeted them. "How can I help you?"
"Lenora are you working on anything sensitive," Mylea asked. If they were working a case; then Lamile wouldn't be allowed in to the intelligence cell. Depending on what it was they were working on; even she might be barred.
"Mr. Kellogg is reviewing some reports," Lenora replied¸ "There's a hundred leader from the companions. He's coordinating their reports with ours. No there's nothing we're working on that requires a lock down. Why?"
"I need to park Lamile for about an hour," Mylea answered, "While she's here I want you to share any and all intelligence you have on the children we're finding." "Do you want a briefing," The biowoman asked.
"No," Mylea replied, "She is going to prepare a briefing for Lady Hawthorne"
"Okay," the police officer replied thankful she didn't have to do it herself. "Let's get you signed in find you a place to work."
She led her to a work station and powered it up. She worked the keyboard for a bit before allowing Lamile to sit before it.
"I've given you a temporary clearance." Lenora told her, "If you try to research something besides the reports on the kids the station will lock up and you will be arrested.
So don't surf!"
"I understand," Lamile replied. She hadn't even thought of surfing.
"You are going to hear and see things that you are not to repeat. You may make notes, but you are not to take them and any reports out of here. We're not as secure as the Mountain; but there is a lot of sensitive material that could harm a great many people if the wrong people see them."
She hadn't realized how sensitive the information that she was going to see was.
She felt a little guilty using her connections to see the reports.
She read through the various reports on the children the authorities had found. She wanted to see what the authorities actually knew. It wasn't much. More importantly she wanted to see if there was any pattern to the kids they were discovering. Were the children avoiding the police, or seemed to be walking towards the space port. Although the Companions and the Mounties were trying to pick up as many children as they could, they were being hard pressed to do anything more than report contacts. Many of the children were for one reason another avoiding the police. She was beginning to see where someone was telling them that the crown wasn't going to evacuate them!
She saw more than one interview where the kid being interviewed reported a mysterious adult who was telling the kids that God would take care of them that they had nothing to worry about. That the authorities were lying to them about the need to evacuate. The adult, a man named Father Pierce, continued to be named in the interviews. Some of the kids believed it, many didn't. Still it was something to share with the adults. She was about to go and find Lenora to share what she had found when her mother spoke to her.
"How's it going," her mother asked.
Startled Lamile replied, "Better than what I expected. I think I may have stumbled upon something."
"What did you find," Mylea asked.
"I've been reviewing the interviews from the children that the Mounties and Companions have been finding. There seems to be one thing that is common in all of them. This man who is being described like that Theocracy Priest that Uncle Mike and you are trying to find has been trying to get the kids to stay where they are. What do you think?"
She looked at what her daughter had discovered, then crossed checked some things she could get into that Lamile couldn't and said, "Good call Lamile! I'll get this up on the net. Sometimes it takes a new set of eyes to see connections. Are you getting anything else on those kids?"
"Not much. The interviews lead me to believe that most of the kids are walking this path," she showed her mother the map she had been working on, "There seems to be something about walking this path towards the space port. Even though the priest is doing a good job of trying to prevent that, most of the kids have been picked up here." She pointed to couple abandoned towns, "Everyone assumes there are not many. But I don't know. As part of my review I read statistic there might be as many as seven hundred thousand homeless children."
That number astounded Mylea, she had no idea that there were that many homeless children. She was surprised that there were that many on a world as prosperous as Trena. "Are all these children orphans?"
"No," Lamile replied seeing the worry on her mother's face, "many are homeless because their parents are. There may be only a hundred thousand or so kids who are homeless and orphaned."
That was still a lot of children. She wasn't certain they had the resources to find them and evacuate them. She made a note to talk to Lady Hawthorne about Lamile's findings, and see what she needed to find and rescue the kids. The first thing she needed to do was find more housing for all these kids. The old boarding school might be able to handle two thousand. The problem suddenly got much bigger.
"Of those hundred thousand," Mylea asked, "how many are in the cities?"
"Maybe ninety thousand," Lamile replied, "Mom. That's just an estimate based on demographics. We could have much less."
"Where did you get this estimate," Mylea asked.
"The Royal Library," Lamile replied surprising her mother how into it her daughter was, "There was a book written a while back about homelessness. There was a chart based on population how many homeless families there might be. I took a rough number and didn't plug in any variables. I didn't factor in such things as our economic status, family types which all had an impact on the real estimate. I could have asked for help; should have; but I haven't had the chance to!"
"What's the name of this book," Mylea asked. Lamile turned to the work station and brought the title of the book up. A holograph of the book floated above the work station.
"Frazer I need your help," Mylea spoke calling for the Artificial Intelligence that supported the Mounties.
"Yes Chief Atomi," the AI materialized next to them. He presented himself as a typical Mounty in a day to day uniform.
"Please retrieve the book, 'A Discussion of Homelessness in High Tech Societies.'," Mylea read the title of the book Lamile had found, "Please read the book and apply any calculations the book may contain using the variables from Trena. I am interested in an estimate of our homeless populations and an estimate of orphaned children."
The AI reached for the book and appeared to read the book. Shortly, the AI's image changed to that of him standing before a black board working an equation. It appeared to check his work and turned to them.
"Based on this book's equations," The AI lectured them, "Based on actual number numbers; I believe we may have twenty thousand people homeless. That represents maybe seven thousand families. The calculations estimate, possibly four thousand orphans, planet wide."
Mylea breathed a sigh of relief, and ordered, "Make sure Lady Hawthorne is aware of your results."
"I've sent it to her," Frazer responded.
"Thank you, Frazer," Mylea spoke to the AI, "Please package up the results of Lamile's research and create a report for the command team."
"Yes ma'am," Frazer replied. He began looking at what the chief's daughter had discovered. He was quietly impressed. The girl had organized the reports by geographic location and had even started a map of where the children had been seen. He even saw where Lamile had flagged any report that mentioned the Theocracy priest Father Pierce. Frazer quickly read through the reports and mapped where the priest had been sighted and forwarded it to the team searching the agent. As he finished up the package he was amazed. Lamile had spent maybe ninety minutes and had analyzed and organized some one hundred reports. Something he could have done far faster, the connections she had made the AI wasn't certain he would have made though. Like any experienced investigator he would have discounted them; but when presented together they jumped out at him. He did some research on his own and added his results to the girl's work and published the report as directed putting Lamile's name as its principle investigator on the report, with his name second.
After they left patrol headquarters, Mylea asked, "you can come with me to the palace or I can take you home?"
"I thought you were meeting with General Langtree?" Lamile asked.
"I am," Her mother replied. "He's at the palace waiting on me."
Lamile thought for a minute, "I think I'd like to go home. I need to think about what's happened today."
Mylea nodded and drove her daughter home.
As they pulled into their drive, Lamile's tablet beeped telling her she had received mail. She got out of the car and went into the house. Once inside the house she took her tablet out to see who was sending her mail. She was surprised to say the least when she saw who the email was from, Frazer. Even more surprised when she opened the attachment it was the report on what she had researched. She spent the rest of the afternoon digesting the report and making plans to find and rescue some children. She soon had her target, a small group of kids who were walking to Trenaport. There couldn't be more than twenty. So far the authorities had done nothing to gather them up. She wondered why until she read a couple incident reports. The kids had ran and hid from the cops. The cops hadn't tried too hard to find them as they were walking in the right direction. The cops thought they would be picked up eventually. She now had her group. She only had to find a way to get to the group.
This turned out to be easier than she thought. There were advantages to being a military brat. The next morning Lamile took a bus out to Fletcher.
She knew that General Langtree was at the O club getting lunch. He always walked over to the club figuring he needed the exercise instead of having Hoi driving him over. It was his lunch time habit. Lamile knew about it as she sometimes hopped a ride out to the base to share lunch with the general. He had given her a standing invitation. Sergeant Hoi didn't suspect a thing when she wanted to hop a ride with one convoys. She convinced the sergeant to put her on a convoy going near the small town of New Rome. She told him it was a school project. The MP riding with the convoy had been one of her baby sitters years before and was more than willing to help her old commander's daughter on her homework assignment.
When the convoy turned off to go to Hilliard she got off the truck and began to walk into New Rome. When she had gotten far enough up the road where no one would see her she changed into some clothes she had fished out of a trash can. She wanted to look like she had been on the land for a long time. She slept that night in an abandoned barn. The next morning she wandered into New Rome. An abandoned town that had at one time a thousand people living in it. She poked around the town for a couple of days before she stumbled on anyone.
"Who are you," a small girl not more than 2 crimens old startled her. Lamile had been poking through an abandoned grocery and service station to see if there was anything left on the shelves to eat when the girl startled her. "Lamile," the teenager replied, "Who are you?" "J'lie," the little girl said.
"Hungry?" Lamile asked. She spied a bag of dried fruit and snatched it off the shelf.
She opened it and handed it to the little girl, "Is your mom around?"
"Mommy's asleep," the little girl said. "She's been asleep for a long time."
"Where is she," Lamile asked.
The girl walked to the back of the store where a young woman lay on the floor. Lamile could tell immediately the thonian was dead. She checked to see if there was a pulse. There was none. Lamile took the little girl out of the service station and had to make a decision. Although she was certain that the woman had died of natural causes, she couldn't just walk away from the woman. The cops had to be made aware of it. But if Lamile turned the thing in, she would have to give up on this town and try another. She made a compromise. She fed the little girl, bathed her and put her in a clean dress she had found in a small store. She waited until the little girl was asleep before she called the police. As she called the cops she wondered where the girl's father was. She knew the girl's father's body should be around somewhere. Her mother had been lucky her father's death trauma hadn't killed her, this girl's parents may not have been so lucky!
"There's a dead body in the New Rome service station." she told the Police Dispatcher. "There's a little girl next to the woman."
"Who are you?" The AI asked, but Lamile cut the connection. However the AI had heard enough to recognize Lamile's voice, as per its instructions the AI sent a priority message on the evacuation's classified communications network. Within minutes the message was routed to the intelligence team in the Mountain. Mylea received a simple and plain message. "Wanderer heard from. No further info." The next morning Mylea saw in the overnight reports that a body had been found by a young girl who had not left her name. The time of the report was the same time that Lamile had been heard from the night before. It was some relief but only some.
After Lamile finished with the police she looked around the town hunting for a place to hide. That was when she found the father. She found him under a car. It had fallen on him. He had slowly died from a crush injury. As he slowly died from his injury he lost conscience causing his lifemate to lose conscience and eventually to die also. She left him alone and found a place to hide.
Lamile watched the police and EMS units arrive from a small out building near the grocery. She held her breath when one of the crime scene people looked right at her. She looked down at her scene scanner and back at her. She knew she had been discovered by the cops. The CSU tech walked over to where she was hiding. In a low voice only Lamile could hear, "She'll be taken care of Wanderer."
The tech had been added at the last moment, she was a member of the Black Guard who had been part of the Interstellar Rescue Service Criminal Investigation Service before being chosen to become a Black Guardsmen. Her job was to get to the scene check on Lamile and ensure that the dead woman wasn't Lamile.
"Stay hidden, we're only a short shout away if you get into trouble." With that the woman walked back to the service station.
Shocked, Lamile stayed hidden until the team had left. When she was certain that they had left she went back to the service station and found a small package left for her. It was out in the open on one of the counters with her name on it. It wasn't there earlier. The package included a very small ear bug radio, a couple of ration bars, and an envelope with a note in it. Shocked she opened the note, "Lamile, your mother is furious with you. You've scared the crap out of her. That being said I want you to be safe. If things get crazy just yell and the Black Guard will have you picked up as quick as they can. No, they are not in direct eye sight of you; but the ear bug is a tracker. Thank you very much for your courage. Take care Wanderer and be safe." It was signed Aggie.
Astounded she folded the note up and hid it very securely on her person. She slept that night in an abandoned home. The next morning she wandered down the road to the next town. Remembering how lucky that she had been not to lose her mother also when her father died. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the little girl when she had seen the two bodies loaded into the ambulance the night before.
# ###
"Jill!" Mylea stormed into the dining room at her parent's home the day after Lamile gone missing. Jill was eating lunch with her step mother and grandmother. She looked up to see the nearly six foot six furious Thonian woman. "Yes?" "Did you know about this?" Mylea asked.
"Know about what?" Jill flinched in surprised at her aunt's tone of voice.
"Lamile has gone missing." Mylea said.
"Missing?" Jill asked, "What do you mean missing?"
"Yesterday," Mylea said, "Lamile managed to get a ride with one of the convoys heading out of Fletcher. She left me a note saying that she was going to be home in a while and hoped to solve the abandoned children problem. Did you know she was going to this?"
"No! We were supposed to go with Lady Hawthorn to the Trenaport Boarding School today, where a lot of the kids are being taken." Jill answered trying to cool out a bit. She was getting angry at Lamile for doing what she did without talking to her.
"Jill what do you know about this?" Lisa asked.
"We were talking about sending someone out among the kids to see what is going on with them but; Lady Hawthorne had someone in mind. That wasn't Lamile!" She added quickly, "A Mounty who could pass as a teenager. No, I don't know what she is up to."
"What is the mission Jill," Mylea asked, "This was something that Delores was to brief us on tomorrow."
"We were hoping to send someone to be the Pied Piper to bring these kids in. We thought they might follow a kid to the port or into Trenaport for processing." Jill replied. Mylea was still furious; but she could see why her daughter might chase something like this. It was not the drama. In fact, Lamile always found a way to make things happen without a lot of drama. If Lamile thought she could help these kids without a lot of fuss it was something she might do. "Aunt Mylea, just leave me enough flesh so I can have my pound too. I wish I would have been given the opportunity to talk her out of it. This is too dangerous for me! Jenny told me that she would lock me up if I even thought about doing what Lamile is doing. She suggested that it was really dangerous and since she lived on the streets for a while when she was my age she convinced me."
"I get the feeling that you may have to stand in line." Lisa said, "After Mylea gets done with her, then it'll be my turn then your father's turn."
"They grow up fast don't they Commander," Joyce said using Mylea former
Thonian Space Service grade. Then pointed to Jill she said, "This one did big time!"
"I know," Mylea said, "it's hard to see them grow up."
"It is at that," Joyce confirmed seeing her grand-daughter not as a child but a young adult. It had taken Jill running away and seeing her on Trena and how much the girl had matured for her to realize it.
"Any idea when she'll be back?" Lisa asked.
"Mom we couldn't figure out how long it would take." Jill answered, "There were too many variables. We expected it might take maybe a month to get the first group in. We just couldn't figure it out."
"If there is any news I let you know." Mylea said, "I got to get back."
###
"Mylea I just heard," David Langtree entered Mylea's office. "Are you Okay?" "Yeah, I'm okay," Mylea said, "and she's not really missing. That's for the world. Last I heard is that she was in a little burg called West Jefferson. There a Black Guard unit that has her under observation. She's made contact with the first group of kids."
"You guys played that one close to the vest." Langtree said his feelings a little hurt.
"Not me David," Mylea said with a flash of anger, she really wasn't okay with what her daughter was up to. It was just that she couldn't do much about it without screwing things up for Lady Hawthorne or her daughter for that matter. "She didn't even tell Jill what she was planning."
"I see," David said, "So do you want me to hold her when she gets back so you can spank her or do you want to handle her all by your lonesome." She just glared at him.
"Of course," he continued looking at his finger nails, "if she pulls this off, and since it was mostly her plan in the first place, you'll be spanking a hero."
She glared at him again then began to laugh, "Well I've taught her how to get things done, and what it means to be responsible."
"Not just that lady," David said, "you taught her, by your example that when something needs to be done, that if she can help she should. She's only following in her old lady's footsteps."
"I don't want her to be a cop David," Mylea said, "It's an honorable profession, but it can bring so much heart ache and crap to deal with."
"I know lady," Langtree walked behind her desk hugged her briefly and said, "She'll be okay. Mike's troops do not want to see him on the war path. No harm will come to your little girl. You know you'll be getting a young woman back."
"No she'll still be my little girl," Mylea said enjoying the embrace.
"I'll see you later," Langtree said leaving. Mylea wished he would have stayed a bit longer his arms felt entirely too comfortable around her.
# ###
"I can't believe she did that!" The princess was reading aloud from the diaries in the class room, "I wish she would have talked to me about her plan. Even if I couldn't talk her out of it I would have liked to discuss her plan with her so I could tell the others how to help her.
"I am so furious with her," the diary went on, "but I don't know how mad to be. The courage she is showing in doing what she is attempting is something I never knew she had. But the influences in her life, Aunt Mylea and Uncle Garth, and Dad all have taught by their example what we have to do. If she pulls this off she will be a hero. From a report that Aunt Mylea shared with me, she had already made contact with the kids. I don't think I could have done that that quickly.
"Talking with my aunt I find out that Lamile liked to take hikes around Trena. Last summer, Lamile had spent part of it hiking with a group of kids from school. She knows a lot about Trena. Something I don't." the princess paused for a second, "From what I have been able to find out, Lamile is equally at home in the woods as she is in Aunt Mylea's home. Aunt Mylea admitted that she could camp and rough it; but she never seemed to enjoy it the way Lamile enjoys it.
"I am so worried about her." The diary went on, "I know she is being watched over by the Guard but they can't be everywhere. It'll take only one incident for Lamile to be in incredible danger. Although I am furious with her and very concerned about her, I am very proud of her. She is doing the one thing I wanted to do but because of circumstance can't. I hope and pray that she will be safe."
"Lamile," the general turned to Lamile Mitchum, "you name sake was as bold and brilliant in her own way as the Queen. I served with your grandmother T'harla, all your royal's ancestors, I can say without a doubt she was a very special young lady."
The class was quiet as they considered what the general had commented on and what the princess read. As the class bell rang the general spoke, "next week's class will be a study period. You should use the time I will be with my staff to work on your papers." The cadets filed out.
# Chapter 17: Orphanage
The cadets were in for a surprise when they filed into the class room the next week. They had expected a senior classman to be present to take attendance and to substitute for the general. They didn't expect the School Mistress to be waiting for them as they entered.
"Good morning," the holograph of the middle age appearing woman that artificial intelligence presented herself as, greeted them as they settled down, "I have been reviewing your papers. Most of them are coming along. A few of you may need to rethink part of your thesis.
"Generally they are on the right track," the artificial intelligence continued, "The General asked that I talk about the next chapter of your text. She thought that since I was there and she was not that I could give you all a perspective that she couldn't.
"You all know that this isn't the first academy." The School Mistress continued, "That our first academy wasn't an academy at all. It was the Old Trenaport Boarding School. The crown had turned it into an orphanage because we needed a large campus to hold all the children we were finding.
"We were on the outskirts of Trenaport. Before the evacuation we were the oldest boarding school on Trena. When the evacuation order had been given, the children at the school were shipped back to their parents. Then we sat vacant for a couple of months until the crown needed a place to hold the hundreds of children the cops were finding. "When Lady Hawthorne first...
# ###
Lady Hawthorne toured the old Trena Boarding School on the outskirts of Trenaport a few days after receiving her crown warrant. She had gone to school there as a youngster. She remembered the well kept grounds and beautiful buildings. Now 12 years after her graduation she was becoming quickly appalled. Not only were the grounds a complete disgrace; the children were filthy; the halls were debris cluttered, the children's clothing, those that had them, were in complete disrepair. She walked into one of the showers and quickly had to leave it was so filthy that it made her gag. Furious that anyone could let children live in these conditions she stormed into the office of the administrator like an avenging angel. Jill Wilson who was with her, had thought she had seen people very angry before; but she had never seen anyone this angry. Even her grandmother, who had a temper when she lost control, Jill had never seen this mad. She followed the small framed Lady Hawthorne trying not to get in her way as the noble woman charged towards the main office, afraid she would suffer the older woman's wrath.
"You're fired, you and your staff." Lady Hawthorne stormed at the head mistress of the school, "I want you out of this facility in five minutes. If you are not out of here by then I will have you arrested for child abuse, child endangerment. Theft in office and anything else I can get the Crown Attorney to endorse."
"You can't do that!" the elderly woman said, "I have a crown warrant to run this facility."
"Very well," Lady Hawthorne said calming down. Jill watched in awe as Lady Hawthorne whipped out her com as if it were a weapon. For Lady Hawthorne it was just that. A weapon she used to help her father and the crown to get her assignments done. She keyed in the direct number to Lord Mercer's office. When he answered, she explained what she had found and what the woman had told her. Mercer simply asked to speak with the woman.
"Miss Brunt, this is Lord Mercer, the Crown Attorney," Lord Mercer said softly, his image floating above the com, "I am pulling your crown warrant Miss Brunt. You are ordered to leave the premises within five minutes. You should be very thankful that we have too much to do to prosecute you. Miss Brunt you and your staff will report to embarkation command, where the man power office will put you to work." The woman slumped in her chair as the lord turn to Lady Hawthorn. The crown warrant had given her access to resources she was selling on the black market, "Delores what do you need there?" "Some bodies," Deloris answered.
"You've got all the bodies you need Lady Hawthorne," Jill said. "Give me a few minutes and I'll get things started."
Lady Hawthorne looked at her young companion skeptically; but nodded. She suspected that Jill knew what she was about. All through Jill's schooling, the adults Jill respected and trusted the most were the ones who let her try; who gave her tasks that were well within her capabilities to accomplish! She knew, or felt she knew that by letting the kids she saw all over the place, be part of their rescue, helping themselves would help build their confidence. It would help build their self-esteem. It was something her grandmother had done with her, and it had worked. She possessed a self confidence that sometimes drove her friends' nuts. She knew that she had to try with these kids.
Jill left the office and saw several kids sitting outside the office waiting for the head mistress, most likely for her to yell at them she assumed. "Okay you guys heard?" A couple of them nodded, including an older kid with shocking red hair.
"We're going to get this place cleaned up, and I need some help. You guys want in?" She asked.
"Are they going to let us?" the red haired girl asked, "I tried to organize the kids into keeping our room clean but the Scow told me to stop."
"The Scow is gone." Jill said, "She's been fired, Lady Hawthorne is who's in charge for a while."
"Who are you," a young boy asked.
"I am Jill Wilson," She said, "I work with Lady Hawthorne. We're going to get you ready to leave Trena and see that you are evacuated safely."
"But I thought they were going to leave us behind?" one of the kids retorted.
"No way," Jill said, "My dad is being driven nuts to make sure all of you have a place to go. If he had known what was going on here he would have been here himself." "Your dad?" the red haired girl asked.
"Yes, my father is Marshal Wilson," Jill said.
"Wow!" another girl asked, "You speak with Marshal Wilson every day." "Yup" Jill answered.
"That's awesome," another boy chimed in.
"Guys, I know it's been tough," Jill continued, sitting down among them, "It may not be easy; but are you willing to help me and Lady Hawthorne make things better? We can't do this without your help! So are you in?" They nodded.
Lady Hawthorne watched in awe as Jill began to get the kids confidence. Amazed to see she had the same Wilson charm that oozed out of her father. "Jill, please get them all to the front of the admin building. I want to get a nose count."
"Okay guys you heard Lady Hawthorne. Get everyone down to the front of this building." Jill said. "Is there an AI on line?"
"School Mistress, here Miss Wilson," An image of a middle aged woman, with old fashion reading glasses propped on the end of her nose, and dressed in a conservative dress, materialized as it spoke. There was clearly relief in her voice and on her face.
"Would you make an announcement about the gathering in front of this building," Jill asked.
"You're patched in," The AI said, "Go with your announcement."
"This is Jill Wilson," Jill heard her voice on the school's public address system. "I need all of the kids to report to the font of the admin building. You older kids look after the little ones. We have an announcement that you have to hear in person. It's good news!" "End it" Jill said then to the AI, "School Mistress, repeat that for five minutes." "Yes Miss Wilson." The School Mistress responded.
"School Mistress," Lady Hawthorne called, "Display for me on my hand unit a list of all kids in this school, and then tell me the status of all supplies and equipment."
"On your hand held Lady Hawthorne." The School Mistress complied with Lady Hawthorne's request.
"When was the last time these kids ate?" Lady Hawthorne asked.
"Last night." The AI said, "The school administrator was feeding them once a day."
"Do you have the equipment and resources to feed these kids a mid day meal?"
"I don't know my Lady," the AI said, "The Scow locked me out of the kitchen and the store rooms. She has shut down my primary. I am the backup which my primary self had programmed not to go live and not be taken off line when she herself was. I have been watching things only coming live to help when I can."
"Okay," she took out her phone called Jonesy at Boeing SpaceWorks the AI that was the Evacuation Command's Logistics Officer. "Hey Jonesy, this is Delores." "What can I do for you Delores," The computer asked.
"I need hot meals at the orphanage. Any ideas" the noble woman asked. Jonesy was surprised that Deloris had been stumped on that one. The AI had been amazed at the noble woman's ability to make things happen. She thought Lady Hawthorne's ability to get things and get things done was second only to herself.
"Would a field kitchen do it?" Jonesy asked interrogating her data base. "I'll call
General Langtree and get the duty team to bring you one. What else do you need?"
"I need some large trash containers, cleaning stuff and oh yes send me a medic team. I want to get these kids checked over." Lady Hawthorne replied.
"Okay Deloris," the AI said, "The duty flight off the Recovery has been tasked to bring you a field kitchen with staff, and the duty medics. Would you want Chief Able to send you a medic from station 8?"
"No," She said after a moment's thought, "just the duty medic team off the
Recovery for now."
"They're being briefed now," Jonesy reported.
"Thank you Jonesy!" the noble woman spoke to the AI.
"Welcome." The AI said cutting the connection. As she had talked with Lady Hawthorne she had also spoken with School Mistress and seen what else was needed. She was made aware of the condition of the clothing, at the present time she had no idea how she could solve that issue.
An hour after asking for help a single landing craft landed at the old school and unloaded. By this time the children had been identified and sorted into groups of one hundred. Jill watched open eyed as the landing craft unloaded a large truck with a trailer behind it. It was the field kitchen. She looked at Lady Hawthorne who simply said, "It looks like I owe the Jonesy big favor."
"Yes," Jill said as the lead medic, a young lieutenant came up to Lady Hawthorne. "But what can you do for an AI?"
"Lady Hawthorne?" a tall lanky IRS officer approached her, "Lieutenant Carnaye off the Recovery. I understand you have a bit of work for us."
"Yes sir," The lady replied, she wasn't much older than the lieutenant, "Find the infirmary and begin getting every one of these kids looked at. I haven't looked at them all yet; but none of them seem sick. You let me know what you find out."
"Doctor Stannis, said you were the boss," The young man said nodding to his group to follow him.
"Ma'am," a marine sergeant approached Deloris, "Where do you want us?" "You are," Delores asked.
"Sergeant Lucas," the Marine sergeant replied, "My unit is here to help you feed everyone."
"How soon can you be ready to serve, and can you handle a thousand."
"We'll be ready in about twenty minutes." The young marine said, "I think we have about five hundred hot on the kitchen, let me into your kitchen and we can have the next five hundred in a little while."
"Take your rig over to that building. It's the kitchen and dining hall." Lady Hawthorne said.
"Aye Ma'am," the sergeant responded, "We'll get started."
"Hey Mary, Paul, Johnnie, and Ralph," Jill called, "Get a couple of more kids and go over to the dining hall and get the tables cleaned off. Marti, Betty, you get these kids set up in two ranks of five hundred I want the little kids to go first. But they don't eat until they get their hands and faces washed. Tom, Jerry and Billie use that a hose on the side of the dining hall they can wash that way."
Deloris didn't say a word. Jill had things well in hand, leaving Deloris to think about getting more people in. She called her estate and asked for anyone who could get away for a little while to help her. Lady Hawthorne then called the evacuation man power office and requested fifteen people to report to the old school. She asked for school teachers.
The sergeant in charge of the field kitchen was disgusted at what he was seeing. Disgusted that many of the children he was seeing were in ragged clothing. Some of the children's clothing looked worse than a Marine's Battle Dress Uniform after they had spent a month at the escape and evasion facility on Paris Island. He didn't understand how adults could let children be this dirty. He was single, with no kids of his own; but he had come from a family of ten. His mother never let him and his brothers and sisters get this dirty.
But as disgusted as he was; he was pleasantly amazed as he watched one young girl in particular. She wasn't much younger than some of his youngest privates on their maiden tours. But she possessed a charisma that career master sergeants might envy. She had gotten the kids organized and ready for chow by getting some of the other kids to get them lined up and cleaned up. Then she got a couple of the kids to take charge in the dining hall and get it cleaned up after the meal. They had fed all one thousand kids in less than two hours and the kitchen was ready to go for the next meal. All because the young blond was able to communicate with the kids and get them to do what she needed.
"Who is that girl," Sergeant Lucas pointed to a young teen age girl on the very brink of adulthood. He was sharing a cup of coffee with the middle age woman who seemed to always be in eye sight of the girl.
"Jill Wilson," the woman said.
"She is amazing to watch," the sergeant said refilling the coffee cup for the woman. "I've seen what she has done today."
"She is amazing," the protective agent said, "I've been her agent for about two three months now. Most of it has been sitting in the back of a class room, or being up front as we drove her to school, or over to one of her friend's places. I never knew she could do this. But I should have known."
"Why," Deloris said taking a cup of coffee from the sergeant.
"I've met the Marshal, and I've met the Admiral both are very competent, capable people. But sometimes those types of people don't have children that are like them. Sometimes they fight their parents and I've been around enough noble kids to know it doesn't breed true."
"I know," Deloris commented.
"She's Marshal Wilson's kid?" the sergeant said. "But I saw her cleaning toilets today!"
"My grandmother had a very positive impact on me." Jill said coming up on the three adults. She accepted a cup of coco from the sergeant, "Lady Hawthorne what happens next with these guys."
"I am bringing in several dozen teachers, a couple of pedphsyc's and some others." Delores replied, "But what they need is more than a hand to wipe their noses and keep them on the straight and narrow. They need to have something to go for. Some of these kids were abandoned by their parents. Some of them ran away from bad situations. Some got into worse situations. We need to do something to make a positive change in their lives. This place, well it is a last stop for many of them."
"I heard about the suicides," Jill said, one or two of the kids had mentioned them to her as she was working. She didn't know how to respond to them. Jenny had been there when the kids had told her young charge. She had been proud of Jill when she had listened to what the kids had to say without saying anything. Just letting them talk and just being there with them for few minutes as they worked. "That has me worried. I didn't know what to say to those kids. I suspect a couple more of these guys might be right on the verge."
"Maybe so," Delores said, "That's why we need to get experts in here."
"If I may say something," The sergeant said, "If you want to beat the suicides you need to keep these guys so busy that they don't have time to think about suicide. They need someone in their corner who is going to do more than wipe their noses."
"Lady Hawthorne," Jill looked to the older woman, "He's right, busy minds don't have time to think about their problems. But how do we keep them busy? The whole place needs to be cleaned up; but we got to let them be kids too. We can't keep them that busy!" "She's right my lady," Jenny Alkire injected. "Whatever we do it has to be quick. There's a couple kids on the edge you can see it in their faces. The teachers and the physc people will need some time to make contact and get the kids' confidence. They may not trust too many adults."
The sergeant listened to what the two civilians said, and asked, "May I make a suggestion?"
"We're listening," Lady Hawthorne replied.
"You have one thousand kids that have been left to run wild mostly in this school." The sergeant continued, "You can't just bring order to this place like flipping a switch. You'll get more problems. Plus you'll miss the kids who really need your attention."
"You sound like you know what you are talking about." Lady Hawthorne commented.
"Unfortunately," The sergeant responded, "I was the cook with a battalion that had been dropped on Maru. The colony's adults for some reason had been taken ill and had left the children to their own devices for a few months. The kids had been running wild for at least six months. When we got them rounded up they just wouldn't settle down. They had been running things for themselves and they saw no need to obey us. We took too long to exert control over the older kids who were running things. Once we realize who was doing what, we were able to begin to get some control; but those older kids never did let us do what we were there to do, help them."
"How did you get things sorted out," Jill asked.
"We finally got the older kids off to one side and the commander told the kids how it was going to be. He just told them that they would either cooperate or be put in the brig.
It worked but not as good as it should."
"So what's the solution," Lady Hawthorne asked.
"You are looking at her." The sergeant said pointing to Jill, "This young lady here has already made the right connections. She has gotten the kids trust. She enjoys your confidence, and more importantly the kids listen to her. These kids are in the brig, so to speak, so threatening them with that won't work."
"And I won't tolerate anyone telling them they won't be evacuated." Deloris said.
"Okay Commander," The sergeant turned to Jill, "what's your plan?"
"Commander," Jill said, "I'm just a kid." The adults looked at each other sealing Jill's fate.
# ###
The next morning, Marshal Wilson was working early in his palace office. He had gone to work earlier than usual as he had been planning to go out to where some of his people were working. He also wanted to see the clear cutting first hand. He had not intended to be in this early. He had been expecting to just go out to the landing pad after breakfast and hop the flight he had requested, but when Jill had come home the previous evening, and was so excited about what she had been doing. Telling both he and Lisa what she had found at the old boarding school he changed his plans. More so when he had found out what Lady Hawthorne wanted Jill to be. He had discussed it with Lisa after the kid had gone to bed. They both thought it wouldn't be a bad thing for the girl to be involved with. Although he had reservations about turning the school into a military academy he knew that the kids needed some discipline in their lives, and caring adults. This could work and it helped get his commission done.
He was already working on part of the problem when Lady Hawthorne and the Queen stopped by.
"Marshal," Lady Hawthorne and the Queen entered Wilson's office.
"Good morning Ladies," Wilson said glancing at the clock display on his terminal.
He was surprised how early it was. "What brings you here so early?" "We wanted to talk to you before you headed out this morning." "Oh what about," Wilson asked.
"We want to talk to you about your little angle." Lady Hawthorne said mischievously.
"Now what has my little angel gone and done now? Abby is such a sweet child," Mike asked innocently.
"We're talking about your other angel," the queen responded, "Jill!"
"That's not an angel," Michael replied, "That's a teenager! They stop being an angel after about thirteen. Now what has she gone she done?"
"Oh just the usual over active teenage stuff that drove our parents' nuts," Lady Hawthorne continued.
"Huh, huh," Mike leaned back in his chair as Liz turned to see what was going on. She knew what the Queen and the noble woman had in mind. She had been working with the Marshal to help make it happen. "Did she get into some trouble at the school I need to know about?"
"Oh tons of it," Lady Hawthorne replied, "But we figured out a suitable punishment for her, we just need you to agree to it."
"Oh no," Michael said wondering how far the two women would take it.
"Enough Deloris," The Queen said seeing that Wilson was enjoying the session and wasn't being tormented or teased as they had hoped. He obviously knew what was going on.
"Okay your majesty," Deloris answered then sat down in Wilson's guest chair, "Sir Mike, your daughter connected with those kids like it was magic." Lady Hawthorne continued, "I don't know why; but it happened. After it was brought to our attention we had the school's AI show us some of the holos that the School Mistress had recorded of Jill. Without a doubt she is your daughter. I showed the Queen the holos and she agreed with me that Jill should be our liaison to those kids."
"Okay," Wilson said, "but from what Jill said you guys thought of going another direction."
"Yeah," The Queen responded, "we are thinking about turning the orphanage into a military school or academy."
"That's what Jill had said," Mike commented, "I think it's a good idea but within reason. I don't want any of those kids forced into it. I want it to be their decision. Then when those kids are not in school I might want to use them in our command posts, and some of our facilities. I think if they can be part of the operation we'll help them feel wanted it might help them. Many of those kids have got to be having some hard feelings about being abandoned by their parents. Some of them have got to feel that they might be abandoned by us. But kids only ages 12 to 18."
"What about the little kids?" Deloris asked, "We have to do something with them."
"Not a big problem." Mike said, "8 to 12 can be junior cadets. They won't be able to be used at the places where the older kids will be but they can dream about being members of the cadet force. The real little kids there isn't much we can do. We'll have our hands full just trying to keep them under control."
"Page," the queen spoke. She had come to a decision earlier; but had wanted to see if her marshal would buy into it; he did.
"Yes majesty?" the AI appeared as a young girl of sixteen apparently dressed in the livery of the royal family. She looked like a royal page from ancient timews. "I am making a royal decree!" "Yes majesty," the AI droned.
"As of this day, the old Trenaport Boarding School will become the Headquarters of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets. Further children who are 12 to 18 of age; who have been abandoned by their families, or who are orphaned are eligible to become cadets of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets.
"Children who don't wish to be part of the corps of cadets will be housed at the boarding school; but will not be subject to the rules and regulations of the corps.
The Queen continue to speak after a few minutes of thought, "Children who reside in this institution are my wards until such a time they reach their age of majority, reunited with their families, or adopted."
"Additionally," the Queen said, "The first corps of cadets commander will be Jill Wilson. Then providing her mother agrees, and Lamile Atomi so desires, Lamile Atomi will be the corps deputy commander."
Wilson nodded in full agreement.
"What am I missing," The queen asked.
"Your majesty," Liz asked "Why now, we're about five months from getting off here, and the academy will be a short lived thing. Is there something better we can do for those kids?"
The Queen looked at Wilson's secretary, understanding what the young woman was asking. "Yes, this might be too little and too late. But it will give those kids some hope and make them feel part of the solution and not part of the problem. Also right now, I am standing in as local parentis. As the highest governmental authority it is my responsibility to make sure those kids are taken care of. This is the only way I know how to do this!"
"Your Majesty," Liz said seeing a flash of anger on her monarch's face, she forgot that Wilson didn't mind her challenging some of his decisions and had assumed that the Queen would not mind being challenged either. "I'm sorry. I just want to make sure, like you that we get every last mother's child off this world. I should have kept my mouth shut!"
"Liz," The Queen said, "you don't need to apologize. You were right to ask the same question that others would. It gives me a chance to formulate my answer.
"Computer," The queen continued.
"Yes Ma'am?" the AI answered.
"Clean up that pronouncement and get it out." The queen said, "I want you to add, that Lady Hawthorne, is reassigned as the school's head mistress. She answers to me and to the marshal and no one else."
"Your majesty," Jonesy face appeared in the air over Wilson's desk. Wilson had been working the other part of the problem with his Logistics Officer. "I have been working to get clothing to the academy. I found some extra uniforms aboard one of the Imperial Warships, the Stuart. That are being declared surplus. It should fit all but the smallest of the 12 year olds. They are marine uniforms of all types. Dress, office, battle, this includes boots, shoes, and belts. Seems the lieutenant in charge of the stores ordered too many. If you don't mind your cadets looking like Imperial Marines, I think we can make it work." "Is that going to be okay with the Princess? And the Empire?" the Queen asked.
"I've cleared it with their sergeant, and the lieutenant and they say it's okay." Jonesy said, "Sergeant Millie is happy to get rid of them. She says she has been tripping over them for three months! She said she would even get them delivered." "Make it happen," the Queen ordered.
"Yes ma'am," Jonesy replied. Her face turned towards Marshal Wilson, "Do you want me to have them pull a set of uniforms for Miss Jill?
"Yes." Michael answered after a moment of thought, "I'll get Jill up to the Stuart so she can get outfitted. Liz, would you get a set of orders cut for Jill to go to the Stuart.
I'll call up and let them know she's on her way up."
"Uh skipper," Liz asked, "Wouldn't it be better to do this at the academy or at your home?"
"No." Mike said, "I want her to start thinking like a young officer, and then I think it's better for the guys at school to see her arrive in uniform. It starts them thinking of her as an officer not just another kid."
Liz nodded and turned to her desk to work on the Marshal's request.
"Mike," Aggie suddenly turned to her marshal and asked, "I guess I should have asked this earlier; but are you and Lisa okay with this? I know Jill is; but are you?"
"Yes," Michael said, "it gives her something to do. Also the responsibility will be good for her. A lot of my youngest enlisted people were not too much older than Jill when they finished boot and were on their first assignment. I am concerned that we're putting too much responsibility on her; but I am trusting you, and Deloris to make sure she is taken care of. I am more worried about losing Deloris than I am about letting Jill do this. Lady
H you have been a god send to my command!"
Lady Hawthorne was quiet as Wilson continued, "But those kids need you more than I do. And helping them gets my commission done. If you need anything let me know." "That I will Marshal," Lady Hawthorne replied.
"Thank you both," The queen said, "I got to go. Mike I will see you after your visits. Lady Hawthorne, good luck."
Both women left as Liz handed her boss a cup of coffee and the draft orders he had requested. He requested that the computer call his home, so he could inform Lisa of what had transpired.
# ###
An hour later, Jill was quietly woken by Lisa. Jill had gotten in late the night before and had told both of them what she had been up to. Lisa had decided not to wake the girl to let her get up on her own. However Mike had called and told her to get the girl up and to the palace landing pad. She had a date aboard the IWS Stuart, a fleet provisioning and resupply vessel. It was part of the Majestic's Battle Group.
Jill and her step mother both took the trip to orbit with both of their principle agents. Lisa took her camera with her. They were escorted into an immense distribution room by a marine who was on his first deployment. Jill couldn't help but wonder, did she look that young. The Stuart was designed to completely resupply troops that had been in combat for months and needed to be re-equipped with everything. It wasn't uncommon for the distribution room to have a couple platoons of marines being outfitted at the same time.
They found a Master Gunnery Sergeant waiting for them.
"Good day Colonel Wilson," The woman greeted Jill.
Jill gave her "a who me" look.
The Sergeant smiled at the confused girl and continued, "I am Sergeant Millie Green. I will be getting you outfitted today. When I tell you to, please stand on this dot," she pointed to a green dot on the floor big enough to stand in, "and say your name clearly. Your ID number is zero, zero, zero one. Your grade is Cadet Colonel. Your rank is Commander, Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets. When you say all of this, your dog tags will be created, which will include your DNA profile, with your other identification information." The sergeant said softly, she had outfitted many marines, having started her career at Paris Island, the Marine training world. After she made Master Gunnery Sergeant she was transferred to the Stuart. This could be her last assignment. Her boys were getting to the age where they needed her around. More so with their father missing in action! If she couldn't find a permanent party shore duty someplace she would consider leaving the marines. She was looking forward to the next few minutes though, as she had always enjoyed outfitting baby marines. While the girl in front of her was not a baby marine, she was the very first person in the unit that was being stood up. When she was sure the girl had understood her she said, "Please step on the green dot."
Jill stepped onto the dot and spoke, "Jillian Wilson, zero, zero, zero one, Cadet Colonel, Commander, Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets."
"Scanning," The expert system droned, "Gunny, Colonel Wilson's uniforms will be in bin three. Will the colonel need space fatigues and weapons?"
"No," Lisa said firmly, "She will not need weapons or space fatigues." "Aw mom, you're a spoil sport," Jill chuckled.
"Colonel," The sergeant asked, "what uniform will you need today?"
"Mom," Jill asked, "any ideas?"
"Sergeant Green I am clueless any, idea?" Her step mother turned the nearly forty year old woman.
"May I suggest then that she wears just a plain day uniform?" the sergeant said, "Are you going into the field today?" Jill shook her head, "Okay then an office uniform should be suitable. Although everything will fit you, your new boots will need a little breaking in." Without waiting for confirmation she went to bin three and pulled out a day uniform. "Normally we just hand you your stuff and say be gone with you. Not today. As the first cadet commander we need to make sure everything is perfect. Step into my office and put these on." She handed the clothes to the younger woman and pointed to an open door with the sergeant's name plate next to it, "They should fit but I want to make sure." Jill took the clothing to the sergeant's office and dressed. When she had gotten out of bed she had showered but had only thrown on a sweat suit. Lisa had said not to worry about the clothing. Just wear something comfortable. She was amazed and thankful that the bundle of clothing had included things like a bra, and panties, as well as socks. Everything fit perfectly. She couldn't help but notice that everything had her name and grade on it. As she stepped out of the sergeant's office her step mother took a couple of photos. The Sergeant approached the young woman and asked, "Permission to touch."
"I guess so," Jill replied, wondering why the older woman had asked that question.
"Colonel," the sergeant said as she approached the young woman, "it's important that you look perfect," Lisa inwardly cringed when she hear that, "every time you address your troops or are seen by them. You can't have a hair out place. Your gig line, (that's the line of where the edges of the button flap on your blouse and the seam on the front of your trousers,) has to line up perfectly." The sergeant competently made sure the young lady's gig line was razor sharp, "you must always make sure your buttons and awards are perfect. Because you are in a marine uniform I am going to use the same placement as I would on my uniform."
The sergeant opened a jewelry box and began placing the insignia on the uniform. She placed, a shield shaped device with a scarlet red crown on a field of space black with tiny jewels simulating the star system of Trena. In very fine lettering around the shield were the words "Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadets," One on either collar. On the shoulder epaulette went two more crowns with an eagle under them. Over her right pocket was a name plate, it read Col. Wilson QORCC. "Colonel, in the jewelry box, are your ribbon holders. In a normal cadet unit or military unit by the time you reached this exalted rank you would have won several citations, and awards. But as this is a new unit, with you as its inaugural commander you have none so we'll leave the left chest bare."
She walked around the young girl who was almost the same age as the kids entering marine boot at Paris Island. She wanted to make sure that her uniform was perfect. She had always enjoyed getting young recruits their stuff. They hadn't picked up an attitude when they were standing in her supply room at Paris Island Marine Corps Recruit Training Center. As she finished up she spoke to Jill, "Colonel, as you go forward from here, what you say and do sets the precedence for the corps of cadets. Your actions over the next couple of months will set the system and standard that your successors will follow." She plucked a piece of lint off the epaulette, "Colonel, when it stops being fun get the hell out of Dodge."
"Thank you sergeant," Jill said took two steps back, and as she had seen her grandmother and father do on countless occasions, fired off a salute.
The sergeant snapped to attention and returned her salute. "Good luck colonel." As the cadet and the Sergeant saluted each other, Lisa took several photographs. Years later they would hang in the academy on Home, in halls of the administrative building that had had photos and paintings of each cadet commander. Jill would be the youngest commander, and the one with the shortest tenure.
With that the women left. Jill pulling a fair sized duffle bag of her stuff behind her. Her agent went to help her; but the sergeant locked eyes with the agent and shook her head.
# ###
Once down on the academy, Jill felt out of place as she walked the grounds. She was checking up on the kids making sure things had gone right the night before. She was surprised at how many people were around the academy grounds including quite a few enlisted men and officers from the militia and the marines now on the academy grounds. It surprised how the military came to attention and saluted her as she passed them. Even more shocked when they held the salute until Jill passed or she acknowledged them. She stopped by the dining hall to get a cup of coco and ran into Sergeant Lucas.
"Hello Colonel," the man handed her the cup of coco.
"Hi Sarge," Jill took the cup, "This is weird."
"I know," The man replied. He had seen how the officers and enlisted men were treating her.
"Can you walk with me a bit?" Jill asked.
"Sure," The sergeant replied, "Toni! I'm going to be with Colonel Wilson for a bit.
Those cookies will be out in a couple of minutes don't let them burn!" "Sure thing Sarge!" the enlisted woman replied.
"Sarge how do I do this." Jill asked, as still another junior officer passed her saluting. "I don't know how to respond to these guys. Shouldn't I be saluting them first?"
"Colonel, some of them are reacting to the eagle on your shoulders." The sergeant said, "Remember we've been taught to salute the grade, as a measure of respect. You'll get used to it."
"I don't expect that to be soon," Jill replied, "But the other thing that is bothering me and since it was your idea I need to pick your brains."
"Oh?" the thirty year old sergeant said, "Go ahead then."
"How do I get these kids to buy into this corps of cadets?" Jill asked.
"Just ask them." The sergeant answered.
"I can just ask them?" Jill sounded astounded.
"They are ready to follow you," the sergeant returned. "A lot of the kids wondered where you were this morning."
"But how do I ask them?" Jill asked.
The sergeant thought for a minute before speaking, "Send them a piece of mail. Personalize it with the help of the School Mistress, so it is a personal mail from you asking
them to join the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets."
"I don't want to con them into something," Jill said.
"Jill," Jenny said. She had been following quietly behind the two, "I think if you make the pitch they'll come along. After all it is coming from one of their own."
"Okay," Jill said, "Thank you Sarge."
"Colonel," Sergeant Lucas said, "Just be yourself. State your goal and just be yourself."
Jill went back to the administration building and wandered up to the office that Lady Hawthorne has taken over.
"Oh there you are Jill." Lady Hawthorne greeted her young friend. "I was about to send a search party for you. I had heard you were back."
"Just checking on things," Jill said, "What did you need?"
Delores looked at the young woman in front of. She noticed that the slouch that Jill had was gone. It was as if putting on the uniform had changed her posture. "I was about to hold an assembly and announce the cadet corps."
"Let's wait for that," Jill said and told her what the sergeant suggested.
"Makes sense," Lady Hawthorne said, "Get your presentation written up and we'll get it delivered."
Several hours later, Jill stood before a desk with the Queen. She had stopped by to see how things were going and when told what Jill was about to do decided to help. On either side of the desk were the Royal Flag of the Court of Trena and a new flag displaying the insignia of the Corps of Cadets.
"Hello," The Queen spoke, "I hope you won't mind our intrusion. Jill and I would like to ask you to be part of something to help you. This morning, I created The Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets. After consultation with the Marshal, the Crown Attorney, and others we agree that the corps should be populated with you and your fellow young people who have been abandoned by your parents, or who are orphans. I have as of this morning, appointed Jillian Wilson as the first cadet commander of corps of cadets. Jill?"
"Hello," Jill began speaking, "Many of you know who I am. You saw me working with you and the adults yesterday as we began making things better for you. We have a great start. I am here as the cadet commander to help you build on that start and to initiate the corps of cadets. My job is to work with kids between 12 and 18 who want to be part of the corps. By joining me in the corps of cadets we will be working to get you off world. As we get ready to leave our world, the Evacuation Command promises to use the older cadets around the planet to assist in evacuating our people. I hope that you will join me in this endeavor. Should you wish to join me, report to the admin building and we'll sign you into the corps. Should you be under twelve, or not want to join us we will work to get you off world and take care of you until your parents are found or you become an adult. I look forward to working with you as we help as my father says to get every last mother's child off our world."
"I too, look forward to seeing all of you in the corps of cadets." The Queen said, and finished, "Good Day. I will see you on Home."
"School Mistress, Please display that on all public terminals around the academy, and see that every kids a copy of that." Jill said.
"Done," The AI said.
"It sounded good," Lady Hawthorne said, "I wonder how many we'll get."
Less than fifteen minutes later the first of the kids were beginning to line up outside of the admin building. Jill watched in awe as the line got longer and longer. She turned to the queen who was standing next to her, "This is awesome. I would have never thought these kids would buy into this."
"Me either Jill," Aggie responded.
"These kids want something to do." Jenny said, "They see a lot of military helping our people so they want to be part of it."
"She's right Jill," Sally who was temporarily part of their detail injected. She was the only one on the team who had any education in child psychology, "They have been desperate for something, anything that will change their lives. This school is like jail. So you are giving them a chance to get out of jail. Many of these kids may only want something to do. Others will want to help if they can. You guys hit a cord. A good cord I think. Jenny do you think Mac would let me hang out here?"
"I don't know," Jenny, who was the senior agent, knew what her young friend wanted to do. What she had been trained to do. "You are very good with Little Bear." She used Abby's code name, "Sally. The rest of us are good with her but you have her confidence. But I will see that anytime Tom is not available and you are not needed by
Little Bear that you get on the detail. That's the best I can do Sally."
"Okay," Sally said though she didn't know how she was going to balance being a protective agent and working with these kids.
"Jill lets go down and meet the troops," Aggie injected.
Jill nodded and walked with the young queen down to the line of kids forming up to be in the corps. As they walked to the line of kids one of Lady Hawthorne's staff who had been a marine before marrying her now missing noble husband called, "Attention on deck! Trena is aboard!"
"As you were," The Queen said. She had first heard that when she was not too much older than some of these kids when she first realized they were talking about her. Some of the kids knowing what to do came to a sort of attention, others looked bewildered. "Good afternoon!"
A lot of the kids looked taken aback as here was their queen walking among them. The queen dived into the line and began shaking hands. Even the youngest kid in the line, he couldn't have been more than six or seven. Aggie knelt down to him.
"Thank you for wanting to join." The Queen said, "What's your name?"
"Billy," the kid said after an older kid prodded him. It wasn't lost on the queen.
"Well Billy you are a bit young to be in this group," the Queen said, "But when you are old enough I will personally make sure you get in."
The kid nodded and Aggie looked at the older kid who was almost a teenager. She stood up and asked, "What's your name."
"Mary Bollard," the girl answered.
"Welcome to the corps, Cadet Bollard," Aggie greeted the girl shaking her hand,
"Is Billy your brother?"
"Yes," The girl replied.
"How did you get here?" Jill asked.
"Oh mom died months ago," The girl said, "the police said someone beat her to death. They brought us to Trenaport Family Services, and then they brought us here." "Why do you want to be a cadet," Jill asked.
"You folks have tried to help me and my brother," the girl answered, "I would like to pay it back if possible."
"I see," Jill replied. "Well we'll be happy to get you."
They worked the line for a while meeting the kids and talking with them. There were quite a few little kids.
"I knew we had a lot of young kids but I didn't know we had this many." Lady Hawthorne said. "Well I knew I had seen them around the grounds; but I didn't quite understand the impact until now."
"Neither did I," Aggie said, "We have to make this work. These kids are our future." "A big part of our future," Lady Hawthorne commented.
"Delores what do you need from me." Aggie asked.
"May I?" Sally said breaking more than a handful of rules of the protective detail. She was not to join in her principles' conversations.
"Yes," The Queen said seeing Jenny flinch. Aggie knew the rule; but wasn't about not to hear Sally McBride's thoughts. She had personally reviewed everyone on the detail protecting the Marshal's family. She hadn't approved everyone on it; but she had made sure that they all were top of the line people. So she knew of McBride's past.
"You need to get some grandmothers and grandfathers in with the little guys." Sally offered, "They need someone who these kids can turn to without feeling they are in trouble. Especially for people like Miss Bollard who are going to be busy with the cadet corps. In other words they need a lap to crawl up into."
"That makes sense," Aggie said, "What else?"
"We need a cadre of officers and enlisted people to be the instructors at the academy," Delores said, "The Gods know I am not military."
"I can't spare any officers right now," Aggie said, "Michael and Qoum will have my head if I assign anyone here. At least I think they will."
"Let me work with Dad," Jill said, "sometimes I can get what I want out of him!"
All the women present smiled. But they also knew that as much as Jill could get what she wanted out of her father, they also knew that the Marshal was no easy push over.
What no one expected was what actually did happen.
# ###
As the School Mistress finished her lecture one of the cadets asked, "What of the kids who didn't become cadets? What happened to them?"
"Many children were reunited with their parents," the School Mistress replied. "Lady Hawthorne created a special team whose only job was to reunite the children with their families."
"A bunch of us were talking about the number of kids that ended up at the academy," Cadet Langtree commented, "it is hard to believe that there were so many children who were homeless, and whose parents had abandoned them."
"Not all the foundlings were abandoned," the School Mistress returned, "Some of the foundlings were kids who didn't want to leave Trena. Some of the kid's had simply missed their evacuations, when their families were smuggled of Trena." "How many little kids were there," another cadet asked.
"Less than one hundred," the School Mistress replied, "and those were mostly children already in the care of the crown."
The room lapsed into silence. Each with their own thoughts.
"General Jones will be back next time," the School Mistress spoke, "the next chapter concerns Valerie Mitchum."
Chapter 18: Rescued?
Cadet Lamile Mitchum was standing at rigid attention as her squad leader tore her bunk apart.
"You think just because your name is Lamile Mitchum that you don't have to toe the same standards as the rest of cadets!" the cadet sergeant had come over to her and stood three feet away from her. The thonian towered over her by a good foot. She had been his special project since she was assigned to the barracks. At first she couldn't get her shoes shinny enough. Then her locker had not been 33-2, the manual that the described how their lockers were to be done. The other day she was gigged because her hair touched her collar. Her bed had been perfect, her grooming had been perfect, and as had everything else in the room she shared with Princess Lisa. Her niece never got the same attention from this cadet sergeant. She didn't flinch, or back away. She stood her ground. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of adding to her butcher bill. Lisa and the others said she should say something to their platoon leader. So far she had refused.
"Fix that bunk!" the sergeant roared.
Cadet Mitchum quickly went to her bunk and made her bed praying that the sergeant would fine no errors. She was sure it was right.
The sergeant went over to the bunk muttering, "Tsk, tsk, tsk"
He was about to tear it up again when one of the cadet's called, "Attention on deck." The cadets all came to attention as the Cadet Commander walked into the room.
"At ease," the Cadet Commander said softly. With him was the Cadet Sergeant Major.
The cadets flowed to at ease, as the party inspected the dorm. The Cadet Commander inspected Cadet Mitchum's bunk he took out a one crown note and checked the margins and finally flipped a coin on the bunk. It bounced. The Cadet Commander quickly hid a smile and turned to Cadet Mitchum and said, "Good job."
"Sergeant Mattingly, walk with me," he turned and left the dorm with both cadet sergeants.
Once the cadets were alone in their dorm Lamile Mitchum vented.
"I swear," Cadet Mitchum griped, "Sergeant Mattingly has it in for me! That bunk was perfect!"
"If your name was anything but Mitchum" the Princess remarked, "He wouldn't be on your case!"
"Everyone thinks I want use my grandmother's name to just get by!" the girl moaned. "I want to earn my way through the academy. To do anything else would dishonor
Great Grand Mother's Legacy!"
"We all do," Princes Lisa replied. "None of us want to skate through!"
"Attention on Deck!" a young voice called. The cadets flowed to attention. As they did the cadet commander walked in.
"Stand easy!" the cadet commander called softly.
The cadets flowed out of attention and stood easy.
"Cadet Mitchum," the young man addressed Lamile Mitchum, "You indeed have large shoes to fill. So far you have nothing to fear. You have more than lived up to Chief Mitchum's legend. As of today any chops in your butcher bill by Sergeant Mattingly have been removed. Several of us will be tenderized on the block for our lack of leadership. He went too far and none of us in the chain of command caught it and took appropriate action at the appropriate time and level. My apologies."
He saluted and left. All four cadets looked at each other astounded. None of them could hardly believe what they had just witnessed. Without saying another word they sat down at their desks and cracked the books. Lamile opened the text book reading about her grandmother Mitch.
###
As Mitch walked through the nearly deserted mall she couldn't believe the destruction she was seeing. The stores were being abandoned daily as their owners were either evacuated to Home or found transportation off Trena. Many of the store fronts were abandoned with nothing in them. Many stores whose owners hadn't left yet had been shuttered to prevent looting. The shutters had stopped a lot of the looting. A lot of the shop owners had to abandon their goods when they were evacuated. There was over a million crowns worth of merchandise abandoned in the now nearly deserted mall. All of it abandoned, as the Crown and the Evacuation Command were concentrating on getting people off world. The Crown was allowing people to take their things with them. Mostly household items, like their furniture, clothing, and their kitchen equipment. They could even take their car with them. If they were a tradesman they could take their tools with them. Depending on their trade; they could take their work truck. They could load it into a second container and if they had a work shop they could take their shop tools with them. If they were a doctor and they were immigrating to Home their practice was packed into a
second container. Generally though, merchants were forced to choose between their personal possessions or their business inventory.
The crown was making an effort to ensure that people got to Home with enough household furnishings so that they would be able to be if not be comfortable, able to have clothing, and other things they needed to survive on Home. But some of the merchants had skimped on their personal possessions and loaded most of their container with their merchandise. Some of the merchandise didn't take up much space. Mitch had helped a book seller and his family pack their container. Loading it with books, mostly they were simple folios with a book chip in them. A couple were traditional books. They stuck books in any place they would fit. She had seen where a clothier had filled every place she could stick clothing in that she could.
Now as she was approaching the music store she was vividly reminded how the destruction she was seeing got started.
It had been the day before when the Evacuation Command agent had come to seal one of the containers. The man from the Evacuation Command had been ready to seal the container, when he noticed that it wasn't closed properly. When he went to closed it properly, it opened spilling its contents. The sporting goods that had been packed into it, had spilled all over the place. All of it was on the proscribed list. There were no personal belongings in the container.
"What the hell!" the evacuation officer exclaimed as he turned to the owner, "Is this your container?"
"Yes," The young man who owned the container replied.
"What is all this stuff?" the crown rep asked.
"It's my business," the owner responded.
"Where's your personal stuff!" the man asked. "You were supposed to pack only your household possessions. Not your business! When you get to Home you will need all of your things to survive! Do you have clothing, and bedding on board?"
"Some," The guy said, "I've a sleeping bag and a tent. What else do I need?"
"I thought that we couldn't take our stores with us," Someone in the crowd called,
"What is this? Is the Crown letting him take his business with him?"
"No," the officer replied, "we are not."
"Yeah right," Another voice called, "How much did you pay him Felix?"
"I didn't know he even had this stuff loaded in his container," The representative returned. "If I wasn't sealing his container and hadn't found it open then I would not have known what was in it!"
"Sure he's right," Another voice called, "I wonder how many others he's allowed to take their store with them...."
"Let's find out!" someone in the quickly growing crowd yelled.
Soon the growing crowed a swarmed the dock area and was tearing into the open containers. Mitch quickly got off the docks themselves and watched the riot from a distance. Five containers were broken into and ransacked. Only Felix's container had commercial goods in it. The other four containers had household belongings in it. The riot lasted several hours and had spread into the mall itself.
Now as Mitch walked to the place she was squatting in, she couldn't believe the carnage that had been done in that short time. The metal shutters and gates had kept most of the stores safe. Now as she passed the music store she saw that its metal gate had been pried opened but no one had looted the store. Feeling self-conscience she slipped into store. She found the guitar that she liked to play sitting on counter and began to idly strum it. Hers had been stolen by one of the kids she had let stay with her a few nights ago. She picked up the guitar and found a comfortable place to sit and play. She didn't know how long she played.
L'eam and F'rena were finishing up their rounds of the South Mall where the store was located. The destruction they were seeing was not as bad as they had seen on some of the worlds they had patrolled. But it was bad enough. The riot had taken several hours to contain and had caused a small fire. It had taken Mounties, and the Companions several hours to contain it. Several hundred people had been arrested. Now a day after the riot they were just finishing their rounds. They were about to leave when they heard a young voice signing. It echoed eerily in the deserted mall. Both Thonians were entranced by the young voice. As they followed the young voice they, thought they knew who it might be. They found Valerie Mitchum sitting on the stage in the music store playing a guitar as she sang.
"We're walking in the air
We're floating in the moonlit sky
The people far below are sleeping as we fly
"I'm holding very tight
I'm riding in the midnight blue
I'm finding I can fly so high above with you
"Far across the world
The villages go by like trees
The rivers and the hills
"The forest and the streams
Children gaze open mouth
Taken by surprise
"Nobody down below believes their eyes
We're surfing in the air
We're swimming in the frozen sky
"We're drifting over icy mountains floating by
Suddenly swooping low on an ocean deep
Arousing of a mighty monster from its sleep
"We're walking in the air
We're floating in the midnight sky
And everyone who sees us greets us as we fly"
She finished up and didn't realize the two Thonians were watching her until she finished and looked up. She blushed a bit.
"Very nice," L'eam said, "Valerie though I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave."
"Am I in trouble," Valerie Mitchum asked.
"No. You were not stealing anything," L'eam said, "You aren't looting. Why don't you let us take you back to your parents?"
"That's okay," Valerie said, "you don't need to do that."
"Okay Valerie," F'rena had suspected for a while that that the young girl was homeless or had problems with her parents, "why don't you let us take you home?"
The girl didn't know what to do next. They obviously knew she was on the streets. The two thonians looked at each other and F'rena asked softly, "you don't have a home do you?"
Mitch for some reason shook her head admitting that she was homeless. For some reason she trusted this pair. They had been around the mall for a couple of months. She had dinner with them one night. They seem to let her hang around with them. They had asked repeatedly to take her home to meet her parents but she had managed to put them off.
"We thought so," the male companion replied.
The look on Valerie's face said it all. "Are you going to take me in?"
"Yes," L'eam said, "But not to juvenile hall. We're going to take you to the academy!"
"The Academy," the girl asked.
"It's a place where the Trenan Crown has set up a place for abandoned and homeless kids." L'eam and F'rena said. "We don't know much about it, it has only been operation a day or so."
"Valerie," L'eam continued, "I'll make you a deal. If you don't like it; if it is worse than being on the streets or being homeless, you get a message to us and we'll see if we can't find some place better for you. We're here to help you. That's what we're supposed to do. Cops do two things Valerie, we make it tough for low life's to harm people, and then we help people in trouble. Let us help you."
"Okay," Mitch stood up she laid the guitar down.
"Do you want to take your instrument?" F'rena asked.
"It's not mine," Mitch said. As much as she wanted it, she wouldn't claim it as hers. That would be stealing. She wouldn't steal. "Can we get my stuff from where I am staying?"
"Sure why not? F'rena agreed.
They went to the apartment she was squatting in and got her things.
It was nearly midnight when they arrived at the Academy. There a sleepy young girl a year or so younger than Mitch herself, was on the guard post at the main gate. She came to attention when she saw the police car. Her older partner came up to the driver's side of the police car.
"We're closed for the night officer," The young man said.
"We called and they are expecting us." L'eam said lighting up the back of the Trenaport Mounted Patrol Cruiser that they barely fit into.
"Oh this must be Miss Mitchum," The young man said, getting his clip board from the guard house and let the Companions sign in. "I'll call the duty officer and let him know you are here."
He called the duty officer telling him that Miss Mitchum was at the front gate. He said to bring her up. The companions brought Valerie Mitchum up to the administration office where they found the duty officer waiting for them.
"Oh, hi L'eam, F'rena," the Thonian greeted them. "This must be Valerie
Mitchum."
"It is," L'eam answered.
"Good evening Miss Mitchum." The Thonian said, "I am Lieutenant G'ant from the militia. I have the night watch tonight. This is the Queen's Own Royal Cadet Academy. We exist to help people like you find a place of safety, and to help prepare you for getting off world. Tonight we're going to get you a meal and a place to sleep. In the morning, Lady
Hawthorne, or the colonel will meet with you and help you get settled. Are you hungry?" Mitch nodded timidly.
"We'll get you something to eat in a few minutes." G'ant said. "Okay officers I'll take it from here."
"Valerie," F'rena said, "Give us a call in a couple of days. I want to hear how you are doing." She handed the girl her card with her contact information on it, forgetting that she had done that earlier.
As they left the academy, her lifemate chided her a bit. Letting her know what a soft heart she had for people. She sent him the image of a Thonian police officer helping their daughter if she was in trouble. He saw the point and visualized hearts and flowers as a way to apologize. What he got in response was "I wonder if we could spend our free time here?"
In the duty office, G'ant was finishing up some paper work registering Valerie Mitchum into the academy. Then he walked with her to the dining hall where late rations had been laid on. She ate a hamburger, and a glass of milk while appraising what was happening to her. The Thonian then escorted her to a dorm, where a kid of no more than fifteen greeted her and escorted her to a room that she had all by herself.
"I'm Cadet Stein," The kid greeted her, "I have the CQ for the in processing barracks tonight. If you need anything I'll be at the front desk."
The Cadet helped her make the bed and pointed out where the toilet was and told her that reveille was at 0530 and left her alone. Surprisingly she slept well for the first time in weeks. Not since she left the children's home.
While the girl slept the School Mistress working with Frasier, the Trena Mounted Patrol AI, investigated the girl.
They couldn't locate the girl's parents. It appears that they had left months before the evacuation announcement. Just leaving the girl behind as they left for the Empire. They had not even dropped her a line as to why. Her parents had declared her an unruly child and had dumped her on the Adventure; where she excelled.
She had spent five years on the replica of an ancient historical sailing ship called the Adventure of Learning. The Adventure was a large replica of 4th century before empire man of war. After Mitch found out that acting out wouldn't get her off the ship she knuckled down rising from a seaman apprentice to that chief petty office. The Adventure reported her grades and performance ratings. She was a straight A student. In addition to her grades, her performance as part of the cadet crew was evaluated once a quarter. Only one time had she gotten an evaluation "of less than meets expectations" after that one evaluation she routinely received "exceeds expectations". For the last four years on the on the ship she wasn't a disciplinary problem. She was being considered for one of the ship's junior officers.
After the announcement she had stayed a couple of weeks at Trenaport Family Services Children's Shelter where she had been assaulted. She had gone missing and wasn't seen until the murder at Lottie's. Although the Thonians had reported seeing her, the system had failed to let the Companions know she was missing until the night before. The School Mistress was quietly impressed.
By the time Delores Hawthorne had gotten in, in the morning the file on Valerie Mitchum was laying on her desk.
Delores read the file and decided to share it with Sally McBride who had come in with Jill that morning. Sally read it. She read about the incident at the Shelter and shook her head then said, "Let Jill do this one. She's the same age, and she's not liable to be as threatening to her as we will be."
"Okay," Delores said, "What do you think about making her a barracks leader?" "Based on her history she should be one of Jill's officers," Sally suggested, "She could be a great help to her."
"I think so to," Lady Hawthorne agreed, "Let me talk to Sargent Lucas."
# ###
Mitch was awoken early by the charge quarters knocking on her door and telling her, it was time for her to get up. She looked at the clock in the dorm room and saw it was a little pass 7:30 in the morning. She couldn't believe she had slept so late! Normally she was an early riser. Often up and ready for the day by sunrise.
She dressed in a pair of slacks and her favorite tee shirt. One she had been given by her fellow riggers when she had qualified as a rigger on the Adventure. The shirt had a picture of the Adventure's top sails with "ONLY A RIGGER, KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ON TOP!" boldly printed below the sails.
There was a knock on the door followed by a young voice, "Miss Mitchum, may I come in?"
"Yes," Mitch answered, she had been about to the see about getting some breakfast.
"Good morning Miss Mitchum," Jill greeted the stocky black haired girl as she entered the dorm room.
"Good morning Captain," Mitch stood up seeing that her visitor was in a uniform, with eagles on her collars.
"It's Colonel," Jill answered, "Colonel Jill Wilson."
"What can I do for you Colonel?" It was then that Mitch realized she had met the girl before. She had met the girl when she had donated the last of Lottie's clothing to help the people of Galloway during the dam break a month or so ago.
"If you're ready? I would like to invite you to have breakfast with me," Jill asked.
"I was just about to find breakfast," Mitch responded.
"Then if you will follow me?" Jill said and led the way out of the room. Mitch couldn't help but notice the older woman who followed them out of the dormitory.
Jill notice that Mitch saw Jenny, and introduced her. "Miss Mitchum this Agent
Alkire. Jenny this is Valarie Mitchum."
"Good Morning Valarie," Jenny greeted the teenager.
"It's Mitch," she shook the agent's hand noticing that the woman was armed. "Are you a body guard?"
"Yes," Jenny said giving Mitch high marks for not asking why she was armed; but asking if she was a body guard, "I am Jill's protective agent."
Mitch didn't ask if the agent thought she was a threat to Jill, she had seen the agent shadowing Jill the first time she had seen her.
"Let's get to breakfast," Jill suggested leading the way out of the dormitory.
As they walked from the building, they witnessed the morning roll call. Mitch couldn't help but compare it to the musters she had through on the Adventure. What she witnessed told her that they needed to work on their muster. The chief's on the adventure would be carrying on until they got it right.
As they walked to through the grounds, Mitch saw several people dressed in various uniforms going about their errands.
Jill led them to the dining hall. The dining hall was nearly empty. A couple of sleepy looking cadets and instructors were getting their meals. They went up to the serving tables and got their breakfasts. Jenny got a cup of coffee and went to where the instructors were sitting drinking their morning coffee, giving the two girls some privacy.
The girls took their seats, and ate quietly for a few minutes. Finally Jill said, "Thank you for joining me for breakfast."
"Thank you for asking me," Mitch returned wondering why the girl was having breakfast with her.
"One of the reasons I asked you to breakfast," Jill buttered a muffin, "was so I could talk with you."
"Oh," Mitch said peeling a banana as she waited for Jill to continue.
"You saw my cadets as we left the dorm," Jill asked.
"Cadets?" Mitch asked, "I didn't know that muster was for cadets. They just seem to be a bunch of kids having a roll call."
"Well that mob of kids are the first cadets of the corps." Jill responded "Oh," Mitch remarked.
"If it wasn't for the volunteers from the Militia," Jill continued, "we wouldn't be as organized as we are."
"Shouldn't they be helping to get us off world?" Mitch asked.
"Most of them are retired," Jill replied. "And some like Sergeant Green work their normal duty shift and then volunteer their off duty time here. Besides if they are here working with us, they are helping with the evacuation?"
Mitch nodded. If the volunteers were here helping people like her, then helping to get the evacuation done.
"The problem I have," Jill stated, "is that I have all these military volunteers; but no kids like yourself. Kids who were sea scouts, or Civil Space Patrol Cadets just haven't been brought in. You are the first kid who has been brought here that has any back ground as a cadet."
That surprised her. She would have thought that some of her crewmates from the Adventure would have been brought to the academy. Some of crewmates had been near orphans like herself. As she thought that, she realized that the girl before her was trying to recruit her.
"We need some kids who are familiar with being a cadet like you," Jill continued.
Jill observed Mitch. Trying to gauge how the girl was dealing with what she was sharing with her. She could see that she had the dark haired girl's full attention. She decided to make the offer, "Mitch I would like to join the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets."
Mitch knew that was what the girl was leading up to. It was appealing to her to join the corps of cadets. She didn't feel she belonged anywhere. If she joined the cadets she might have a place to belong. Yet she wasn't certain she wanted to be a cadet. They had never been cadets on the Adventure. They had been junior crewmen. They operated the ship, with the adults as their officers and older kids being petty officers. It would be a lot of work. She didn't know if she was up to the task.
"If I don't want to join the corps," Mitch asked, "what would you do with me?"
"Valerie," Jill said, "If you don't want to be part of the Corps, you are free to stay here until my father can get you aboard a lift for Home. Until your parents or family ask for you, or until you can come up with some place else to be that is better and safer. This is your home until you do better."
"You would really just let me stay here no strings attached?" Mitch asked.
"Yes," Jill said, "the corps is voluntary. We don't know what's going to happen on Home but we're hoping that the Home government will continue this school. At least with the cadets who enroll during the evacuation."
"You said father a bit back. Is your father Marshal Wilson?" Mitch asked taking a hard-boiled egg.
"We all have burdens we have to carry," Jill said in a dead pan voice, "I was asked to help out here."
Mitch pondered what the girl had said to her and what the Thonians had told her the night before, and how she had been brought to see this girl. As she finished, she looked at the girl before her.
"Okay! Sign me up," Mitch finally stated, "It can't be any worse than the
Adventure. At least we don't have to worry about someone falling overboard!"
"Thank you," Jill replied, "You will come in as a master sergeant. Right now you'll have a barracks. Later you might have a company. We're still trying to get organized. It's a day to day thing."
She thought for a moment. When she had left the adventure she had just been promoted to chief petty officer. She was trying to compare the two grades. With no reference to compare she gave it up and asked, "So what's next?"
"We to get you formally signed into the corps," Jill replied, "Once that's done, there's a couple of people who'll want to talk to you about what you might know about any other children who might be avoiding the authorities."
"I am not certain if I know anything," Mitch said, "but I'll share what I know." "Good enough," Jill replied. "You done?" Mitch nodded.
"Let's go see Lady Hawthorne," Jill stood up. Soon both girls were climbing the steps to the administration wing. Jill knocked on an office door on the second floor.
"Enter," a woman's voice called from inside the office.
They entered the office and found young woman of thirty, sitting behind a desk, "One second Jill."
Jill nodded. She noticed that the noble woman was on her com. Lady Hawthorne finished shortly and turned to the girls standing before her desk. "Good morning Jill!" "Good morning Lady Hawthorne," Jill returned the noble lady's greeting.
"And this must be Valarie Mitchum," She turned to Jill's companion.
"Yes ma'am," Jill answered, "Lady Hawthorne let me introduce you to Valerie Mitchum. Our newest cadet. Mitch let me introduce you Lady Deloris Hawthorne,
Commandant, Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets Academy."
Mitch came to attention when she heard the word commandant. Delores was quietly impressed when she saw the girl come to attention. "Stand easy cadet." Both girls flowed into the at ease position.
"Please sit down," Delores asked.
"I can't," Jill replied, "I got to get to class! Mitch I leave you in good hands."
Delores nodded. One they were alone, Deloris gestured to the seat. Once seated Delores hand her a data pad. "What I am handing you is the paper work needed to formally enter you into the Corps. It won't take long."
And it didn't. Within half an hour she had finished the application and Lady Hawthorne escorted her to an office where the rest of her in processing began.
By the end of the day she had been debriefed by a couple of people who were obviously not cops; but were working to find all the kids who might be runaways or hiding from the authorities.
One of the adults, who was a counselor discussed with her in private about what happened at the shelter. At first Mitch didn't want to discuss what happen. When the counselor said okay, letting Mitch know that if she needed someone to talk to someone about what happen, just ask to see her. When Mitch saw that the woman knew what had happened to her; but wasn't going to press her about it opened up about what happen and her fear of it repeating. An hour later Mitch felt better about the incident, realized that it most likely would not happen again.
The counselor turned her over to another adult who took her to get out fitted. Unlike on the boat, she didn't have to get anything adjusted to fit her. It all fit her.
After she went through Sergeant Green's supply room, the same adult briefed her on her duties. It wasn't too much different than being a berthing space leader back on the Adventure. It wasn't until the after diner muster that she was introduced to her dorm's residents. There was one young man who was not happy about losing his squad leadership job. But the kid was only fourteen years old. Jill and Lady Hawthorne had put him charge until they found someone else. Until she showed up he was the oldest cadet in this dorm.
"Gene," Mitch said coming into the kid's room. As barracks boss he had one of the two private rooms in the barracks. "I can't run this place by myself. Will you help me?"
The kid was sullen. Mitch didn't get upset, she just said, "Okay Gene. Have it your way. We'll talk in the morning. Have a good night."
Mitch left the kid's room to find Jill waiting for her in the hall.
"How you settling in," She asked.
"I have been so busy that I haven't a chance to settle in." Mitch said, "Looks like
Gene's going to be a problem."
"He'll come around." Jill said, "I heard what you said, it's the right thing."
"I hope so," Mitch returned. Then she saw what Jill was carrying. A guitar, "do you play?"
"No. It would be first degree assault and battery if I tried to play it." Jill smiled, "One of the companions brought it over today. He said it might belong to you!"
"Oh," Mitch said trying not to reach out for it, "It's not mine. I lost mine a few nights ago. One of the people sharing my squat stole it"
"Well until we find the real owner it's yours!" Jill said handing her the instrument. "Thank you," Mitch took the guitar to that Jill offered her.
"There's a meeting for all dorm NCOs at lunch, most days. Your assistant can take the kids to lunch," Jill continued.
"I'll be there captain," Mitch addressed the young woman wearing the eagles like the captain of the Adventure of Learning wore.
"It's Colonel," Jill reminded the girl, suppressing a yawn, "Okay time for me to get to bed, I have an early morning. Try not to play too late into the evening Sarge."
"Thank you Colonel," Mitch saluted the young woman before her. That evening the barracks was filled her soft soprano and the quiet strands of the acoustic guitars tones.
As Jill went over to the teacher's quarters where she slept when she stayed at the academy, her detail didn't want her sleeping in a dorms, (they were not sure the barracks were safe enough for her,) she ran into Millie Green. She had been down only for a day or so getting the supply rooms organized. It seemed like something that should have been delegated to someone besides a Master Gunnery Sergeant.
"Good evening Colonel," the sergeant said. She was seated on one of the many benches that dotted the grounds. She had her journal open on the bench beside her.
"Good evening Sergeant," Jill asked, "mind if I sit a bit?"
"Not at all," The sergeant said. She looked up and saw the woman who was always within eyesight of the girl. She had not seen much of Jill the last couple of days. She had been very busy in the supply center. She had met with Deloris Hawthorne a couple of times, and had found out that the young woman had never been in the military, but had a good heart and wasn't afraid to ask questions. She suspected that Lady Hawthorne was no slouch when it came to brains, "How's it going?"
"Sometimes I think I am out of my league," Jill said to older woman. "I am doing this by what feels right!"
"Has it been right?" Millie Green asked.
"Yes," Jill said, "I think I did the right thing most of the time." "Then it most likely was," the fortyish sergeant commented.
Jill thought about what she had done so far and nodded. Even though she wasn't certain she had done the right thing with Mitch, she felt that eventually it would prove to be the right thing. Sergeant Green's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Starting tomorrow you can start cycling all your cadets through the supply room so they can get outfitted." Green said.
"I thought you were already open?" Jill asked.
"Yes and no," the sergeant replied, "I let a couple of the cadet NCOs in to get them outfitted. Tomorrow we can do the entire school."
"Thank you sergeant. I'll leave you to your journal." Jill said getting up, "It's going to be a long day tomorrow."
"They are all long days colonel," Millie said, "And they won't get shorter."
Jill nodded as Millie picked up her journal. Millie wrote in her journal, "Finished getting the cadets' supply room set up today. I have been working with a combination of older children, and adults. None of them know anything about the military. Well that's not true a couple of them do. But I liked working with them. The cadet commander has got her head on I think. I talked with Sergeant Lucas the other morning, and he seems to think she is the best hope for these kids. So is Lady Hawthorne. Somehow, though we have to help make her into a commandant. She is young for the job, maybe thirty. Most commandants are in their sixties. Usually on their last duty post before retirement. Lady Hawthorne is much too young for that. I wonder where this is all going to end."
She ended the entry and went on to the quarters where she sleeping.
###
Lady Hawthorne didn't know that there was a network both official and unofficial that the sergeants and noncoms were part of. Sometimes known as the sergeant's net, it was working its magic at the academy. During the next few days as Lady Hawthorne and her people got the old boarding school up and running as a cadet academy, NCOs just started showing up. They began to make things happen for the cadets. A militia combat engineering unit, coming back from another assignment stopped by the school and with their heavy equipment graded and dragged the athletic fields fixed all of the gates and other outdoor equipment. In addition to the CE unit, a couple of retired black guard sergeants began showing up every morning. They worked with getting the kids out on the green in the morning for roll call and had started to identify kids who would make good cadet officers. Not only retired marines had just shown up, some Interstellar Rescue Service NCOs and officers, and Thonians as well. Not just retired military but serving military, police officers and fire fighters began showing up also.
Jill was there when Lady Hawthorne decided to get to the bottom of what was going on.
"Gentlemen," Lady Hawthorne approached the two men who seemed to be the ring leaders of all the help she was getting. She had to know what was going on. More so since Jill's principle agent didn't seem to have a problem with any of the people who were helping out. She didn't worry about the active duty military as they spent only their off time at the school, but the others she felt that she was using them. "I have contracts for you and your friends, sergeant."
"We don't want contracts," the older of the two said, "Our pension covers our expenses. Especially if we eat here every day!"
"Then how do I pay you?" Lady Hawthorne asked.
"Ma'am," the younger of the two spoke softly; he was old enough to be her grandfather, "we owe a few people a lot of favors. They took care of us as we were coming up. We heard that you and the young lady needed help and so we thought it might be a good idea to make sure that you got that help."
"Lady Hawthorne," Jenny, Jill's agent commented, "Your network is only second to the Noncom's network. I've been checking up on what's happening. The sergeants for whatever reason have made this place a project."
"Why?" Lady Hawthorne asked. She noticed that Jill was listening to them intently.
"The kids," the younger man said, "They deserve the best we can give them and you folks while very good at what you do, Lady Hawthorne you need as much help as you can get. A couple of Marshal Wilson's friends from the police academy will be here tomorrow they are PT instructors. They have a couple of days so they're going to lead the kids through a series of PT drills."
"But these are kids," Lady Hawthorne said.
"Yes ma'am," the old marine said, "They've been looking over your population they have the kids divided into groups and have developed a specific PT Drill for each group. The fifteen to 18 year olds will be out of your hair most of the day, the twelve to fifteen year olds will be on the athletic fields all day, and the little guys will be in the gym." "What are the older kids doing," Lady Hawthorne asked.
"We have ten trucks coming in with more clothing and sundry items for the kids. They'll be stocking the warehouse and the store room. The Gunny will be back for a while to check on things. I hear she's getting assigned planet side on the Princess' staff. The Gunny said it was okay to load the warehouse; but it better be to her plan!"
"You know the crown has some ferocious laws concerning child labor." Lady Hawthorne said half seriously.
"UCMJ has even more ferocious law concerning the care, feeding and handling of cadets." The older man said. "Trust us, my lady, those kids will be worked, and some of them will find they have muscles that they didn't know they have, they'll be back by evening chow. But they will not be harmed even though they might think are!" "Okay," The young woman said.
"What happens to these kids when we get to Home," The younger of the two asked.
"I am working on it now." Lady Hawthorne answered. She had no idea what was going to happen on Home; but she was already wondering would it be big enough to have a boarding school.
The two men looked at each other as if coming to a decision.
# ###
"Met with Valerie Mitchum today," it was late in the day and the princess was reading form her grandmother's diary in her room, "There is something about the girl I can't place. She's not like Lamile, or some of the other girls I know. Although soft spoken, and a little shy I think, there seems to be some great inner strength about her. She seems to observe a great deal.
"I read about her guitar and how she lost it; so I found a company that was still in business and told them what I wanted." Jill had written, "I asked for the best and hope that is what I got. The look on Mitch's face when I gave her the guitar was worth it. I understand she has wonderful voice. I wonder when I will hear it myself."
The princess closed the diary. She had seen and heard Mitch's singing. It was indeed wonderful to hear.
"Mitch became a very close friend of your grandmother," the School Mistress appeared to sit on her bed. "And of mine."
"I've read of some of Mitch's exploits," The Princess commented, "She seemed to be a born to be police officer. She was decorated as many times as granddad was."
"Yes," the School Mistress commented, she missed Mitch. Mitch had become a very good friend. Her last duty post had been at the academy as the chief of instruction for police officers attending the academy. "But you know what she says her greatest achievement was?"
"No?" the princess asked.
"Being your Grandmother's friend and being there when things became crazy." The School Mistress replied, "She, your grandmother, and Lamile Atomi were very close, closer than what the written record shows." "I see," The princess said.
"Don't read too late Lisa," the school mistress appeared to get off of the princess' bed, "it'll be there in the morning."
# Chapter 19: A Quiet Conversation
The next Monday, the general was back and ready to continue with the class. She was looking forward to the next few sessions as this was how the academy was really founded, and talked more of the Jill Wilson she had come to know.
"Queen Jill had her hands filled," the general began, "She was trying to live up to Sergeant Green's expectations and her own desire to be the best she could be.
"She always pushed herself a bit; but always found a way to reign it in." she said, "We think that Lady Wilson had a great deal to do with this."
# ###
Lady Wilson knocked on her step daughter's bedroom door before she entered the teenager's bedroom. She expected to see the teenager sleeping soundly. It was time to wake her up so she could go to the academy. She was still staying at the palace although she spent more and more time at the academy, sometimes overnight. Lisa was pleasantly surprised that her step daughter was stepping up to all the responsibility. She also seemed to be keeping her good humor. But the kid was over doing it. She was at the academy by 0500 most mornings and not home to well after 2200 most nights. Lisa was concerned that Jill was over doing. She didn't want the young woman to wear herself out. She found Jill awake studying.
"Not getting your usual A." Lisa asked.
"Oh hi Mom," Jill greeted her step mother as she looked up from her desk.
"Think you might be over doing it a bit?" Lisa asked.
"I don't know," Jill said replied, "But this stuff I have to learn." "What is it?" Lisa asked.
"Customs and Courtesies of the Royal Trena Militia," Jill said.
"But don't you know this?" Lisa asked. "I mean living around the military all your life you should have a feel for it."
"I do have a feel for it," Jill said, "But Trena has stuff from Earth, Thonia, and half a dozen other places."
"Why not let the academy staff help you get it right. Aren't they there to help you," Lisa asked.
"Yes but..." Jill said and Lisa interrupted her, "You are your father's daughter all right Miss Perfect!"
Jill looked at Lisa sheepishly and knew she was busted.
"Look Jill," Lisa looked the girl in her eyes, remembering what the sergeant on the supply ship had said. "I know you want to be perfect, that you need to be better than your cadets. But don't pay a price you may eventually be unwilling to pay. Do the best you can and try to do better when your best doesn't measure up." Jill listened.
"Your father's nickname, Mr. Perfect, has come at a price." Lisa said, "He is expected to be almost super human in what he does. So he has to work harder so no one can say he isn't on his game." Lisa said, "You concentrate on being Jill. Don't worry about being Miss Perfect. We need only one prefect being in this family and your father already has that title! Sometimes I wonder how perfect he is!"
Jill nodded. She heard her step mother; but wasn't certain how she could slow down. She had already fallen into a pattern. A pattern that might be hard to break.
"What time do you have to be at the academy today?" Lisa asked.
"Late day today," Jill said, "Mitch is acting as the duty officer today, so she'll take the morning formation. I don't have to be there until history class second period."
"All right," Lisa said, "I know better than to tell you to cool out. But I want you to get away from the books a bit. So let's take a walk."
# ###
Jill was studying quietly the next morning in the cadet commander's office at the academy when Mylea walked into the office. "Jill?"
"Oh hi Aunt Mylea," Jill replied, "What brings you here?" "We got a message from Lamile" Mylea said.
"You have a message from Lamile!" Jill asked excitedly. She had become very worried about her friend. No one was saying much. Her father would only say that she was okay, and Mylea would only say she was in this town or that town, or that she was seen someplace. But she had heard nothing on how her friend was doing. So Jill was a little bit excited that Lamile had a message for her.
"Yes," Mylea replied, she pulled out a small device and soon Lamile's image filled the office.
"Hi Jill," Lamile said, "I can't talk long. I have to make these recordings when the others can't see me. I'm in Mansfield, about sixty miles from Trenaport. I have about two hundred kids with me. I had no idea that there were so many lost and abandoned kids. Especially the little guys. I am doing okay. Tired. I could use a new set of boots. Something I can walk in. I am worried about the kids who we have to leave behind. The ones that can't keep up; or who are too sick to go on. We have enough food," she looked away then turned back, "got to go..."The image cut out and the next time it came on Lamile was in a wooded setting, "Jill I am not going to be able to speak much longer. Just promise me that the little guys, and the others are being taken care off. I'll see you soon!" The image faded out.
"Aunt Mylea," Jill asked, "Can I send her a message."
"Maybe," Mylea replied, "Mostly we just send her voice messages. We were surprised to have gotten this."
"Do you suppose if I got the kids that Lamile has gotten to us together and have them say thank you it could be recorded and delivered to Lamile?"
Her aunt smiled and said, "She has a Black Guard escort. If they can't get a message to her then no one can. Besides I think it will do her soul some good."
Mylea had heard the depressed and the anxious tone of her daughter's voice in her message. She was concerned about Lamile. Mylea was wondering if she shouldn't pull her out. But in the end she couldn't do that to her daughter. Lamile would never forgive her if she pulled her out before her mission had been completed.
Later in the day Jill stood by herself on the quad in front of the admin building. Mylea had a recorder and nodded to Jill to begin, "Lamile, we got your message. The kids are okay! See!" On the word "see" all the kids that Lamile had to leave by the side of the road or given to adults to get to a doctor ran in front of Jill. When they were all set a banner was rolled out from one side across the kids. It said "Thank You Lamile!" when it was fully extended the kids yelled "Thank you!" and then Jill now standing behind the kids asked, "Message Received?"
# ###
Lamile was poking around in an abandoned store when she saw the envelope with her name on it. Although Lamile was a common name among Thonians she doubted that in an abandoned hardware store there would be an envelope for any other Lamile's. She opened it and found a data chip. She found a data reader near the cashier's station. She looked around to see if anyone was watching. Seeing none she put the chip in the reader. She saw the message from Jill and began to cry. The kids, the sick injured kids who hadn't been able to go any farther were all there. In a special piece the one that she worried about the most little Carlin said thank you from his hospital bed. One of the doctors then said in no uncertain words, "Carlin is doing okay Lamile, you got him here just in time."
She didn't see that Rhonda, one of her lieutenants, had followed her into the hardware store and seen the whole thing. She had suspected that Lamile was more than who she said she was; but she didn't know if she was a member of the Mounties or not. The girl quickly left. Rhonda didn't want Lamile to know that her secret was out of the bag. Yet Rhonda didn't want to share the secret with anyone. Lamile had gotten them this far with few problems.
Lamile made a quick message and left it for whoever had left the message for her.
# ###
"So after Sergeant Mitchum told you to stop you continued?" Lady Hawthorne was holding a Commandant's Mast for Gene Perkins, Mitch's assistant barracks chief.
"Yes Lady Hawthorne," the fourteen year old boy said.
"Did you know why she wanted you to stop?" Lady Hawthorne asked.
"Yes. She said that writing on the walls was an honors violation." The youngster answered.
"Why did you continue," Delores asked. They had found that in the boys shower, in Mitch's barracks that someone had written disrespectful things about Mitch.
"I don't know," the kid said.
"Gene," Jill injected at this point it was supposed to be her show. "I know you have been disrespectful to Sergeant Mitchum for a while. And I know you feel that you should have retained your post as barracks chief. It was my decision to put Mitch in your place."
Jill looked at the boy who was barely a teenager. She wanted to see how he handled what she was saying. When he said nothing, she continued. "Gene, you have one opportunity to tell us why you did what you did. We expect you to tell us the truth and to be honest with us."
Lady Hawthorne sat watching Jill do her thing. She wanted to jump in; but Sergeant Green had taken her aside and told her that she had to let Jill do the job. Jill had to learn how to do this.
"Okay Gene," Jill said when the kid didn't answer, "Here is the holo of what you did. It also shows that you were asked by Cadet Mitchum to stop and to clean up your mess.
Which you did not do! Do you have anything to say now?"
The holo from the School Mistress surveillance system played in the conference room. It showed the kid scrolling something on the wall and Mitchum asking that the kid stop and clean it up.
"Is that you?" Jill asked.
"Yes," The kid said.
"Now do you have anything to say?" Jill asked.
"I don't know why I did it. I thought it was unfair that Valerie took my job." The kid said, "I had spent several days learning how to do the job and getting the kids to do what needed to be done. I thought it was unfair to turn it over to Mitch." "Didn't Mitch ask you to help her? To be her assistant," Jill asked.
The kid nodded.
"And you fought her the entire way didn't you." Jill asked.
"Yes," Gene responded.
"From what Sergeant Mitchum has said, she gave you every chance to work with her didn't she?" Jill asked. The kid nodded. "Just so the record is clear Mitch did not report you. School Mistress did; but only after you failed to work with Mitch. Mitch tried to work with you without putting you on report. Are you aware of that?"
"No! I was not aware of that!" Gene said looking at his cadet sergeant.
"She didn't want you to have any demerits on your cadet record." Jill said, "For that is what she is supposed to do. Her job is to train you to replace her, and to work with you so the whole squad can achieve their goals. As such she failed you also for not reporting to me the problems she was having so we wouldn't be here today." She looked at Mitch. She had already spoken to Mitch, and Mitch knew what was coming next. "You have failed Mitch and your cadets, and you both have failed me. As such you both have been given twenty demerits. Each! We will meet on the quad after evening mess, and we will walk off those twenty demerits. In full uniforms with riffle. We will march a perfect square around the quad twenty times."
"When you say we," Gene said, "Does that mean you too? "
"Yes! I failed to give you and Mitch the guidance you needed. So I am to blame for you not performing to my specifications." Jill said. That got Millie Green's attention. Never had she heard of the Cadet Commander walking punishment tours at the Point on Earth, or other military academy because of their junior officer getting punished. That impressed her.
Later that evening when the three of them began their punishment tours Delores Hawthorne took to the newly built reviewing stand and waited until the tours were complete. Jill and Lady Hawthorne had set the first of many traditions in the short history of the academy. That when cadet officers drew punishment details, the Cadet Commander drew them also, and the commandant would stand on the reviewing stand until the detail was over. When Millie and Delores talked later that evening, Delores explained that she had failed Jill by not having given her the direction she needed. As time went on when Delores couldn't stand on the reviewing stand Millie did. When she did she stood at attention until the tours were done.
###
"I was surprised to see Lady Hawthorne standing on the reviewing stand when we did our tours," The princess read aloud to the class, "She didn't stand at attention but she stood there even when it began to rain.
"Now in my room at the palace," the young girl continued to write, "I am pondering what mom said earlier in the week. I don't want to be Miss Perfect, yet I believe I have to help set the standards that the corps will follow. Sergeant Millie has instilled in me the need to be if not perfect, careful in what I say and do. To set examples that can be easily followed. It about broke my heart to punish Mitch. In the short time I have known her she has become a good friend. Though I miss Lamile something terrible, Mitch is a great one to talk with. She sometimes sees things I miss or has another angle on a problem. I want to talk with Sergeant Millie and Lady Hawthorne about making Mitch a cadet officer. I need a couple of officers to help me run the corps. Mitch seems to be perfect as a candidate.
"Now that I think about it the look on Sergeant Green's expression when I said we would be walking tours and when I said we I also meant myself was unbelievable. A couple of the kids watched us as we walked the tours also. My feet are sore I hope I never have to do that again." The princess concluded her reading.
"To this day when a cadet draws tours on the chopping block, their immediate superior is to walk the tours also. If a cadet NCO walks tours, their company officers walk the tours, and sometimes depending on the offense, every cadet officer in the cadet's chain of command up to an including the corps commander will walk tours. At the very least, if cadet officers have to walk tours the cadet commander will stand at attention while they do their tours." The general said, "As you know it is the goal of every NCO, and Officer on this post to lead in a way that prevents disciplinary problems from going to the mast. It mostly works."
"Is that why all our officers are free with the butcher bill; but always try to help us work them off before going to the mast," Georgia Hawthorne asked.
"Yes," the General answered, "Discipline, appropriate discipline, is to be had at the lowest possible level it can be. Discipline that requires the attention of a higher level officer is a failure of discipline, and a failure of leadership."
T'harla nodded it had not been lost on him that the academy was one large leadership lab. Where the cadets were both test subjects and testers as they learn how to lead others in the profession of combat arms and public service to the Kingdom.
# Chapter 20: The Kids Come Home
"We could spend a whole quarter discussing Lamile Atomi's achievements." The General began her class, "I wish I had time to tell you of her entire journey. From what she told me later it was both harrowing, and exhilarating.
"She had been wandering the country side of Trena for nearly a month collecting kids who seemed to be on their own. Walking them to Trenaport where the authorities were eagerly awaiting them. As you read, Queen Jill had made preparations for when the kids came into the academy. She was concerned about the impact to the academy and how to deal with the sudden influx of so many kids and their problems.
"Other things were going on too," Alice said, "I still hadn't found the AI that was causing us problems. Also we were dealing with several looting incidents. The looting was something the police were having trouble stopping altogether. They were trying to slow down the large scale organized looting. Both the Mounted Patrol and the Companions were working the problem. On the same day that Lamile was bringing the kids home, the Queen and her command staff were dealing with a serious case of looting by Lieutenant General Latimar. He and some of his troopers on their security sweeps were looting whole neighborhoods. The General had asked for a Monarch's Hearing, and Queen Agatha granted it.
"We were also allowing salvage companies in to salvage whole neighborhoods. We didn't want to! We felt that the shipping being used to transport the goods off world should be used to transport our people off world instead. We needed the money though, the crown was quickly going broke, and the Queen's personal fortune was also taking serious hits as she used it to help with the evacuation.
"We were moving tons of people! Nearly twenty thousand people a day," the General continued, "the arrival of the attack carriers from the Empire helped a great deal. Also some nongovernmental organizations had managed to charter some ships and brought them to the kingdom. The Evacuation was a happening thing, even with some of the problems we were facing.
"The greatest single achievement of the entire evacuation was not the physical feat of moving nearly seventy million people off of Trena. That was just logistics," the General was trying to set the scene for her class, "The rescue of one thousand children by a woman that was almost a child herself, is without a doubt one of the greatest rescue missions of all time. It was concluded with the arrival of the abandoned, lost, and runaway children that Lamile Atomi brought to the old boarding school.
"Without a doubt Lamile was a hero of the Evacuation." The General stated.
# ###
Lamile was tired. But it was the type of tired that she had never expected to actually enjoy. She stopped by the side of the road as she watched the kids go by. She was shocked, dismayed, and pleased at the same time. Almost a thousand kids were walking with her to Trenaport. They could actually see the outskirts of the capital as they walked along the shore road. One of the kids near her same age came up and stood by her. Alan, was big for his age, and stood almost eye to eye with her. Lamile stood six two, and was considered of medium height for her people.
"What's up Alan," Lamile asked.
"Taking a breather," Alan said, He was a farm boy used to working hard in his parent's fields. He had come home one day from the fields to find his family gone. His sisters and parents were not home. They had left a note for him to go out to the south fields of the farm. He got there just in time to see a landing craft take off. That had been in the early days of the evacuation. He couldn't find them. He had assumed they had left on the landing craft. He tried to work the farm; but it was just too much for him. The farm was going to pot. He was sitting on one of the tractors, when he saw Lamile's gaggle of kids approaching the farm. He had quickly gone to the barn and filled the livestock water tank and hooked it to the tractor. He took it to the kids with everything he had that could hold water. He let the kids sleep around and in the barns overnight and slaughtered and barbequed a stag like his father had shown him. He had been taken aback, when none of the kids hadn't known how to help him. He had thought everyone his age knew how to do this. Latter Lamile had convinced him to come along. For a while he had driven the tractor pulling a couple trailers that held the smallest kids. Later he let one of the other kids who walked with a limp do that.
"It's almost over," Lamile said pointing to a landing tug roaring into space on the edge of the city. They could see several containers hanging from the tug, "We can't be more than ten miles out."
"Not more than that anyways," Rhonda, one of Lamile's assistants came up. Rhonda was a short girl, younger than Lamile; but was filled with life and was Lamile's whip. If one of the kids acted up it was Rhonda who took care of it. Lamile had scolded Rhonda a time or two that her methods were too rough; but the kids would follow them anywhere.
"What's that?" Alan pointed to the woods on the other side of the road. He thought he had seen a wisp of smoke. When he didn't see it again, he said, "I guess nothing, time to move on."
They shouldered their packs and moved on. Not before Alan looked back one more time to where he thought he saw something. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen smoke. As a farm boy he had seen what fire could do if not controlled.
They walked for another hour, when Lamile decided it was time to halt for the day. Although it was early, not even 16 yet and very maddening to stop so short of their goal; the little kids just couldn't go any further today. She knew that in the morning, that she and her kids would enter the city proper. She suspected that by midday if not by sunset she would be back in her mother's home. She was a little apprehensive about her home coming. She had gotten one short note from her mother. It simply said, "We'll talk when you get home."
As they set up camp she pondered on the events of the last month. They had been incredibly lucky. The general and the guardsmen had made things happen for them. Every once in a while they would stumble onto supplies. Medicine, food, clothing once for a couple of the little guys who were all but naked had been left for them. She knew the SpecWars were looking after her. Every once in a while she would be walking around the perimeter of the camp, when one of them would make themselves known. Sometimes they would have an adult walk with them for a few days. That adult would be a guardsmen and he or she would pass on information. Every once in a while after she came from the latrine or from a nearby creek where she had wiped the grime from her face and hands, one of them would talk to her. They would pass on weather information to her, what roads to follow, what roads to avoid. They let her know about a group of men who were ransacking homes ahead of them and that they should stay where they were for a night. Carlin wasn't the only kid that they had to get to help. One of the kids had been very sick and Lamile had let her watchers know. One of them came down the road in a jeep. She explained that they were on the last jamboree of the Trena Scouts and their adults were in town. The man who Lamile knew simply as Big Brother took the kid and got him to help. Later she thought she had seen a landing craft land and take off again. She had worried herself sick over that one until Jill's message saying he was at the Royal Corps of Cadets Academy. They had heard about the academy. The kids were all talking about it as it was a place they could go and be safe.
Now as she wandered the camp, as the kids settled down for the day, she wondered what she would do after this. She wasn't old enough to be on her own. Yet she felt that she was not a child anymore. Although this journey had been harrowing, and nerve wracking, she had also enjoyed the sense of accomplishment she was getting by ensuring these kids got to safety. It had been a lot of work, more work than she thought it would be. And yes she knew that part of her success was because of the extraordinary men and women who had been shadowing her out of the sight of her kids. What amazed her the most was that many of the kids had not tried to challenge her leadership. A couple of the boys had tried to challenge her in the beginning, and had come close blows. But something her Uncle Mike had taught her. If you had to lead by being a bully you weren't leading. So when the boys had tried to take over, she had just simply said okay and let them have their way. Within a day, they boys were referring to her for leadership. Now on the eve of their arrival in Trenaport she surveyed the camp wondering what was next.
"Hi Lamile," Timmy one of the first kids to join her troop came up to her, "Rhonda said to give this you." This was a mug of soup.
"I wonder where mom and dad are," Timmy asked as they sat down on a fallen tree by the road. Timmy was greatly disturbed over his parents leaving him behind. "I don't understand why they left me behind."
"We may never know," Lamile took the cup. She tousled the kid's hair, "maybe it's something we need to move on about."
"Yeah," The kid said leaning out of Lamile's reach, "But I sure want to know why.
Was it something I said, or did?"
"Timmy," Lamile looked into the kid's eyes. "You don't worry about that. You've helped me as much as any of these other kids. You just keep up the good work. Don't worry about the past. Let's work to the future."
"Okay," Timmy said taking the empty cup from her. As he walked away Lamile had a glimmer of an idea what she wanted to do after this. Someone would have to work with these kids. Get them ready for adulthood. Too many of them had cried themselves to sleep many a night. She had heard kids crying every night. She couldn't mother all of them; but she could sure be their big sister, and help them make it after they got to civilization.
Lamile walked into the woods where one of the older kids had said they set up latrines. As she got there her ear bug came up.
"Wanderer, Big Brother." The ear bug said.
"Go ahead Big Brother." She recognized the voice as one of the Black Guardsmen who was watching over them.
"I am coming out of the woods. Stay where you are." The man said. "I need a face to face. We got some trouble."
"Okay," Lamile said wondering what sort of trouble. Usually they talked only over the ear bug, seldom face to face, so the kids would not be spooked. When they did talk face to face it was in places where they had privacy.
"Hi kid," the marine NCO said. He was old enough to be her father. "Look, you have a forest fire behind you."
"How bad," Lamile asked.
"Bad enough." the NCO said, "The brass want you moving. I told them that your little guys are worn out."
"Damn." Lamile said. "Did Chief Able drop her FireBots on the fire?" "I don't know," The NCO said.
"Lamile!" Rhonda yelled, "Where are you?"
"Here!" Lamile yelled. The girl came up stopping cold in her tracks when she saw the Marine. She had known that Lamile had been talking to people and she was more than she let on to be; but this was really the first time she had seen anyone talking with her.
"What's up?" Lamile asked.
"We have smoke on the horizon behind us." Rhonda said, "We need to break camp and get moving."
"Make it happen, Rhonda! Sarge, I know this is going to spook my kids; but bring your troops in. I need some help. I don't know if you can get us lift fast enough; but can you try to get us some Elsies or trucks?"
"Call General Langtree direct while I get my troops and talk to the LT." The Black Guardsman said.
"General Langtree this is Lamile." Lamile called.
"This is David, Lamile," the General's baritone was not degraded by the small ear bug.
"General I have a situation. We have a forest fire coming up behind us. I need some transport fast." Lamile asked.
"It'll be an hour before I can get anything to you on the ground." The General said, "Let me get air ops on the horn and see what I can do. In the meantime get your kids moving."
"Aye sir," Lamile said.
"Lamile, take care and you're doing great! I'll tell your mother what's going on." General Langtree said.
Lamile relieved herself and ran to where the kids were breaking camp. "I want a nose count! Alan, Rhonda. Get some kids left and right of our group. Walk everyone to the road. Keep them on the road." Alan nodded pointed to a couple of older kids and worked to the left of the group Rhonda waved and grabbed a couple of kids and pointed them to the right of the group.
As she worked to back of the large group of kids she found the marines. They were respectfully waiting for her. This surprised her. The lieutenant approached her. "Major, what are your orders?"
"Major?" Lamile asked.
"Major," Big Brother replied, "You have been carried on the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets as major, and the second in command of them since it was founded a month ago."
"Our orders are to support you and your kids and to take our orders from you. This comes directly from Evac One, and the Queen." The lieutenant relayed his orders.
"Oh," a stunned Lamile said softly, "We'll be the back of the back Lieutenant. Send a couple of your guys up to help the kids get on the road. We want to herd the entire group on to the road and towards town. General Langtree is promising trucks in an hour. That's about a mile and half maybe two down the road for my guys."
"Aye-aye," The LT nodded to the marines who started to take up their positions. As they walked at the back of the group as it moved down the road the Lieutenant turned to his young companion. "Major, a couple of us have been watching you for nearly a month. I've been with you the entire time and before we both get separated by fate, I want you to know I have written an endorsement for the Guard to recruit you."
Lamile looked at the lieutenant not knowing what say to say as he put a piece of paper with his name grade and duty station in her hand. She knew that the Black Guard was the Special Forces, Special Force. They didn't have to be a SpecWar before they were ever invited to become one of the Empire's legendary Black Guardsmen; but most of them were. There were officers from law enforcement units, the Interstellar Rescue Service, the Imperial Navy and others who were the best in their units. She was flattered; but she had made up her mind. She was not going to be a SpecWar. She didn't have the mind set to be one. What she wanted to do was work with these kids and see that they got settled. Maybe working with social services on Home helping to resolve some of the problems that were sure to crop up. "Thank you Lieutenant. But I don't think the Military is in my future. I think I want to work with families and kids in trouble."
"Major," The LT said turning around to watch behind them for a second, "There is a lot of work that needs to be done in the military. It is more than just guns and blood. We need people who understand people and can help our families. Even when we are not forward deployed, things happen. We are just like other families anywhere with our problems. We need people who have been on the sharp end of the stick and who know what it is we do. If we know that our families are taken care of then we can do our jobs."
"Thank you I will keep that in mind." Lamile said. "Now let's catch up with these guys I don't want to be left behind."
The two began walking a little faster behind the gang of kids now spread out along the road.
# ###
"Mylea," The Queen walked into Mylea's office, "Have you heard?"
"About Lamile," Mylea asked, she was in the process of closing up her desk to go meet Lamile. David had called her to let her know what was going on.
"Yes," The Queen replied. "Want company?"
Mylea hesitated. While she wouldn't have minded the young woman's company, she wanted to have some private time with her wayward daughter. She hadn't seen her in over a month and she knew that with what else was going on that she may not get a chance to spend much time with her over the next few weeks.
"Your highness," Mylea said, "if it's all right with you, I think I would like to see her by myself."
The Queen nodded, and said, "If she is done with her charges, and you wouldn't mind, I would like to meet with her and you at 20 today. I know I know, but after I complete that unpleasant business; I would like to spend a few pleasant minutes with two people who
I think a lot of."
"Okay, your majesty we'll be there!" Mylea said as her driver and protective agent came in. "Ready to go in a second Tony."
The mounted patrolman nodded and tried to become part of the wall as the Queen left the office.
Mylea was tempted to have her driver take here to where the kids were; but thought better of it. She was where the kids would be shortly and if she waited for them where she was she would be out of the way of the people who were helping them. She didn't want to be a problem. She watched as the news media began to arrive at the staging point. As they got out of the cruiser where they had parked in a restaurant's lot, Tony pointed to a column of smoke. "That may be getting worse XO."
"I know," Mylea said then spoke to the cars expert system, "Computer, tune to the fire network and the group that is fighting the fire just outside of Trenaport on the north side by the sea."
"Wild Land Fire Control to Trenaport dispatch," A voice called over the communicator as the expert system found what Mylea wanted, "I need additional units at the Wanderer Fire."
"We'll dispatch another full alarm." The Trenaport dispatcher called back.
"Wild Land fire control this is Chief 1." Janet Able's voice came over the communicator, "You are ordered to go defensive only. We're sending you more bull dozers, and other brush clearing equipment. Do not try to save homes. Just keep the fire from cutting the main road."
"Chief 1 we copy! Defensive only. Save the road and nothing else." A voice called.
That did it for Mylea.
"Tony! Get me there!" Mylea said, "I want to be where those kids are. Number 12,"
She addressed the cruisers expert system, "give me flight ops." "This is Flight Ops, XO." The AI controlling air ops called, "Stand by Flight Ops, XO to Chief 1" Mylea ordered.
"Go Mylea," Janet returned, her head floating in the holo of the com set.
"I'm going to order the alert birds in to pick up those kids. Do you want to load it with fire fighters or something?"
"Yes," Janet exclaimed, "Tell them to hold for a FireBots battalion. They're on the base we just need to get them to the birds."
"Janet can they be air deployed." Mylea asked having never seen a FireBot before. "They can be orbital deployed." Janet responded.
"Good I'll be forward with the kids. I will go no further than the rear end of the kid's column. I got to make sure they are safe."
"Understand XO," Janet said knowing if her daughter was in harm's way, she wouldn't be as calm or as collected as Mylea was appearing to be. It was one thing to watch other's children be in harm's way it was different when it was your own.
"XO, flight ops. General Langtree already has the bots moving. ETA to you is less than fifteen minutes. I am launching the alert bird off the Mercy. They'll be ready for a combat evacuation." A human voice said.
"XO copy all. Tony. Move your ass!" She yelled at her driver as she slammed the door on the cruiser. The police cruiser roared out of the parking lot and down the road. Tony brought the siren and lights on and soon found himself having to slow down as two hover cycle cops fell in with them. If he hadn't he would have ran over them. They made it to the kid's column in less than fifteen minutes. Just in time to see the landing craft come screaming in at tree top level and vomit twenty firefighting robots onto the fire. They were tracked vehicles with old fashioned bulldozer blades, and digging equipment. They also were equipped with presser and tractor beams to pull and push other stuff out of their way. There was a small tank of fire retardant and high expansion foam, as well as some small lasers to start back fires. They were designed to either put down a fire or make a fire break. They had been very effective in fighting wild land fires. They were supervised by two human operators who were on the last two vehicles out of the landing craft.
Their first order of business once on the ground was to form up on either side of the road and then engage their blades and move into the fire. Although the fire hadn't reached the road yet, the fire team leader commanded the FireBots to drop their blades and tear the ground up between the fire and the road. They knocked down small trees, and left an ugly scar on the ground. When they were finished they had grubbed out everything to a depth of six inches for two hundred feet on either side of the road for several hundred yards along it. They coated the ground with fire retardant. As they finished their first pass the team leader came up to where Mylea was standing.
"Good afternoon Chief!" The young woman said, "FireBot Bat 3 at your service!"
"That was impressive." Mylea said as another landing craft came in, landing in the middle of the road. She was watching the kids troop by and had yet to lay eyes on her daughter. She wondered where she was.
"Just a day's work for us," The woman said, "I think we can keep this thing from spreading at least long enough to get those kids out of here."
"Thank you Bat 3." Mylea said as the woman climbed back up on a FireBot and started to ride back into the fire.
"Mom," Mylea heard Lamile's voice. She turned as saw Lamile carrying a small child in her arms. "What are you doing here?"
"Just keeping an eye on my troops," Mylea said. It wasn't too far from the truth.
"Yeah right," Lamile was nearly drowned out by another landing craft landing. A couple of militia men jumped out even before the front ramp was fully on the ground. They got the ramp ready for the kids to board. A third landing craft landed and began getting ready to load the children.
"Alan," Lamile yelled. "Lieutenant, get them aboard. I need a head count no one lifts until I get a full count." She looked up and saw an IRS landing craft, "Wanderer to IRS"
"Go ahead Wanderer" A voice called in her ear bug.
"I need a slow low pass on our line of march! I want you to verify that there isn't anyone on the road after us." Lamile called.
"Aye Wanderer sweep being made." The pilot called.
"Wanderer this is Mercy 2 we have an empty bay. Can we be of assistance." a second voice called.
"Lieutenant we got enough lift on the ground?" Lamile asked as her mother watched in awe as her daughter handled the situation. Her baby was certainly no longer a baby.
"Affirmative major," The Black Guardsman returned, "almost too much."
"Mercy 2 we have enough lift on the ground. See if the FireBots can use your help." Lamile said releasing the landing craft to the fire department. "Major," The Lieutenant called. "We are short two souls." "Who?" Lamile replied panicky.
"Well if you got aboard the LC we would be full up." the man answered taking the child from her arms.
"Okay," Lamile said walking with her mother to the landing craft. "Mom I got to go with the kids."
"I know." Mylea replied she was torn between, going with them and going back to the palace in the end run she knew that Lamile had to finish her self appointed task by herself. "I know. Take care of your people. I'll see you at Serenity in couple of hours. Climb into something suitable for court. We got an appointment with the Queen at 20. I will meet you at the palace."
"You're not mad" Lamile had to ask.
"Uh we'll talk about that." Mylea replied. She had gotten over her anger weeks ago. "Just get your people to safety."
"Okay Mom," Lamile said hugged her mother and ran up the ramp to the landing craft's cargo bay looking around one last time before disappearing inside.
When the landing craft had taken off Mylea called over the com system, "XO to all forces at the fire. Good job! XO is clear and in route back to EVAC. XO out"
"Okay XO! I have you departing the Wanderer Burn." A voice called.
Mylea walked over to her staff car and told Tony to get her back. As they left the area she saw five trucks pull up loaded to the gills with people all carrying shovels, picks, saws, and other wild land firefighting equipment. They were followed by a couple of fire trucks. The FireBots had done their job of fire suppression but the human crew would over haul and make sure the fire was contained. By going defensive they knew they would lose some homes but they had to keep the road open for a while longer.
# ###
"Jill," Lady Hawthorne came into the library where Jill was researching her paper on government, "Just got word from Evac Command, Lamile is bringing the kids home." "I thought it wouldn't be until tomorrow." Jill commented. "So did I," Lady Hawthorne replied "Are you guys ready."
She had decided to let Jill manage and organize the reception of the children that Lamile was bringing in. She had reviewed the young woman's plan. Delores was satisfied that Jill's plan would work. Though she was surprised at who had done most of the planning.
"We're ready; Mitch and Gene have got things ready." Jill answered. After the punishment detail she had worked with both kids to make sure they never walked tours again, and then turned them loose on getting things ready for when Lamile brought the kids she was escorting in. Mitch and Jill had worked with Sergeant Green and the IRS medics to set up a receiving operation to make sure that the kids were properly in processed. This would be the largest influx of kids they would get so far. Maybe the largest they would ever get. Jill wanted the operation to go perfectly.
"Oh the Queen has asked that your honors platoon be at the palace by 1900.
Sergeant Green has a bus ready for you." Delores said.
"How soon on Lamile," Jill asked.
"They should be landing in about half an hour." Delores said.
"Looks like I need to get busy," Jill said closing up her books and standing up. She left the library and asked the School Mistress to get the reception team to the school's landing pad. She also asked that the honors unit be turned out for a palace job. It would be the first time that they had ever gone to the palace as a unit.
"Are we ready," Jill asked seeing Gene and Mitch putting the finishing touches on the reception area as she walked onto the pad.
"Almost Colonel," Mitch said, "just waiting for the Medics to get in place."
Jill looked around and saw the medic team from the Recovery setting up their stuff. Nodding Jill turned to her cadets.
"Okay cadets listen up!" Jill called, "the landing pad officer says we have three landing craft coming our way. They are loaded with about a thousand kids between them. When they come off the Elsies they will be a bit lost. Our job is to get them off the pad and to reception. There's about a thousand of them so we have to be fast and efficient; but not cold. Remember they have been on the road for over a month and many of them have lost parents and are trying to avoid the authorities. So when they get off the landing craft, I want you to make them feel welcomed. They are part of us after all. Just be gentle and take your time. Major Atomi is with them, she is in charge of the detachment." "We're ready Jill," Mitch said. She had most of the older cadets ready to go.
"Okay Mitch," Jill said as the first landing craft came in.
It settled to the pad and began to unload. The kids came down out of the landing craft looking a bit lost and bewildered. Mitch went right to work forming them into two lines towards where her helpers were ready to take their names and ages. Jill was surprised that these kids appeared in better shape than what they had found the kids in, when they first came to the school.
"I want any brother and sister groups to come up to me." Mitch called. "Just step out of line and come here."
Several of the kids stepped up to Mitch.
"Okay," Mitch called, "if you follow me, we'll get you started."
A couple of adults were walking the line forming the smaller kids into a separate line to move them off the pad. As they did Alan tried to stop them, "Who are you and where are you taking these little guys?"
"I am Mrs. Jasper," the older woman said, "We want to get the little guys to the cafeteria while we process them."
Alan was plainly upset. Jill was about to say something but Mitch beat her to it.
"Hello," Mitch came up to Alan, "I am Sergeant Mitchum. Is there something I need to know?"
"Lamile is on the last transport and she wouldn't be happy about separating out these guys." Alan replied.
"You are?" Mitch asked.
"Alan Penrose," the kid answered looking down a bit to the girl standing next to him. "Why?"
"Alan we are trying to get you guys all sorted out." Mitch said, "Major Atomi didn't know what we were going to do here; but if you give me a second I'll see if I can raise her."
"Okay," the young man said.
"Mr. Penrose I understand your concern," Mitch replied taking out her com,
"Wanderer this is Sergeant Mitch please respond."
"This is Wander," the strange girl's voice came from the communicator.
"Wanderer I have an Alan Penrose with me, he wants to talk with you." Mitch said handing the device to the young man.
"What's going on Alan? It'll be several minutes before I will be down." Jill heard Lamile's voice on the device.
"They are separating the little guys out of our group," Alan replied.
"It's okay Alan! They won't hurt them," Lamile called, "I have promises that we'll be okay."
"Are you sure," the young man asked.
"Is there a blond nearby that goes by the name of Jill," Lamile asked.
"I am here Lam," Jill spoke up.
"Are you going to take care of my kids," Lamile asked.
"I am going to take care of all my kids. Lady Hawthorne and Dad will have my scalp if I don't," Jill answered.
"Alan you can trust Jill and her people." Lamile responded. "Sergeant Mitch, Alan is one of my lieutenants. Work with him."
"Aye-aye major!" Mitch responded, "Mr. Penrose if you will come this way I will show where the kids are going to be for a while."
Mitch escorted the young man and a group of kids, both little guys and brother and sisters to the dining hall. As they entered the dining hall and were seated Sergeant Lucas' team made sure each kid had a cookie and a class of milk. That eased Alan's fears a bit.
"All we are trying to do Mr. Penrose is to make sure that they are taken care of." "It's Alan, Sergeant Mitch," the boy said.
"Alan," Mitch said with a radiant smile, "It is Mitch. Let's get back to your kids.
We need to get back to the pad."
"Okay," Alan followed the girl out of the dining hall. But not before taking a cookie himself.
Things were in full swing on the landing pad. The cadets and the adults were segregating the children into age appropriate groups and walking them up to other adults and young people who were taking their names and getting them registered. All the older children ages 12 to 18 were being given a package about the corps of cadets and how to join them. As they left the name takers, several more cadets worked to form them in to squads and lead them to where Millie Green waited with several adults and cadets to get them outfitted in clean new clothes. Then they took them to the dormitories where they were told to get rid of their existing clothing. Many taking their first shower in months.
Children who were sick or injured were escorted to academy medics. There the medics checked the kids over and treated them as needed. Between treating them, the kids who acted as medics on the Long March, discussed what they knew about the children who were sick.
"I don't know what I expected," Lieutenant Carnaye told Lady Hawthorne as he and the others were waiting for the last landing craft to land. "But I certainly didn't expect those kids to tell me what kids were sick and what they did to help them."
"It was mostly first aid stuff," Lady Hawthorne replied. "They were not as dirty as I expected either. I don't know if it was Lamile Atomi, or what; but those kids were in better shape than I would have expected."
"Yes," the medic commented as the last landing craft landed and the ramp open. A single thonian female was seen at the top of the ramp. As Lamile began to walk down the ramp, the kids who were still being processed began to clap and cheer. Soon the cadets helping the kids joined in as did the adults. Jill let it go on as she walked up to her friend and hugged her fiercely.
"You ever scare me like that again I will kick your butt!" Jill spoke to her best friend.
"Not a problem," she held her friend at arm's length to look at her, "I am so glad to see you! You don't know how much your message meant to me! I was so worried about Carlin."
"He's been worried about you too," Jill replied, "you'll see him soon."
Mitch came up and whispered in her ear. "You have that other detail colonel. I can finish up here."
"Okay Mitch," Jill replied then turned to her friend, "Lamile we'll catch up. This cadet commander stuff can be a royal pain. Since Mitch is needed more than I am here, I have to take the honors unit on a job."
"We'll catch up," Lamile responded then said, "Is there a place I can get cleaned up. Mom said something about needing to be at Serenity at 20."
"This way Lamile," Lady Hawthorne called and took her young friend to change into clothes suitable for court.
# ###
It had been an unpleasant thing. But it had to be done. Once she had sentenced the officer to Dungeon, the prison world; the Queen, General Qoum, Marshal Wilson and Lord Mercer left Serenity's landing pad and walked to the audience chamber where a very special event was to take place. The Queen had become quite impressed with what Lamile had accomplished, how she had gone about it, and the way the adults who had been watching over her reported about her activities.
Unknown to Wilson, the Queen had asked that his aid bring his coronation sword to the audience chamber, as the four of them walked in his aid handed it to him. Puzzled Marshal Wilson buckled it on. As they walked in to the chamber proper, a young voice called out, "Room! Atten-hut!"
Wilson turned towards the voice and saw some cadets from the corps of cadets standing at attention. It was the honors platoon from the academy. Behind them stood Lady Hathaway and several of the retired and active duty NCOs who were the corps instructors and advisors. Standing in front of the cadets was his daughter standing at rigid attention. As her father and the Queen passed she fired off a salute and called, "The Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets reporting as ordered your majesty."
The Queen looked to her left and saw a company of Black Guardsmen, militia officers and enlisted men and women who had been working behind the scenes to help Lamile, also standing at attention.
"As you were," The Queen responded.
As the assembled personnel from the various military organizations and the Mounties went to the at ease position, the Queen looked to General Alphine and nodded, saying "General Alphine will you join me on the dais please."
"Certainly your majesty," The Princess joined the small parade to the throne.
When they got there Mylea now in her dress uniform was standing with General Langtree as well. When the Queen reached the throne, she turned and nodded to the doorman.
The doorman was standing before the great ceremonial doors to the throne room. He opened the door. With the door opened he slammed down his baton on the floor calling, "It is with great honor, I present to this assembly of Cadets, Officers, and dignitaries, Miss
Lamile Atomi, Wanderer and Rescuer of the One Thousand."
Lamile timidly stepped into the throne room as the Senior NCO cried out, "Room Atten-hut! Hand Salute!"
With those simple words every man and woman in uniform, either that of Trena or that of other star nations came to attention and saluted the young woman who was now very uncomfortably approaching her sovereign. She saw her mother, her Uncle Mike, General Langtree, and Princess Carroll all standing at attention and saluting her. It took her breath away to see her mother, and her Uncle Mike honoring her this way.
Once at the throne, the NCO called "Return!" and the military personnel present slipped into at ease.
"Well Miss Atomi," Queen Agatha addressed the teenager standing before her, drumming her fingers on the large ornate throne's arm, "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Say for myself," the young woman muttered.
"Yes," the young queen replied trying hard to suppress a smile, "You have a lot to account for. The Crown has noticed your work of the last month or so and it has been brought to our attention that your efforts have saved the lives of over a thousand children. What do you say for yourself?"
"Majesty, I just couldn't let those children be left behind." Lamile finally found her voice.
"I see," the Queen continued to drum her fingers on the arm of her throne. "You scared the crap out of your mother and worried the death out of me." Agatha continued, "You have impressed the daylights out of General Alphine. What are we going to do with you young lady?"
"May I your majesty," Lisa who had been waiting with Lamile outside the throne room, had joined the group on the dais.
"Go ahead," The Queen said.
"It is obvious to one and all that this child, uh excuse me, young lady has accomplished much in the last month. But that she needs some strong guidance. My good friend, Mylea, her mother, and I have spoken for hours about her just and deserving pun... uh reward. We have come up with a solution should Lamile be willing."
"I trust this will be strenuous and fit the err results of her work." Queen Agatha asked according to the script.
"Oh indeed your majesty! May I approach," Lady Wilson asked.
The Queen nodded, and Lisa appeared to whisper into the sovereign's ear. The noble woman spoke into Queen Agatha's repeating what they had discussed over the last few weeks. This was for show; the decision of what to do with Lamile had all been worked out a week or so ago. They were only waiting for Lamile to get her kids to Trenaport. The Queen appeared to vigorously shake her head, then Lisa spoke again and the Queen nodded. Lisa stepped back.
"Lamile Atomi!" The Queen finally said, "Although your mother has threaten to send you to beast week at the Black Guard Academy, or make you think you were there for scaring the crap out of her. Her friends have convinced her that this might be too rough on the Black Guard." that brought a chuckle from the assembled Black Guardsmen, "General Qoum seems to think you would be a problem in the Trena Militia Academy, and your uncle Mike seems to think that you would drive his instructors nuts at the police academy too. So we have come up with a fitting punis...err reward for your service to the crown."
Lamile gulped a bit. She knew she was in deep trouble with her mother that there would be a private session that would be anything but pleasant for either of them. But she had no idea the Queen was going to extract some flesh too.
"Kneel, Miss Atomi," The queen commanded standing up from the throne and turning to Marshal Wilson, "Your sword Lord Wilson!"
"Aye," an astonished Wilson drew his sword. No one had told him what was about to happen. The Queen and his wife had kept what they had been planning very close to the vest.
She took the sword from his hand and turned to the young woman who knelt in front of her.
"By the power invested in me by the House of Lords, and the people Trena, I commission you Lady Atomi, of the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadets. From this day forth, you will associate yourself with the orphaned, and the rescued children of Trena who find their way to the corps." She danced the sword lightly on each shoulder of the young woman.
"Your majesty, I swear a blood oath of fealty to the crown and the children who are now in my care." The young woman said having read about the Trena knighthood ceremony in her high school civics class. "I serve at the pleasure of the crown." "Rise!" the queen said sternly.
The young woman did as instructed. Wilson unbuckled his sword's belt and approached the young woman. He quickly placed the belt around her waist drawing it tight. Then took the sword from the sovereign's hand and gave it to Lamile, "Lady Atomi, This is my commissioning sword. This sword was given to me by General Alphine on the circumstances of my commissioning as a Knight Commander of the Earth Empire. May you never draw it in anything other than in the defense of your commission!"
"Aye," the young woman took a step back and as she had seen her uncle Mike and Mother do on more than one occasion brought the sword sharply up in front of her face and sharply down again saluting him before holstering the weapon. Wilson saluted the young woman and said softly, "Turn and face the room Lamile. You need to say a few words."
The young woman nodded and turned to face the assembly. At first she was at a loss for words. Then shuddered a bit and seemed to pull herself together.
"I don't know what to say." Lamile started, "I had some extraordinary help." She noticed that several of the kids from the march who were now in the back of the room. "Alan and Rhonda, to name two of my lieutenants, I owe a great debt to the Black Guardsmen who shadowed me and the kids making sure no harm came to us. To General
Langtree, who somehow managed to get food to us without it looking that he had. To Chief Atomi, my mother, who let me do this thing, though as a few have said, she must have wanted my scalp for causing her so much worry. I also want to say thank you to a very special person. Lord Wilson. He has been my uncle ever since I was born, between his example of leadership, and my mother's care of me I would never have even attempted this.
"We all owe a duty to those who need help." Lamile said passionately, "Lord Wilson and my mother have shown me over the years what it means to have a duty, and obligation to people. I only hope that over the next few years as I set forth on the adventure that her majesty, my family, and friends have started me on; that I can do as well they have tried to teach me. So we can get back to the business of getting our people off world let me finished by saying Uncle Mike has taught me that it is people dummy, and therefore it is you the assembled officers, enlisted people, adults and children alike that make Trena great, and will make Home even greater as we work to get every last mother child out of danger."
Mike locked eyes with his best friend and nodded saying to Mylea, in that simple statement, you did good mom.
"Lamile," The queen said, "if you will accompany me. I would like to hear firsthand your incredible adventure." Queen hugged her newly minted noble woman and walked out the back of the throne room with Mylea and the senior cadre following her.
Once out of the public eye the Queen turned towards Lamile, "We'll catch up to each other. I rather expect that you and your mother have some err things to settle between you. Take a couple of days, and then contact Lady Hawthorne at the school. While your commission is to work with those kids, Lady Hawthorne, will be your immediate supervisor. Lamile, I had a long talk with the Lieutenant and Sergeant who did most of the shadowing of your group. They both have nothing but good words for you. He also related parts of your conversation this afternoon. I think you have a noble ambition. Part of your commissioning includes a small annuity, and a scholarship to any school that you choose to go to. I would hope you would use it to get some book learning on social services." "Thank you ma'am," Lamile said.
"Mylea," The Queen looked to the older woman, "I never did thank you for the loan of your daughter. Thank you. Not only do I thank you; but the people of Trena thank you for fine job you have done raising this lady to womanhood."
"You are welcomed." Mylea said. "She's mostly a good girl. Mostly."
"With only the occasional bout of first degree teen ageism." Lisa injected patting the young woman's back.
"Now get out of here you three," The Queen said looking at Mylea, General Langtree, and Lamile in the eye. "I don't want to see you for a couple of days XO. That's a Crown Order."
"Yes Ma'am," Was all that Mylea said as the Queen walked away with her protective detail.
"Mylea," Lisa said, "let us know if you want to get together later or if you need anything." Lisa said. Then turning to Lamile, "You did good, my friend. Very good. But you ever worry me like that again we are going to talk."
"Yes Aunt Lisa," the young woman responded contritely, "Trust me I know we all are going to talk about this one."
"Let's get you home," the General Langtree said, as he gently took her mother's hand as they walked from the palace. Lamile noticed how much her mother was enjoying the act of affection. She wondered what had gone on while she had been gone. She was going to have to talk with Jill as soon as possible.
# ###
"Wasn't Lady Atomi the last noble woman of Trenan Court?" Lamile Mitchum asked.
"Yes," General Jones answered, "She was the very last person to be inducted in the
House of Lords on Trena."
"But wasn't she named a lady on Home too?" T'harla asked.
"Yes she was one of the very few noble women or men of the old Trena nobility to become a noble here on Home." Alice Jones replied, "By a vote of the parliament the last noble woman of Trena Became the second one on Home."
"Grand mom didn't nominate her though, as she thought it was inappropriate. The cadets, unbeknown to any one, petition the house directly. So impressed were the members of the house; they endorsed the elevation the same day that they endorsed the Queen's nomination of her regent Lady McAllister to nobility." Princess Lisa spoke up.
"We're getting short on time," General Jones said, "so we'll wrap this up. Your academy started out as a way to house the children that the Trena evacuation command was finding. What you will read in the next few chapters, will give you more insight as to how we came about." The bell rang and she dismissed the class.
Chapter 21: A Place for Us!
"Me and Lamile spent a long time talking over the next few days as she settled into the academy," The princess was reading from the diary again. It was early morning before reveille. "I had wondered if she wanted to be my deputy commander, but as we talked I found out that she really wanted to do was to work with these kids, and when she found out that being my deputy would be the best way to help the kids; she bought into it lock stock and barrel.
"I had some hard decisions to make concerning her and Mitch. It was a hard one to make. Mitch was filling the role of my deputy. I have come to depend on her in the short month she has been at the academy. She is stepping up to the task of working with the cadet sergeants. They seem to respond to her also. When Lamile's crew came in and her assistants wanted to be cadets I was put in a position that I had to appoint them as cadet officers. I have talked with Lady Hawthorne and Sergeant Green about my dilemma. After reviewing their records and what they did on the long march, and seeing how the kids deferred to them, I had to make them all officers. All ten of them. Some of the cadets who had been working as NCOs, before Lamile's mob arrived, expecting to be made officers were a little ticked off. But surprisingly not Mitch. I am still not certain as to why. Hopefully over the next couple of days I will get a chance to talk with her. Though truthfully I think her people skills are better than mine, and Lamile's and the job of being the cadet first sergeant is mostly a people job.
"Sometimes I wonder about the pressure we are putting on Mitch." Grandmother Jill had written, "But she seems to be dealing with it. I think."
# ###
It had been a crummy day. Mitch was on the next to last rung of the cadet's honor system. As first sergeant of the corps it was her duty to look over all of the demerits handed out by the cadet officers and resolve as many of the issues she could before they went to Major Atomi who was the second tier of the honor system before Lamile made her mast recommendation. Once a week she had to go through the demerit log with the School Mistress. Mitch was still trying to get a handle on her position as the First Sergeant, and trying to understand Major Atomi. Now she had to recommend to the Major that one of the kids from what was being called the Long March, who had been one of her Lieutenants, was on top of the mast list. Mitch had been willing to give Rhonda a pass, as the offense was horse play in class.
"Sergeant Mitch," Major Atomi had asked, "Why are you willing to give Rhonda a pass."
"She has only been here a couple of weeks," Mitch began, "And the honor code hasn't been fully implemented with the kids from your march. I think if we give Lieutenant Morgan demerits, it shouldn't be as many as horseplay normally gets. No one was hurt, and the instructor thought it was kind of cute. His words Major," Mitch commented, "I just think coming down on her too hard may cause more problems than it solves."
"I let Rhonda get away with some stuff on the march that I shouldn't have Mitch," Major Atomi replied, "I scolded her a couple of times when I thought her methods were too rough; but she needs to understand as an officer now that she has to set the example for the rest of her company."
"The other reason I was giving her the benefit of the doubt was that she has quite a few demerits. This one could cause her to go before the mast." Mitch said.
Major Atomi said, "School Mistress display Cadet Morgan's honor book, and request that Cadet Morgan report to Sergeant Mitchum's office."
The honor book was displayed and Lamile who had not seen the book until that moment gave out a low whistle. "Mitch, I had no idea it was this bad."
"If this goes before the mast," Mitch said, "she'll loses her company. Other than her demerits, her company has the second highest grade point in the Corps."
"Okay," Lamile said, remembering a story of her mother's early years in the MPs. Of how her sergeant had demonstrated to her how her job was not to be just a disciplinarian; but to help make sure that promising officers and enlisted people were given a chance to better themselves. She looked at Mitch realizing that Mitch had already learned the lesson. She also realized that Mitch, who should have been the corps XO or have her own company, instead of holding a grudge, had accepted the role of the corps First Sergeant without causing a fit, and had so far in the few weeks Lamile had known her was proving to be good in the job. Lamile wondered if Sergeant Green was having some sort of influence on the girl before her.
"You're right; but we're going to make Rhonda sweat a bit." Lamile said, "We'll make her think she's going to lose her company."
It was at that moment that Jill walked into the office. She wanted to know when she was going to see the mast recommendations. Lamile answered Jill's question, "Me and
Mitch are working on it now. Jill, give us an hour and we'll have it for you." "Okay," Jill said leaving seeing Cadet Morgan enter the office.
"Lamile you wanted to see me?" Rhonda asked. She still wasn't getting used to the grade her friend now had, nor her own.
"Lieutenant Morgan," Mitch said sharply, "The executive officer asked that you report to her. You are not meeting her to go to lunch or to have a chat. Now report into her properly!"
"Lamile is she for real?" Rhonda asked.
"Stand at attention Lieutenant Morgan," Lamile snapped. The girl came to attention. "Let me see your book,"
Rhonda reached in to her cover and gave her friend her demerit book. Lamile paged through it. It backed up what had been displayed earlier. Lamile put on a show of shaking her head, clucking a couple of times. She finally said, "I should ding you for your failure to report properly."
"If you do she'll lose her company," Mitch said, "Is there some way you can see your way not to issue the demerit?"
"I am looking at her book," Lamile had said, "I don't know maybe she should lose her company."
"Major," Mitch said, "She's only been here a couple of weeks, she hasn't had time to acclimate yet to the academy."
"School Mistress," Lamile said, "Is there any other cadet who has this many demerits?"
"No Major Atomi," The school mistress' image hovered next to Mitch. She presented herself as a prim and proper older woman, "There is no one even close."
"I see," Lamile said, "Rhonda, I am very tempted to bust you. Bring you before the Mast and let Colonel Wilson deal out a suitable punishment. But part of Sergeant
Mitchum's job and mine is to take only serious offenses before the honor board."
Rhonda had heard of the mast. The mast was held once a week after midday rations on Saturday. The company officers would deal with the minor infractions leaving the serious ones for the Mast. She had heard the Mast could render any discipline that seemed to fit the incident including extra duty and punishment tours on the anvil.
"I don't think she has done anything serious enough to go before the mast," Mitch said, "I think that she is still getting used to the academy and that these are just settling in stuff."
"What do you suggest Sarge," Lamile asked.
"An apology to Mr. Berkin," Mitch said, "In front of the class she interrupted. That will remove the demerits gotten in his class."
"That will take her from the near probation status." Lamile said.
"Then I would suggest Duty Officer for the rest of the week." Mitch said. Rhonda had heard also of the duty officer. They were the cadet officer of the day for the entire corps. They were in effect the cadet commander for the period they were on. It was an attempt to let Jill, Lamile, and the cadet officers attend school and to give them a chance not to be on duty all the time. She would still have to manage her company, in addition to attend class. Some classes she got out of but not all of them.
"Rhonda," Lamile said, "will you accept our suggestions or do you want to go before the mast."
"I'll accept you offer," Rhonda said she could feel that Lamile and Mitch really didn't want to cause her grief.
"Mitch if she gets any more demerits she goes before the mast." Lamile said.
"Aye Ma'am," Mitch said marking the cadet's book.
"Dismissed" Lamile said. Rhonda had to learn that as good a friend as they were that some things went beyond friendship.
When Rhonda had left, Jill who had been in the adjoining office now came into Mitch's office with Sergeant Green and Lady Hawthorne. Jill went to office door and made sure it was shut. "What do you think?"
"We heard the whole conversation," Lady Hawthorne said, "There were two ways to handle it. One to throw her at the mast or two, prevent her from going to the mast. I really don't like those things."
"It is a failure of leadership when you have to do something like a mast." Sergeant Green said. "It means that someone has failed. The lower level supervisor leader hasn't communicated with the person, and the lower level supervisor hasn't been supervised properly by his supervisor. But you know that from Gene and your trip to the mast. The question is Lamile, will she come around?"
"I think she will" Lamile said, "She wasn't the first kid to sign up but she was one of the ones to convince the others. She wants to be here."
"Something is going on with her," Millie said, "She sometimes seems to know things she shouldn't."
"I know what you mean," Lamile said, "on the Long March she seemed to know what I was thinking."
"Well let's see how she does," Lady Hawthorne said.
Rhonda would become one of the top cadets in the academy.
# ###
Her day hadn't gotten any better latter when she went to her barracks she found that one of the girls had slit her wrists. She found the girl in the girl's shower. It was the first suicide she had ever dealt with. Thankfully this girl had not been successful and they were able to keep her from finishing the job.
After she dealt with that, she was informed that one of the cadets had missed dinner, which wasn't unusual, but he had also missed lunch and no one had seen him since morning formation. They found him coming in the gates. He had been gone all day and no one had signed him off the facility. As the CQ Sergeant it was her job to deal with it and write him up. There was no way she was going to be able to dodge this one. The cadets on the gates, the cadet's barracks NCO, the cadet's company commander, (thankfully, it wasn't Rhonda,) all had to be written up. Finally about 21 near sunset, the School Mistress poked her head into the CQ office.
"Okay Mitch," The School Mistress said, "Time for you to get away from this!" The School Mistress had befriended Mitch shortly after she came to the academy. She had heard Mitch singing one night and had joined in singing the harmony of the song she was singing. Later School Mistress had asked it if was okay to accompany her when she sang. Over the last few weeks School Mistress had talked with Mitch sometimes late into the night. Often they sang together. It had helped Mitch acclimate to her new surroundings. The School Mistress had become like a girlfriend rather than one of the people who ran the academy.
"It is time for me to make my rounds," Mitch commented. As sergeant of the Charge Quarters watch for the week she was required to check in on all the barracks, the front gate, and the other places around the academy where the cadets were standing CQ watches. She had just finished writing up the incident report on Cadet Dickenson, and wanted to get out of the CQ office for a while.
"Have you been to the Look Out yet?" School Mistress asked.
"Yes a couple of times. Why?" she answered the nearly ghostly image of the AI as she walked with Mitch on her rounds.
"Come on." School Mistress continued, "It has got the best acoustics."
The School Mistress walked with Mitch to the Look Out. The pair made an odd couple as they walked to the Look Out. The human girl walking with the ghostly image of the School Mistress fading in and out as she switched from emitter to emitter along the path to the Look Out. They found it deserted. School Mistress had picked her time carefully as she knew that Jill Wilson would often sit and meditate at the Look Out at the end of the day. It was a favorite place of many people in the academy including Sergeant Green, when she got a break from her duties. The Look Out was on a cliff that that overlooked the city of Trenaport. It was a natural shaped amphitheater that the old boarding school used to put on plays. It was a beautiful place to meditate, more so at sunset, when on those nights when the convention center control system, allowed the area to be bathed in rainbows cascaded from the convention center's turrets as the sun caught and directed the setting sun's light to the Look Out. School Mistress had talked to the center's AI manager to get what she was wanted at the amphitheater this evening. She was going have to buy the AI some books for the favor he did for her. The amphitheater was bathed in a rainbow of light as the sun set into the ocean. Even after the bombing the Glass Castle, as the center was called, the AI was still able to manage the prisms to bath the area around it with various lighting schemes.
"It's beautiful," Mitch said softly. This was the first time she had seen the Out Look this way.
"I know what type of day you've had and thought this might cheer you up. Make it better," School Mistress said appearing to sit down on one of the benches, "Try a scale. It's okay, it's only us."
Mitch looked around to see if they were alone. She really wasn't comfortable performing with people around. Seeing that they were alone she went through some scales, softly at first then a little louder. Her voice filled the amphitheater. School Mistress' appearance had changed she now was on the small stage of the amphitheater appearing to be seated at a piano, as she went through a couple bars of an old, old song. A song, she and Mitch had been playing around with for the last few nights. Mitch looked to where School Mistress sat and nodded and began to sing.
Mitch's voice filled the amphitheaters spilling out into the late summer evening.
Jill had gone in search of Mitch to discuss the Dickenson mess. She had checked the barracks, the library, and the dining hall and still couldn't find her. She knew she had duty this evening, but she wasn't at the duty office. She knew the girl wasn't off post, and that she was just walking the post as part of her duties. When she could not find the young woman anywhere, she decided it could wait until morning. She then decided to wander over to one of her favorite spots on the grounds. It was the spot that the captain she had dinner with that night on the space station had told her about. It was a small horseshoe shaped cliff that over looked Trenaport and the bay that Trenaport sat on. If she got the chance she would sit on one of the benches and watch the sun sink into the ocean. She was beginning to understand why her grandmother had carved out that private time in the spa at her estate on Mars. Now as she approached the Look Out with its amphitheater she heard singing. As she got closer to her special place she saw Alan and Rhonda standing near the railing with Lamile. The three cadets were watching and listening to Mitch, whose back was to them while she sang, Jill couldn't place the song.
"There's a place for us.
Somewhere a place for us. Peace and quiet and open air, Wait for us somewhere.
"There's a time for us.
Someday a time for us.
Time together with time to spare.
Time to look, time to care.
Someday!
Somewhere.
We'll find a new way of living!
We'll find a way of forgiving!
Somewhere.
"There's a place for us.
A time and place for us.
Hold my hand and we're half way there.
Hold my hand and I'll take you there!
Somehow,
Someday,
Somewhere!"
Mitch completed the song, and the School Mistress said, "I told you the acoustics would be perfect here, Sergeant Mitchum."
And they had been. Jill turned and saw cadets coming down the path. They had all heard Mitch signing. The sound carried over this part of the grounds where many of the cadets walked or lounged with our fear of being reprimanded by their officers, or the adults.
Mitch turned to walk back out of the amphitheater and saw the cadets standing in stunned silent witness. As Mitch walked the path she saw that more than one of the kids had a tear creeping down their faces. When she got to where Jill was standing with Rhonda and Alan, Alan spoke to her, "Sergeant Mitch, this is that somewhere, and that some place."
Mitch didn't say a word as she and Jill locked eyes, and Jill nodded. Mitch's song had helped to bring the cadets together, realizing that they were at a place of safety, and a place where they all belonged. Jill decided to let the moment run. She could discuss the problem with the Dickenson kid l later. She didn't want to ruin the moment for Mitch, or for her cadets.
# ###
Lady Hawthorne had not heard Mitch sing in person, but had heard about it. The entire academy was talking about it the next morning. She asked the School Mistress if she had recorded the event from the night before. She had and was playing it for Lady Hawthorne when the Queen had stopped by to discuss several issues with Lady Hawthorne.
The Queen was floored when she heard the music and saw the holograph.
"She could make her fortune as an entertainer!" Queen Agatha commented.
"It has never occurred to her," The School Mistress had materialized in the office, "She sings for herself. We've talked about it."
"I see," The Queen replied. Then she asked sheepishly, "Could I get a recording of this?"
"It's on the way to your palace mail box majesty." The school mistress replied.
Days later the Queen was having dinner with her former regents and saw the recording that Alice Mercer had gotten somewhere of Mitch singing. The next morning when she asked around, she was told that Mitch's song was being heard all over the Kingdom. The song, an ancient ballad from an ancient movie, became the song people associated with the evacuation. Mitch refused all the royalties she earned, saying it was something she did for herself.
# ###
"The song that Mitch sang that night came from an ancient movie called Romeo and Juliet," General Jones said at the end of the class. "Mitch had a beautiful voice. She could have made her living on the stage anywhere in the universe."
"Mom showed me some of the offers that great grand mom had," Lamile Mitchum spoke, "The Movie Planet offered her a contract that would have made her very wealthy.
One of the multimedia companies wanted her also. She never took them."
"Why?" Lamile asked. "It wasn't clear."
"Your grandmother felt that she owed two companions for her rescue," The General replied, "They changed her life and gave us the opportunity witness the growth of a special young lady.
"I worked with Mitch on a couple of her assignments," The general smiled, "She was something to watch. The three of them Jill, Lamile, and Mitch became the heart and soul of the academy."
"What about the others from the long march. After they get to the academy there isn't much about them," Georgia Hawthorne asked.
"Rhonda would meet and marry a gamma clone and they would both become the commanders of the Royal Maritime Patrol. Alan would meet a girl and would leave the academy on Home and begin farming. Others would become part of the various Home military, police, fire, the Home Emergency Response Team, and the Maritime Patrol. Some would go on to the anonymity of quiet peaceful lives others would become politicians." The bell rang and the General dismissed her class.
# Chapter 22: Her Mother's Interview
"Many of you have seen the interview that Lady Wilson gave to Don Least," the General began her class, "What you may not be aware of is that the Marshal was very protective of his family. He himself dealt with the press as he had to. He neither avoided them, or sought them out. He knew that as a public official, he was fair game for the press, but only his public life. In his private life, he did everything he could to keep the press away. So when Lady Wilson agreed to the interview when her photos were published
Marshal Wilson was very upset."
"I am going to read from the Queen's diary," The General said.
"I've been on Trena several months now," The General began reading, "I don't know why I was so concerned about Lisa. She has made me feel welcomed in her home and has been there when I needed her to be there.
"The affection between Dad and Lisa is awesome. I hope one day that I am so blessed. I know they have argued; but often I don't hear them. I did hear them the other night...
# ###
Jill had witnessed the fight between her father and step mother over the interview Lisa was going to give that evening. Since she had been on Trena she had seen only two arguments between her father and step mother. She suspected there might have been more, but she had only witnessed two of them. The first when her step mother wanted to go to one of the departure points for the evacuation, and now this one. Her mother wanted to do an interview with the Trena Media, Mac, her father's principle agent, and Pete Vornic, the evacuation command's public information officer, had finally told her father what was going on.
"You're not going to do it." Wilson said entering the dining room where a coffee maker was always ready to get a cup of coffee from. Lisa followed him into the dining room.
"Michael, I have never gone against your wishes." Lisa said, "I have never put you in a position where you had to say no."
Her father grunted. Jill who was home for the weekend was studying at the dining room table instead of her room or in the study. It was true. While she had been with her father and step mother, she had seen that neither of them did something that the other felt strongly against. They usually found a way to work around the issue that was causing friction. They usually worked to a consensus and although neither one was really happy over their decisions, both could live with it.
"This time I am," Lady Wilson said, "this is for you, for me and for us."
"I thought we had an agreement that you and the girls would never be part of a media circus." Wilson asked.
"This won't be a media circus Michael." Lisa replied, "If it goes the way I hope it will; Mr. Least may think he'd have been better off being at ground zero for one of the asteroids. Mac, Pete and I have had an hour briefing. If he gets too rough with me I have enough ammunition to gut him right before the entire kingdom."
"I still don't like it." Wilson said. "Too much of our privacy has been infringed on with this job. You are pregnant and..."
"Don't you go and be the big protective male on me Michael Aaron Wilson the third!" Lisa actually stomped her foot at her husband. "Pregnant I may be. Not as agile as I was without your twins in my belly; but the odd gods of the universe know I can still whomp your ass."
Wilson chuckled, and was about to say something, when Jill interrupted. Neither had seen her there, "I am sure that if she can't several of us would help. I am sure Georgia, Mac, Francine, Kellogg, and the few others I can mention would help."
Chuckling Lisa turned to her step daughter. She suspected that her step daughter was most likely correct but said, "Jill, stay out of this."
"I still don't like it." Michael said, "I know the media wants to know who you are but I don't want you in harm's way and I don't want you harmed. I know this could be good for the Evacuation but; I..."
"I don't like it much either Mike," Lisa said, "It took the girls to convince me to do this."
"Oh really," Mike said putting the coffee on the table by Jill as he reached for his wife. He took her in his arms and asked, "Do I need to speak to a couple of people?"
"No," Lisa said, "The Queen, Lady Hawthorne, and your mother are right. If I tell my side of the story; then it might be listened to. They make a good point. The people are hungry to know what type of woman is married to their savior. How he is supported by his family. This is good for the Evacuation, and if handled right Mr. Least will get his just deserts."
"I still don't like it." Michael said letting go of Lisa as he picked up his coffee mug. "I know you haven't told me everything about your on the run years, but these guys may have found out about some of that stuff. The stuff you haven't told me."
"I suspect he does," Lisa commented, "but he doesn't know the file that Mac has on him. That Mac has shared with me."
"I've seen that file," Wilson remarked, "Unfortunately, we can't touch him." "But I can," Lisa said with an impish smile.
"I don't want you hurt, and I don't want you to mess with Least too much. We need jerks like him to help us communicate with the people of Trena." Her father commented.
Now, as Jill sat in the Academy's indoor auditorium with several of the cadets preparing to watch the interview she remembered her Mother's impish smile.
The auditorium went dark as the stage area was filled with a holograph of a man of moderate build with sandy brown hair. He turned to the camera.
"Good Evening." he said, "I am Don Least and this is Day One."
He let the credits and entry music come to a conclusion and continued, "Tonight we come from the Queen's Private Garden. This is a small secluded garden that is used by the Royal Family to hold private gatherings or to obtain some measure of privacy from the palace retainers and staff. The Royal Family has graciously allowed us into this very private space to interview a very special lady. Her staff calls her calls her Mom Wilson. She is known as Healer to her protective detail. Her spouse calls her the Boss. She is known to be the anchor for the evacuation command. Simply put Lady Wilson, the lifemate of Lord Michael Aaron Wilson, Knight Commander of the Earth Empire, and Marshal of the
Trena Constabulary, is a Lady's lady. Good Evening Lady Wilson."
"Good evening Mr. Least." Lisa said, "Your words flatter me."
"All true though," The interviewer said. The people of Trena saw a slight blush cross her step mother's face. "Is it true that you are a bioengineered person?"
"Yes I am a delta clone, manufactured by EBio forty eight standard years ago on a small world on the frontier." Lisa replied, "Named Holly."
"The Delta clones are the top of the line models are they not," Least asked.
"We are created for perfection. Each of my brothers and sisters, all two million or so of us have been designed to have the highest intelligence, perfect bodies, the AO model of which only two thousands of us exist were specially designed for special abilities. I was designed to be a healer. I have an aptitude to learn medicine and such." "Are you a doctor of medicine?" the interviewer asked.
"No sir," Lisa said, "In the Earth Empire the best I could be was a therapist, but not a professional. Imperial law prohibits clones, from being professionals, though our
contract holders often used us as professionals in hospitals and such."
"Isn't that how you met your husband Lady Wilson," Least asked.
"Yes. His mother had been severely injured during a combat operation." Lisa replied, "The Interstellar Rescue Service hired my contract, as they needed a better therapist than they had on station. I went to live with the Wilson's I was only about twenty three standard years old then."
"Legend surrounds that time." Don Least said.
"Legend," Lisa asked.
"Yes," the interviewer returned, "It was said that was when you bonded with your husband, Lord Wilson that he was never the same after you left."
"I wouldn't call that legend, Mr. Least," Lady Wilson replied with a sad look on her face, "It was a time of great happiness in our lives. Afterward it was a period of great sadness. To be honest after I was removed from the station and forced to work with a containment team, I wanted to be with Michael. I secretly hoped he would find me and rescue me."
"Containment team? Isn't that is one of EBio's Security teams," Doug Least said.
"That's what the company calls them," Lisa said, "But they are nothing more and nothing less than legal terrorists. They are charged with finding, capturing and bringing bioengineered people back to their owners, or to assassinate them. Often as gruesomely as possible!"
"You were part of one such team," Doug asked thinking he had gotten the goods on the woman.
"For less than six months," Lisa replied, "I escaped from them after I found out that one of the team members had killed my husband's father. I had to leave the squad in a hurry!"
"Why is that," the interviewer asked.
"Since the marines couldn't touch the squad and render justice I did." Her step mother replied, and Jill saw her mother look away from the interviewer. The lighting changed so that it put her in the shadows a bit and highlighted her lower face; making her look sinister.
"What did you do?" The interviewer asked.
"Mr. Least," Lisa looked the man squarely in the eye, "I will not talk any more about that."
"But Lady Wilson, we the people have the right to know..." Mr. Least started, but a commotion off camera cut him off as they went to a commercial.
When they came back Mr. Least had changed his questions. The lighting had changed so that it fully lighted her step mother without it making her look sinister. Jill suspected it had something to do with the sudden commercial.
"When you escaped from the containment team, EBio put a bounty on your head for your return. This forced you underground." Mr. Least commented, "You were underground for what almost twenty standard years." "Yes," Lisa said.
"There are rumors, and rumors of rumors of that time. It is hard to separate fact from fiction." Least commented, "Is it true that you were the only midwife to several hundred women on a Theocracy ship?"
"More or less," Lisa said, "I had heard that this ship was heading for one of their colony worlds. The ship was a small passenger ship, and it needed a medic to meet the conventions. All of the women were joining their husbands, who had gone before them a few months before and were now ready for them. Unfortunately the master of the ship couldn't find a physician to travel with them. I allowed myself to be purchased by the ship. I watched over the women and the ship's crew on our three month voyage to Homage. I helped to birth 110 children. I lost only one woman, as she wouldn't let me touch her, as she thought I was an unclean harlot of Satan. Ironically when we got to Homage, their elder's wife helped me get away. She and the other women set the law down to their men, who distracted and delayed Captain Hozenbur so I could get away. I owe those women my life."
"Sounds kind of mutual," Doug had heard the story but thought it was rumor. "What was this I heard about you being a governess? Isn't that kind of out your line as a healer?"
"Not really," Lisa smiled, it was one of the better times she had on the run, "I had heard that the King of Rico had a son that was driving the palace staff nuts. They were hunting someone who could teach this kid. He had run off several dozen governesses, tutors, his protective detail was making bets on who would kill him first, his father, or one of them. I needed a job, and I knew that I was only going to be around long enough for Hozenbur or the company catch up with me. I knew though, that I would be living in the palace being this kid's tutor and governess that the palace protective detail would more or less keep the company away from me. Rico was also one of those worlds that the ruling families hated the company. It had something to do with a couple of so called rouge biopeople who assassinated a couple of them. They were actually containment people sent to teach Rico a lesson. They didn't like the company, and they were suspicious of biopeople, but they weren't above using us for certain things. They would also not turn us into the company if they knew we were on the run.
"So to continue on, the kid was a mess, he was about sixteen, and he thought he could just yell at people and they would do what he told them. He was disrespectful to everyone. His mother had died a few years earlier. He was an only child and he hadn't learned how to get along with people. More so since he was not just the heir apparent; but the kingdom's only heir." Lisa continued on. "I moved into the palace, eventually into a room off his rooms. He thought that since I lived in the palace and lived almost in his room I was to be his concubine. He found out in a hurry that wasn't going to happen. The first time he tried to bed me he found out what it was like to be tossed around like a rag doll. He tried to get me fired; but his father looked at me, then looked at his son and said, 'Miss Lisa, don't kill him, but if he steps out of line do what you have to! Oh here's an extra hundred for the lesson you just taught him.' needless to say Timothy wasn't too happy! Then the protective detail started taking bets as to how many more such lessons I would teach. It turned out to be like the fairy tale of My Fair Lady. I stayed with him three years, teaching him not only how to be a gentleman; but how to earn the respect of those around him. I introduced him to Queen Jasmine. She is a classy lady! Their first child is named after me."
"You mentioned a Captain Hozenbur," the interviewer asked, "Isn't she the EBio officer who is gunning for you?"
"She is." Lisa replied. Jill was curious how her step mother was going to answer that question. Her mother didn't avoid talking about Hozenbur; she just didn't like talking about her.
"Why?" Doug asked.
"I escaped from a company containment and alignment team she ran. These teams were supposed to work inside the company to prevent company officials from doing harm to the company. Things like selling company secrets. Back room deals for selling clones. Or anything else a company executive might do that he didn't want the board to know about. At first there were two types of containment teams. One was a deep cover team that went into a troubled Ebio operation and ferreted out the things the company execs at the operation were doing. Sometimes they took aggressive operations. Such as terminating employees violently. Sometimes just a quiet conversation with the offending employee, other times an employee's spouse disappeared. It was always done low key; but the company employee knew what had happened. Then there was the company police type of containment team. These people came in very publicly. They were the arm of the CEO. When they came in they could do anything they wanted. Well Hozenbur is a crossbreed. She worked both undercover and in public. Later when more and more of us were escaping from Ebio, or the people who had purchased our contracts, she headed a third type of team called a Runner Team. Her job was to capture the runners, like me, and then in a very public way, show my fellow biopeople who had not escaped, what happens when you tried to escape.
"Well a few years back I had helped a couple hundred or so developmentals, as we call children, who were being sent to Pleasure escape. They were destined to be prostitutes. None of them were over the age of twelve standard years old. They were sending children as young as nine to be sexual toys." There was venom in her voice, "I couldn't let that happen so I got aboard as a helper. What I didn't know was that Hozenbur had set me up. You see I had been on the run ten years at that time and Hozenbur still wanted me. She was still very angry that I had killed one of her team members and ad escaped from her team. The company security apparatus wanted me back for a couple of reasons. Mostly though because to date I was not the only the most successful runner they had ever come up against; but one to thwart some of their operations.
"I didn't know this." Lisa continued, "All I knew was that I wasn't going to let these young children be sold into sexual slavery. So mid-way to Pleasure I made my move. When I did Hozenbur, who had been shadowing the ship, boarded. There was a pitched fire fight. She was so intent on getting me, that she killed other company personnel, including a couple of people on her team. She killed several of the children. I finally got her cornered in a life pod. The transport's captain was going to let her stay in there until we made port. But I said hell no and ejected the pod when we came out of hyper. I truly hoped I had killed her. Anyone who would kill children is not a human being. I thought I was exterminating vermin!" Lisa said with passion, "I don't know who rescued her or how? I don't really care. I hope that the authorities arrest her soon. She is a menace to peaceful people."
"You're full name is Lisa, 1984 OAP," Doug asked. "What do the letters mean?"
Lisa frowned for a second as if she didn't want to discuss it. You could tell by watching that she didn't like it; but in the end that she didn't have any choice in the matter.
"I was the one thousand, nine hundred and eighty-fourth product, to be produced from the last genome group of the alpha lot. The sierra means surrogate. I was specifically designed to bring to full term human babies. It was thought that our contracts would be sold to such families that couldn't have children the old fashion way and wanted someone to surrogate for them. As part of the design, we were given the best genes for health, longevity, intelligence. Everything a genetic designer thought would help sell the product. We were considered perfect beings. We are based on the Delta Clones, who were designed to be perfect beings. Unfortunately when we were created the company bioengineers messed up. They couldn't sterilize us like Terran Imperial law demanded as then we couldn't carry children. So we were literally born almost pregnant. Thankfully, though we can only be made pregnant by a male clone of our same genome, or by artificial insemination." Jill caught Lisa looking away from the camera catching her lie. Jill knew better. Lisa had told her more than even she had her father. Lisa was concerned that her very public pregnancy might cause problems for biopeople who had escaped from production worlds. They were anything but sterile.
"You are pregnant now." The interviewer stated.
"Yes," Lisa said and saw a way to help her fellow biopeople in the future, "This is mine and Michael's second and third child."
"Is your husband a bioengineered human being," The interviewer asked.
"Not in the sense he is bio engineered." Lisa said, "His mother, one of the heirs of the original founders of EBio did do some genetic engineering to ensure her son had a certain look, things that parents have been doing for centuries. Now when you consider that the human population is now over several trillion galaxy wide it isn't much of a stretch that one of those trillions might have the ability to get us pregnant."
"I see," Mr. Least said. Mitch commented to herself, that she didn't think Least knew where to go from where he was. "So he is that one in a trillion?"
"Oh yes!" Lisa said with a dreamy expression on her face, continuing with softness in her voice, "He is definitely one in a trillion."
The girls who were sitting with Jill saw the look on her step mother's face and knew without a doubt what their commander's mother thought of her husband.
"Lord Wilson," Least said, "actually retired from the Imperial Marine Corps to be with you. This is almost straight out of romance novels."
"Yes," Lisa blushed, "it would seem so."
"Huh, huh," someone murmured. Jill couldn't tell who said it.
"He found you in his brig?" Least asked, "How did you wind up there?"
"It's kind of funny," Lisa smiled, "seven years ago, maybe not that long ago, I needed to be gone. I needed to be underground, and out of sight. Some place Hozenbur wouldn't think to look and I could do something meaningful. So I signed on with the Imperil Space Navy Medical Corps. Not the IRS. I got through basic, then the Navy decided with my history, that I didn't need to go through medic school, and assigned me to a small patrol boat as a corpsmen. That suited me. It was a small boat. It had a crew of thirty. I kept them healthy, and bound their wounds for about a year until my competency caught up to me. My C.O. and the Surgeon General for the area both recommended me for O school.
"Well I tried to refuse but one of the chiefs sat me down and read my beads like only a good chief can and convinced me to accept the offer." Lisa continued, "So I packed my space bag and started toward Earth where I was going to attend a ninety day wonder school. It was while I was on the transport, I heard that Michael had just been made a Knight Commander of the Empire. I had never tried to find him, or let him know I was alive."
"Why was that," Least asked.
"I didn't want Hozenbur to kill him." Lisa answered, "That animal would do just that, will do that if she thinks she can get away with it. Besides he had married years before and I wasn't going to mess with that. So I learned that Michael was now a Knight Commander and that more or less closed the door on us. A Knight Commander could not be involved with a biowoman. It would bring too much scandal to the Court of Columbus.
I knew Michael or thought I did. So I made up my mind we couldn't be.
"While I was on my way to the Maverick Academy, the Naval Investigative Service did a back ground check on me. They took my application and vetted it. They found out that I was a bioengineered person."
"But didn't they know?" Least asked, "I would have thought a simple DNA test would reveal that!"
"Well it would have if I hadn't messed with my original enlistment physical. I also had died my hair and changed my appearance to not look like a Delta bioperson. I had to do this, as biopeople are not allowed to serve in the imperial military." Lisa replied with some venom, "I didn't get a chance to mess with the results of the physical they gave me prior to my departure to Earth. The physical happened literally moments before I had to leave to get to the transport taking me to Earth. I was booked on civilian transport all the way to Earth. A doctor on Shortfall, where I was sworn in and processed for the Maverick Academy, processed the physical results had no choice but to tell the MPs. The warrant reached Earth several days before I arrived, and was waiting for me when I signed in at the
Maverick Academy."
She took a sip of water. Gathered her thoughts for a second then continued. "So when I reported to the Academy, the in processing clerk saw that my name was flagged for the MPs. He called the provost who sent an MP to pick me up. Sergeant Bren, who was the MP who arrested me, knew who I was immediately. She escorted me to the brig. Apologizing all the way! Sergeant Bren was one the MPs that my husband had trained over the years, and knew of me. I hadn't realized that he kept a photo of me on his desk in his office. Bren escorted me to the Capital Marine Corps Brigade's brig. It was where Michael found me."
"You didn't try to escape in route." The reported asked.
"Why?" Lisa replied, "If I escaped from Sergeant Bren she would be given a reprimand for letting a prisoner escape and besides I knew that within a short period of time I would get a bad papers discharge and be out of the military. It didn't make sense to cause any trouble. Besides I knew how the sergeant's network works. I knew that even if I could not be with Michael, he would make sure he saw me."
"So he found you in his brig," Least asked. "What was that like?" She smiled and asked, "Before or after he read my beads?" "Kind of angry at you huh?" the interviewer asked.
"You might say that," Lisa chuckled, "Everyone has a picture of a marine NCO being loud, noisy and profane. That his profanity could blister paint. Michael didn't raise his voice. He didn't use one piece of profanity. Yet he let me know how stupid I was. How incredibly lucky I was to be in his brig. Etc etc. Then he yelled at the guard to see that no one disturbed him for a while. Opened the cell door and well he let me know how much he missed me. Over the next few days we filled in each other of what we had been doing for the past few years. I didn't know he had lost his wife in child birth, and that he had a daughter who lived with Admiral Wilson. I also learned that he was retiring from the marines because of his heritage being a Hazelton."
"So you weren't the reason he left the marines?" Least asked.
"No," Lisa answered, "He had just started the process when I was arrested! It was nearly perfect timing on my part. Or so I thought!
"One day he and the JAG assigned to me came into my cell to inform me that the company in the person of Captain Hozenbur requested that I be released to her. The JAG said he had no other recourse; but to do that. I had been allowed access to both counsel and a legal library, both Military Law and Civil Law. The young officer was correct Imperial Law required that as I was the property of EBio that I had to be returned to the company forthwith. No one liked it; but there was nothing we could do about it."
"Is that when the Marshall broke you out of the brig and came to Trena," Least asked.
"Yes," Lisa replied, "He had already turned in his papers. His mother had died and left him her entire estate. When he found Hozenbur was coming to collect me, he turned
his fortune over to his daughter Jill, and left the Empire with me." "So the Marshal is a wanted felon on Earth," Least asked.
"Technically no," Lisa responded knowing she had just messed with the reporter's hate campaign against her husband, "As a major stock holder of EBio, he had just recovered a piece of missing property. He was legally entitled to take me out of that brig on Earth, to return me to EBio."
"But you said you escaped?" Least said, "That implies that you were running away. That maybe someone wasn't too happy with that?"
"Well Hozenbur wasn't," The biowoman remarked, "She and Ebio Security's chief were much unhappy about this. If it hadn't been for some very special friends we wouldn't have made it to Trena."
"Anyone in particular," Least asked hoping he could find some dirt.
"Yes," Lisa said and looked directly at the man. "General Carroll Alphine of the Imperial Marine Corps, Sergeant Nancy Bren, Lieutenant Andy Toliver, and the crew of the Mists of Empire. We couldn't have escaped from the company without them. To all of you I say thank you."
Least looked at Lisa wondering where to go from here. He had suspected that he could rattle her and make her say something inflammatory; but she had been rock steady and cool. So he started on his next questions, "Some say that you have encouraged your husband to promote clones ahead of other people with more experience."
Lisa flashed over right then and there. Her step mother was not known to have a temper. Even her father had reflected that it took a lot to anger her. Now, Least had touched a raw nerve and her temper came to the surface, "Mr. Least, it is true that a good portion of the evacuation command staff is made up of bioengineered human beings, but so is our society. My husband's staff is made up of Thonians, Earth Humans, and people from The People's Republic of the Stars, defected Theocracy citizens and native born Trenans. All of them have two things in common, they are first and foremost citizens of this kingdom of which you are not, and secondly they have a strong desire to help the people of Trena escape the devastating destruction about to befall on our home. You on the other hand are not more than a pip squeak, who for some reason unknown to the Crown, the evacuation command, and the people of Trena, have been working against them since the evacuation was first announced. Your actions have almost; but not quite reach the level of treason. It is only through the good common sense of people like my husband, Queen Agatha and the other souls in positions of authority that you have not been asked to leave Trena. My husband among others may not like you; but he has said time and time again that freedom of press means just that. We have to let you say and do what you do so as to keep people like him in check. Now we don't like you, and I almost said no to this interview. I didn't want to wind up on your trophy wall."
"Get him mom!" Jill said softly. Mitch and Lamile heard her as some of the cadets yelled, "Get him Lady W. You go girl! "
Lamile who had been slowly acclimating to her duties as the deputy cadet commander spoke quietly to Mitch. "Think we can put a parade together for Lady Wilson?"
"I don't know major," Mitch said. "We haven't done that before. Shouldn't our first parade be for the Queen or the Marshal?"
"Let me think about it Mitch." Lamile said. "I wonder what Sergeant Millie would say?"
Lisa began to speak again getting both girls attention after she had collected her thoughts, "If you have a problem with the way that the evacuation is being run? Then say so in plain English. But don't make snide remarks and back stabbing comments."
There was shocked silence in the small garden. Then Mr. Least said, "It is true then that your husband has been allowing the press onto the evacuation flights, and has let them go anywhere beside his personal spaces."
"That's right he feels that his personal life is his own, and that his public life is public. The management of the evacuation is fair game. His personal life is not. He feels that all of us are entitled to some privacy. A privacy some of you in the press think we are not entitled to."
"Why are you here then Lady Wilson," The man asked.
"Mostly because I felt it was time and so did my family that the people of Trena know about me from me." Lisa said, "We wanted to end some rumors that were going on."
"I see." The man said then saw his floor director was telling him to wrap it up. "I am afraid that is all we have time for this evening Lady Wilson. Thank you, for talking with me this evening." He turned to the camera and said, "That ends Day One, for this week. Good evening."
# ###
"Sergeant Green may I speak with you," Mitch came into the office that the Sergeant was working out of the next evening. She was packing up to get over to General Alphine's office at Fletcher Militia Base, where she would be the night Duty NCO for the Imperial Marines.
"Sure Mitch," Millie Green said, "but you have to walk with me."
"The cadets want to have a parade in honor for Lady Wilson." Mitch said, "A couple of them have come up to me and asked if they could."
"A parade," Millie asked, then she got it, "You mean a pass in review with Lady
Wilson as the reviewer?" "Yes," Mitch said.
"Why didn't Colonel Wilson or Major Atomi ask?" Sergeant Green said getting into her jeep.
"Major Atomi wanted to do it; but wasn't certain if she should make the request." Mitch said. "She was afraid of the proprieties of her asking, and we haven't discussed it with Jill."
"Write up the request, and present it to Lady Hawthorne," Millie said. "I think we can make that happen. Oh why?"
"Sir she is an example that all of us should be." Mitch said, she had met Lady Wilson a couple of times over the last few weeks, and had spent a weekend with Jill at the palace. "Besides she is one classy lady!"
"That she is," Millie Green said starting her vehicle and leaving.
A week or so later Mitch in her full dress uniform presented herself at the public gate to the palace, "Cadet Sergeant Major Valerie Mitchum with a message for Lady
Wilson."
"Okay," the guard said. Sergeant Green had given the palace a heads up. They didn't know when she would show up; but the word was to treat her as a VIP. He called the Wilson residence and got Francine, "Cadet Mitchum is here with a message for Lady
Wilson."
"I'll be down in a moment to pick her up." Francine said. The personal secretary and aid to Lady Wilson left her office and got into one of the small electric carts that they used around the palace grounds. Soon she was at the gate. There she found cadet Mitchum standing at, at ease waiting for her. "Hello, you have a message for Lady Wilson?" "Yes Ma'am," Valerie answered.
"Hop in then," Francine replied and the cadet got into the electric cart. It was only a few minutes to the Wilson residence. Francine escorted the young woman into the study where Georgia and Lady Wilson were going over some photos they had taken earlier in the week.
Valerie came to attention, Georgia nudged Lisa who stood up and said, "Stand easy
Mitch. Are you here for Jill? Did something happen at the academy?"
It was then that Jill entered the room. Lamile had called her to let her know that Mitch was coming to the palace for a presentation and she might want to witness it. Jill had no idea what was going to happen. Her friend Lamile wouldn't tell her.
"Yes ma'am!" Valerie who had been carefully coached by Sergeant Green said. "I have a message from the Queen's Owns Royal Corps of Cadets for Lady Lisa Wilson." She handed the sealed envelope to Lady Wilson.
When the lady opened the envelop, Valerie said in a nearly conversational voice, "The Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets request the honor, and privilege, of passing in review for Lady Lisa Wilson, wife of Knight Commander Lord Michael Aaron Wilson, the Marshal of the Trena Constabulary on Sunday next before midday rations."
Lisa was speechless. She didn't know what to say. She was fully aware of the honor that was being bestowed on her. Usually it was reserved for members of the alumni of the academy who had gone on to greatness. VIPs, or the Queen or the King, not someone such as her. A bioengineered human being. Deep in thought Lisa didn't say anything until Francine cleared her throat.
"Oh," Lisa said coming back to reality, "I would be honored and privileged to review the cadets of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets."
"We look forward to your presence." Valerie saluted turned on her heel and left.
"I'll take her to the front gates." Jill said.
In the cart Jill turned to her sergeant major and stated, "You kept this under your hat Mitch."
"I know." Mitch asked, "Mad at me?"
"No," Jill replied, "just want to know why?"
"I don't know if I can say it as elegantly as Gene said it." Mitch answered.
"Gene?" Jill said remembering the mast where Gene had been disciplined, "the same Gene who..."
"The very same," Mitch chuckling, she had been very surprised by Gene's statement, "but he said that Lady Wilson, because of what she did for other kids, and for other people, is the role model we should all be striving to follow." "Gene said that?" Jill asked.
"She is something special," Mitch continued, "but so are all you Wilsons!"
"But..." Jill said. But Valerie interrupted here, "Jill things just happen around you. But the cadets think an awful lot of you, your father, and the entire group of adults who are making things happening for us. Your father and mother have so much going on that for them to take time to help us is something special."
"But Mom hasn't done much," Jill retorted.
"She has done more than you think," Mitch replied, "She gave us our cadet commander, has made sure she is able to do her job, I saw how she looked after your father. I also saw the look on her face when Least asked her about your father. She is the one person who is not officially on anyone's staff but she does more for us than anyone else. I saw how she and your father are."
Jill was quiet she hadn't realized that Mitch was that observant. She was finding out more and more about her officers. Learning the same way cadet officers had learned since the beginning of time; by observing the work and behavior of their officers and cadets.
# ###
When Lisa showed Mike the request he was stunned as he commented, "You know
this is their first parade?"
"No! I had no idea," Lisa fully surprised, "Shouldn't this honor go to the Queen?"
"It should," Mike said, "But it's been decades since a military academy has had its first pass in review. The Trena Military Academy had their first pass in review three centuries ago."
That brought Lisa up short, then she asked, "But why all of this. The academy was just a device to keep these kids out of our hair. It wasn't designed to be a full-fledged academy."
"Things have a way of moving on their own." Mike replied, Joyce who was nearby chimed in, "they always do."
# ###
Next Sunday at 1100, the cadets began assembling for their pass in review. The cadet officers were inspecting their cadets ruthlessly. Jill was about to say something to Lamile when she noticed that Lamile was already saying something to her junior officers.
"Look! I know you guys want no mistakes when we pass in review." Lamile was saying to her officers, "I know you want the kids to look as good as Imperial Marines, but they are kids, just like you and me. We need them to be their best. Help them be the best by showing them; not by yelling at them. You have five minutes to get your guys ready to go. They are either ready to go or they are not."
"Yes ma'am," the cadet officers replied. Rhonda who was still adjusting to being a company commander nodded. Since they had gotten to the academy she hadn't seen much of Lamile; but when she had it had been to help get her settled in. She went to her company and did one more walk through, satisfied that the cadets were as best as they could, she made ready to move out. She had the first company. Jill, Lamile, and Mitch took their places in front the colors. Jill called, "Corps of cadets! Atten-hut!"
The entire corps of cadets nearly a thousand kids ranging in age from just about twelve to just about eighteen came to attention.
"Right shoulder arms!" Jill called and the sound of the cadets shouldering their arms was almost uniform. Only one or two cadets were a little later than the others. She looked up and saw Georgia quietly taking pictures of her cadets. Now feeling very self-
conscience, Jill called, "Corps of Cadets! Pass in review!"
With that command, Mitch called "Forward March. Silent Cadence!"
With that, the cadets moved out. The only sound was that of their foot falls on the walkway leading up to the parade ground. They filed into the parade ground that had been the old boarding schools main athletic field where they normally did their morning PT and roll call. As the colors passed the reviewing stand, where her mother, father, the Queen, and the adult officers of the academy sat in review Lisa stood up and placed her hand over her heart. The colors made one round of the parade ground and came to stand before the reviewing stand with Jill, Lamile, and Mitch standing attention. As the cadets filed pass her mother, the cadet officer in charge of each company called, "Honors Right! Hand Salute!"
When the entire corps of cadets was assembled, Jill with Lamile, and Mitch in unison approached the reviewing stand where Jill called in a clear crisp voice. "The
Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets reporting for inspection Lady Wilson!"
Lisa stepped down off the reviewing stand and walked with Jill and her party through the cadets. Several months pregnant she stopped here and there to talk with the cadets. She was very honored that these kids would do this for her. When she was finished reviewing the cadets she climbed back up to the reviewing stand, and spoke.
"Thank you for the great honor you have bestowed on me. I am honored that you would hold your first parade and pass in review for me. I am humbled that you would choose me for this honor.
"As humble as I am that you, the first cadets of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets would choose me as the person to inspect and review you," Lisa continued with mischief in her voice she continued, "I wondered why you choose me? Could it be that you wanted someone easy to fool? Who didn't know what she was looking at maybe? Someone who isn't say the Marshal, or the XO, or possibly General Qoum? Did you forget that my husband, is the Marshal, and my daughter is your cadet commander? So I have a good idea how to inspect you!" The brought some chuckles. "However since this was your first pass in review I didn't hand out demerits! However, Colonel Wilson and I will have an err conversation about the outstanding appearance of her cadets.
"Gentle souls of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets," she continued with a more serious tone of voice, "never forget that you are the first of a long line of young people who will make up the corps of cadets. That what you do from here on sets the precedence and traditions of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets. Thank you for this honor of being the first to review your parade. It is the start of a fine tradition that I hope you will continue. I only ask that you never pass in review for someone who requests the honor, that you continue to choose who you wish to honor! Corps of Cadets! Dismissed!" With that Jill did an about face and called, "Corps attention!" The cadets came to attention.
"Dismissed!" Jill called and then walked to where her parents were standing.
"Jill," Her father said, "They looked really good."
"Thank you," Jill replied, "But if it wasn't for Sergeant Green and several of her cohorts we wouldn't look that good."
"Well they did most of the work," Sergeant Green dressed in her splendid marine dress uniform came up. "But they look good Colonel Wilson." "Thank you Sergeant," Jill said.
"The cadets have the afternoon off." Lady Hawthorne said, "Would you care to dine with me?"
"That would be fine," Lisa said, "Let me tell Maggie..."
"Uh Lisa," Lady Hawthorne said, "She already knows!"
"I see," Lisa said, she turned to her mother in law, "I thought that the sergeant's network was military only!"
"I guess not," Joyce said, "I always did wonder how my noble friends managed things."
With that they went to the house that had at one time belonged to the school's head mistress but now served as Lady Hawthorne's quarters.
# ###
Though Jill was busy with the academy, she was never too busy to catch the news. She made a point to listen to a news cast at least once a day. The evacuation still continued on. It was amazing how isolated the academy was from what was going on around Trena. Her father had reluctantly decided that the cadets couldn't be of use to the evacuation force. It was getting too raw. She watched a news report of a food riot in one of the small towns. She saw with mixed emotions the death of Lord Ramsey. Duke Horton, who had been questioning everything about the evacuation, had criticized the pass in review for her step mother. The evacuation command was making great progress of getting people off world. About twenty-five million people had gotten off world so far. Ten million had gone to other worlds and around fifteen million people to Home. The news reports from Home were both grim and not so grim. She had seen the episode where a couple of nobles had tried to take over on Home, but the people hadn't wanted them. She had read with great interest where a woman named Suzy Gabriel had talked down a Lord Jenkins. Now as she studied with the Holo on, she heard that the people of Home were starting to talk about forming a government. She wasn't too concerned about it as the contract she signed with the Crown allowed exploration of Home and administration by crown representatives. She was almost certain that when it was all said in done that her family would still own a portion of Home in trust for the people of Trena but they wouldn't be the rulers of the planet.
The news media was reporting the fallout from her mother's interview. It was being felt inside and outside of the Empire. The interview had given the Empire what it needed to start reining the company in. As the Empire began to round up the company officers, those persons who the Imperial Bureau of Justice felt had committed crimes against humanity, were getting more and more people to turn states evidence. Princess Carroll was received briefings from Emperor Maxell of Earth with every courier from Earth. She had been home when the Princess had brought in two sealed imperial decrees that had come from the Court of Columbus. She was with Lady Gray. They had asked to see her parents.
"By order of his imperial majesty," The Princess General began, "Maxwell, Emperor of the Earth Empire, Michael Aaron Wilson the third, Chief Master Gunnery Sergeant of the Imperial Marine Corps, Knight Commander of the Empire is here by pardon for any and all actions he may have committed on behalf of the Imperial Earth Empire."
Princess Carroll handed the decree to her father. She then turned to Jill's step mother. Smiling deviously, as she began to speak.
"Lady Wilson," the princess said, "Raise your right and repeat after me."
Lisa looked at heir then to her mother in law. Her mother in law was dressed in her Interstellar Rescue Service uniform. She obviously knew something was going on. Her grandmother had not worn her uniform except on Fleet Day, for the last three years. Joyce nodded. Lisa did as she was asked.
"I, Lisa Wilson Clone Delta 1984 Alpha Omega Sierra," the princess began, and Lisa repeated what the Princess said, "Do solemnly swear to protect the people of the Earth Empire against all enemies foreign and domestic. I swear to obey the officers placed over me and to carry out such duties assigned to me to the best of my ability. Having sworn no other oath or affiliation to any foreign government I freely join the Imperial Marine Corps." "What going on Carroll," Mike asked.
"Well my father has decreed that Lisa be inducted into the Imperial Marines." Princess Carroll said, "Now to continue. Based on your service to the Empire attempting to bring justice to individuals that have suffered at the hands of the Corporation known as Earth Biologicals, I as commandant of the marine corps do hereby promote you to the grade of Master Gunnery Sergeant in the Imperial Marine Corps Black Guard."
With that she uncovered a plague that had Lisa's name and grade on it with the insignia of a Master Gunnery Sergeant. On the plague was the seal and crest of the Black Guard, a laser gun, and knife held by space suited eagle, a ribbon in the bird's mouth with the inscription, "we pay the price of freedom so others can remain free." Under the crest was her date of grade. Lisa looked bewildered but accepted the plague from her friend as Georgia quietly took some pictures.
The Princess continued, "By order of his imperial majesty Maxwell, Emperor of the Earth Empire, Lisa Wilson, Clone Delta 1984 Alpha Sierra, Master Gunnery Sergeant of the Imperial Marine Corps, is here by pardon for any and all actions she may have committed on behalf of the Imperial Earth Empire."
She handed the pardon to her. Then turned to Lady Gray, the ambassador to the court of Trena, who took out the final piece of paper, "Lisa here is your retirement papers.
Please sign it at the indicated spot and you will be retired from the Imperial Marine Corps." Lisa signed the paper work and handed it to the ambassador.
"Now will you tell us what's going on?" Lisa asked.
"After my father saw your interview he had a conversation with the JAG, and the Attorney General. They decided that they had to protect you from imperial law enforcement authorities and from civil suites. That's why Mike got his pardon. We decided to make you an imperial marine so that everything you did while on the run could be said to be under the auspices of the Black Guard. Since those missions and assignments can be very black, no one needed to know that you were actually on them. Since you have nearly twenty years of service to the empire, we couldn't let you be anything less than a Master Gunnery Sergeant, and then since Mike had retired we thought you wouldn't want to remain in service. The pardon was to give you the same immunity that Mike has."
Lisa smiled and said, "Gee, I might have wanted to stay a marine!"
"I am not sure that the marines could deal with two Wilson's being Master Gunnery Sergeants." Joyce commented.
"Me either," General Alphine agreed.
"Oh Lisa," Ambassador Gray said handing Lisa a pay card. "Here is your back pay and your first retirement check."
"You can't be serious!" Lisa asked.
"Oh I am afraid she is," Princess Carroll said, "With interest."
"But I don't need it!" Lisa exclaimed, "Mike's income and with the Crown providing our living expenses. We're in good shape."
"We looked into it Lisa and the AG and the JAG said that if we didn't' pay you we would put you in jeopardy." The ambassador remarked.
"How so?" Lisa asked.
"If we didn't pay you then the back ground work we did to cover your activities for twenty or so years would all be for naught." The ambassador answered.
"Wow Michael," Lisa interrogated the card via her implant and gave low whistle and said, "I might be able to keep you now!"
"That would be nice. Then I wouldn't have to work!" Michael said. "But seriously. Isn't there a charge of jail break and fleeing prosecution on both me and Lisa? As well as theft. Then there's Lisa's activities."
"The pardons are effective for anything you might have done." Princess Carroll said. "It includes all known crimes and anything you both might have done to save other's lives. Lisa's orders in particular cite she was to go as deep undercover as possible and that she was to hunt down and bring to justice the murderers of Marines and other Imperial personnel by people working on behalf of EBio. We have covered our bases very well and have made sure that no harm can come to you."
"Also," The Queen said, "You'll have a pardon from me to reinforce the Empire's. We have you both covered Michael, and Lisa."
"I hope so" Lisa commented, though she wasn't convinced. As it turned out though that would be the least of their problems.
# ###
"The repercussions of Lady Wilson's interview are being felt to this day," General Jones commented as they continued their discussions of Lady Wilson's interview, "the Queen's Home Emergency Response Team came about as a result of that interview. Today in this academy we have second and third generation of biopeople as students. Who have never known what it meant to have repay their creators for their very creation.
"As you will learn in other classes," the general continued, "This one interview changed the universe. Although many biopeople had been conditioned to never say anything about the Ebio Corporation, some biopeople who had escaped from either EBio or their contract holders started to turn states evidence in the Empire. Their testimony helped to bring the company down."
"But Lady Wilson's interview seemed almost benign," Princess Lisa commented,
"She didn't talk about the real evils of Ebio."
"What she did," a biogirl in the front of the class spoke up, "was to start the rebellion on a couple of planets like Trojack. When the company feared that Lady Wilson would be interviewed by the Imperial Bureau of Justice, they began to jump ship. Although the Empire suspected what the real mission of containment and alignment was, they couldn't do anything until Lady Wilson cracked the wall of secrecy a bit. It gave them a reason to swoop down into EBio headquarters on Earth and arrest the security contingent." "But it still didn't get Hozenbur," Someone commented. "No it didn't," the general replied. "No it didn't!"
Chapter 23: Help from a Strange Quarter.
"I have always been impressed with how my people came to help Trena," a young cadet, a biogirl from Trojack, was talking with a couple of cadets prior to the start of class, "The turmoil that my people were facing when the company left Trojack was amazing. Roy had been part of the shadows. He had been part of a group of biopeople who had been rebelling against the company on Trojack even before Lady Wilson's interview. When the company left Trojack, the planetary manager left Roy in charge. Yet with all the stuff that was going on; Roy sent firefighters, police officers, and other people to Trena to help the Marshal."
"Of all the people who helped us; the people from Trojack" The general had walked in on the end of the girl's statement, "helped us in a great time of need. They provided... well let me tell you their story...."
###
As she waited for things to start in the throne room Jill reviewed what had happen to bring her to the throne room with the honors platoon from the academy.
She had been called to her father's office and was surprised to see the Princess there, with the Queen, Lord Mercer and her grandmother.
"Jill," The Princess started, "This is Trudy. She is from Trojack. One of the worlds you own."
"Hello," Jill said not understanding what was going on.
"Hello Miss Jill," The woman a Gamma biowoman replied.
"Jill we talked earlier what might happen should the worlds you own want their independence." The Princess said.
"That's right," Jill said starting to understand.
"It seems that some company personnel ceded the world of Trojack to the biopeople living on it. The only problem is, that since they were not authorized to do that by you there is some question of Trojack's sovereignty."
"I see," Jill said then turned to the Galactic Council Representative, "Councilor, how do I let them have the planet."
"Do you cede control of Trojack to the people who live on that world?" the councilor asked.
"I cede my control of the Planet Trojack to the people of Trojack." Jill replied. Then realizing that she shouldn't be so fast to release the planet to just anyone she asked, "I assume that she has been checked out?"
"Yes," Lord Mercer replied, he had spoken with Kellogg earlier and had verified that Trudy was part of Trojack's underground.
"Miss Wilson," the gamma biowoman said, "We thought we would have to fight for our independence. We were certain you wouldn't give it to us!"
"Miss Trudy," Jill said softly, "All I have done is to give you a planet that your people run already. You'll have to fight to keep your independence. That may be a lot harder than me signing the planet over to you."
"It may at that," shocked that the young girl understood the dynamics of what was going on.
Trudy watched in awe as first the young girl before her and the Princess of Earth, and then the older woman who had said nothing during the meeting, signed the title of Trojack over to the people of Trojack. Jill handed the title of the world to her.
"Ambassador Trudy," The Galactic Councilor said, "The Galactic Council would like to send a representative to Trojack. We would like to start the process of Trojack joining the Galactic Council."
"That will be up to Roy," The biowoman said, "My mission is to help Queen Agatha get her people to safety. Roy was adamant that because Trena and her people have always been a safe harbor for my brothers and sisters during the company era that we need to help them."
The door keeper slamming his baton harshly down on the throne room floor brought Jill back to reality. She and her honor platoon were standing as part of the honor guard for the Ambassador of Trojack. She and the platoon came to attention as the door keeper called, "Presenting Her Excellency, Trudy, Clone Gamma, T500 -124 Y. The first Ambassador to the Court of Trena, from the Free World of Trojack." He slammed the baton down again, and stood aside to let the thirty year old, with the blonde shoulder length hair into the throne room. Queen Agatha, sitting on the throne watched the young woman approach her. This was the first ambassador to present her credentials to the kingdom since the beginning of the evacuation.
Trudy was a short husky and rather plain woman who vaguely looked like Lisa Wilson. There was a vague family resemblance. It surprised the Queen that a Gamma bioperson, a bioperson designed to be a sexual plaything, would be the representative to her court. This had surprised the Queen. She had expected a Delta bioperson, such as Francine or Lisa. Knowing that the Deltas were the top of the line, she assumed that the recently emancipated world of Trojack would send a delta as their ambassador. She was also greatly surprised that any world would present their ambassador to her, especially one who was in fear of being taken back over by EBio.
"Welcome to Trena," The Queen greeted the ambassador. Standing beside her was her Marshal, Michael Wilson, and her Foreign Minister Lord Kenworth. This was a special audience with the few ambassadors still on Trena, and a few handpicked nobles in the throne room including Duke Horton. Though getting smaller in number with so many foreign nationals having left the free world there were still some fifty ambassadors in the audience chamber.
"Thank you for allowing me to present my credentials your majesty." She stepped forward and stood three feet from the queen. She presented a parchment to the Queen that held her diplomatic orders and a greeting from Roy. As the Queen took the parchment she reflected that even in this day of electronics, computers and such, credentials and other official documents were committed to paper. Even such papers like parchment that been superseded by modern paper.
This was a mere formality. The credentials had already been presented in private to Lord Kenworth and the Evacuation Command earlier in the day. The Queen at first didn't want to hold this audience as she thought it was a waste of time. Jill had been in her father's office when Kenworth and Wilson both insisted that Queen Agatha should have it. Her father put it succinctly, "They are a newly independent world who may become a great trading partner of our new world. We don't want to alienate anyone at this time." Reluctantly the queen agreed to the audience.
"Thank you for coming to our assistance." Queen Agatha said bringing Jill back to reality, "Considering the turmoil Trojack must be in I find it unusual that your manager would send an expedition to Trena at this time."
"I found it strange also majesty," the young woman said, "but Roy put it to me this way. Trena has always looked out for our people. Your people have always accepted my people. Not as escaped biopeople; but as human beings. You have accepted our people into your culture, and society. Most, if not all have become citizens of Trena. You didn't turn your back on our people when they came to Trena in need, so how can we on Trojack turn our back on you in your hour of need. My mission, your majesty is to assist you in getting every last mother's child off your world. The people of Trojack are at your service."
"The people of Trena welcome your assistance Madame Ambassador." Queen Agatha replied. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Trena Diplomatic Corps, and the Court of Trena; I present to you the Ambassador from Trojack." The Queen stepped out of the throne, and stood with the biowomen in the reception line. It was a little intimidating to stand with the ruler of a world and be presented to diplomats from across the galaxy. As a biowoman she might have been present at such gatherings but never presented formally to the nobles and upper class at court. Especially as a gamma clone she had been designed and trained as a sexual companion. She stood with the queen as she was presented to the diplomatic corps and nobles from Trena. The last people in line were Captain Kellogg of EBio's Containment and Alignment, who unbelievably was escorting an elegant looking delta biowomen.
Trudy bristled when she saw the notorious company officer. She turned to the queen and asked, "What is that man doing here? He's a closer from EBio!"
"Was a closer for the company," Marshal Wilson spoke softly, "Right now he is one of my special project officers. His current task is to hunt down and bring to justice, Captain Martha Hozenbur. He enjoys a crown pardon, and we have an understanding."
"I harm anyone he cares about," Kellogg injected, "there won't be enough left of me to blot."
"But he's a closer," The woman said, "How can you trust him?"
"Trudy how many of the clones you have in that three hundred man force are ex company security. Almost all," Wilson said, "Yet we are not going to sanction them or prevent them from stepping onto Trena. We think they may be of some help."
"Mr. Kellogg," Trudy said, "I have read your file, and I know what you did for the company. It's a good thing Lord Wilson is vouching for you. Or I would kill you where you stand."
Kellogg nodded, and it was time to say his piece, he didn't quite trust these clones. "My number one vocation and life's work is to see that the biopeople who have sought refuge on Trena never be apprehended by the company. My friends and I will start a storm the likes you have never seen if you turn out to be a bad actor."
"I see that puts us all on the same page," Lady Gray said pleasantly.
"Ambassador," Trudy replied, "can I meet with you at some time. I have a message for Maxwell and his justice department."
"What type of message," Princess Carroll joined her father's ambassador.
"As I was departing Trojack," The gamma biowoman spoke, "The security police were packaging several company officers for transport to Earth. They are being charged with crimes against my people in the Empire. I have a letter for your father asking his help in bringing these criminals to justice anywhere we can find them and try them."
"We will send your letter to Maxwell. On behalf of the Empire let me extend our heartfelt sorrow as to what has happened to your people over the years. I wish also to say that the Emperor has been working hard behind the scenes to stop the abuse to clones, and just couldn't get things to happen."
"I cannot tell you how many nights Dad and I have discussed how to free the clones." the princess said, "now with EBio's CEO helping to shut down the containment unit, and Lady Wilson's interview we have the best shot in years of helping you and your people."
Jill who was standing with her platoon witnessed the confrontation and wondered just what the bioperson had on Kellogg. She didn't know anything about him except that he seemed to be working behind the scenes to help find Captain Hozenbur. She also saw how the Princess handled the information and tucked it away.
Kellogg's statement sobered the biowoman from Trojack a bit. Then she looked to the tall and imposing figures of Lord and Lady Wilson who were standing with a tall Trena Mounted Patrol Officer who stood 10 inches taller than her. "Lady Wilson, on behalf of the people of Trojack, I wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to you and your husband for the courage you have exhibited over the years in helping our people. I also wish to offer my sincere condolences on the death of your father Marshal. He, like yourself, has a special place in the bioengineered community."
Wilson was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "Thank you."
"I guess I should mingle," Trudy said, as Francine, Kellogg's companion came up with a drink for Kellogg. She just couldn't believe that a biowoman would be seen with a closer. Especially Kellogg!
"Come along Kell," Francine said. Seeing the puzzled look on the biowoman's face, she spoke to the woman from Trojack, "You don't have to worry about Kell. He's quite a reformed closer. He has done almost as much as Lady Wilson has, to make sure our people don't come to grief."
With that the couple walked away from the party, Kell taking Francine's arm. Shortly Trudy was wandering through the crowd. Her mission had several parts to it. One of them was to make diplomatic contact with as many diplomats to begin Trojack's entry into the community of Star Nations.
# ###
"Lady Hawthorne," the school mistress intruded into Lady Hawthorne's quiet review of the grounds. She was enjoying a quiet stroll by herself. Her kids were somewhere about being entertained by the cadets or being looked after by her kid's nanny. She looked around the grounds amazed at the progress that was being made by the cadets, and all the adults who were spending time at the school. A day didn't go by when some off duty group of Militia men, Imperial Marines, Imperial Space Navy, Interstellar Rescue Service or Thonian MPs, came in and helped out. Occasionally someone from the palace staff would show up. But what was interesting is that they seemed to know when they were needed and what they could do for the school. She had a good idea who was making things happen.
She didn't know how Sergeant Millie was getting it done. But she was. She spent a lot of her off duty time at the academy. She had managed to wrangle a transfer to Princess' staff so she was on Trena and didn't have to commute between the planet and her ship. She had even conned the navigator off her old ship to teach a math class every day. A librarian from the House of Commons had begun teaching a history course, a couple of Combat Engineers had started up a shop class teaching the kids how to work with tools. And of course every retired imperial marine or militia man on the planet seemed to be on the place teaching what they could and what it means to be in a military unit.
She hadn't thought the kids would be happy about all the discipline, and all the school work that was coming at them. But they thrived on it. Many of the kids had never received much attention from the adults in their life. The adults at the school were lavishing attention on the kids, and the kids were responding. Even a couple of the hard case kids that had been one step from juvenile hall, were working hard to stay in the corps.
It amazed her that the kids were coming around like the way they were. Now as she walked the grounds in quiet meditation, enjoying the results of her hard work and the hard work of the people who had bought into this super project of hers she was interrupted by the schools AI.
"Go ahead School Mistress," Delores answered.
"We have a landing craft in bound with twenty five fire fighters aboard. The Crown wants us to house them." The school mistress responded.
"Why us," Delores asked, "I know we got the room, but certainly there is some place else they could house these guys.
"Ma'am some of these guys are not that much older than our cadets and they shouldn't be that much trouble. They'll be mostly a self-contained, I had a long conversation with EmerServ, the fire department's AI, and I am happy they won't hurt my children." Lady Hawthorne snorted over the use of "my children" by the School Mistress, "In fact it might be nice to have these young people on the campus. We have a lot of adults in uniform but no young adults who have been cadets or like cadets. They could be a good resource to Colonel Wilson, and Major Atomi."
"Okay tell the duty officer," Lady Hawthorn replied, "Advise Colonel Wilson of the arrival so her officers can deal with the situation. I'll walk over to the landing pad."
When she got to the pad, a squad of cadets had formed up to offer honors to the arriving fire fighters, as well as an NCO from the Navy, who was acting as flight line chief for the school this week. The landing craft came in and gently settled to the ground. The front ramp opened as the chief made sure the craft was safe, out walked twenty people. They were all wearing coveralls that had the legend of the Trojack Fire Department over their left chest. They walked to where Lady Hawthorne was standing, the oldest one, a young man of almost 25 spoke, "Mistress, we were told to report to a Lady Hawthorne, or a Colonel Wilson at the academy."
"I am Lady Hawthorne," Deloris said as the cadets came to attention, "one second please, come with me for a moment. Just you," Delores was learning fast the ways of the military. Millie had been a big help to her.
He walked with Deloris to where twenty cadets were standing at attention. He got it immediately and walked quickly down the line of assemble cadets, in awe. There were Terran humans and Thonians in that group. They were offering him and his people honors.
No one had ever offered them honors. Not in this fashion. Some of the firefighters had heroically saved lives on Trojack; but none of his people had ever been honored in this fashion. Even from their fellow firefighters. The other fire fighters unconsciously fell into the same formation they did every morning when Army their captain, addressed them before their shift.
"Your developmentals look good miss," He addressed the developmental, not sure what the insignia on her uniform meant.
"Thank you sir!" the developmental responded, "Can my cadets assist you with your equipment and gear?"
He was speechless for a second; hoping Lady Hawthorne would help him but finally said, "Thank you. But it would be improper for me and my people to accept help from you."
"I understand sir," Mitch fired off a salute, and said softly, "Welcome to Trena sir. My cadets may be the first; but they won't be the last to say thank you for coming to our aid. If you need anything we can assist you with, we will be at your service. Squad! Hand salute!" The cadets came to attention and held it while Lady Hawthorne left the landing pad.
"All right cadets," the chief called, "get back to your duties. Sergeant Mitchum a moment please?"
"Squad dismissed!" Mitch called. The duty squad drifted back to their posts. Mostly back to study hall or the gym. One or two went up to the admin office where they sat studying, ready to be a runner for Lady Hawthorne's unit.
"Yes chief," Mitch asked after her squad was gone.
"You treat that man like an NCO." The chief said, "He's an engineer for the Trojack Fire Department. In case you are wondering, the apparatus officers are lieutenants, the station commander is a captain. He holds the same rank as a company commander. The Lieutenant holds the equivalent rank of platoon commander. The engineer is equivalent to a platoon sergeant."
Mitch nodded she would pass the word to her cadets.
"How much cargo do you have aboard?" the chief turned to the bioman who had reviewed the cadets.
"Not much," the fire fighter said.
The chief spoke to the bioman, "I've got a truck coming this way. We can load everything into it and take it to quarters."
"That would be nice." The bioman responded.
When the truck arrived at the landing pad, they backed up the truck and began loading the rest of clones gear. There were twenty boxes that contained the biopeople's turn out gear were put on first. They were followed by twenty five foot lockers, and twenty five duffle bags. Puzzled the chief asked where the other five kits were. He was told their officers, whose kits were missing, were with their officer's as they became familiar with the fire district they were being assigned to. Then of all things they loaded several musical instruments into the truck. The bioman shrugged, "Some of the older guys play fairly well."
Mitch who had nowhere in particular to be, was hanging out on the landing pad, helping a bit and talking with the people from Trojack, including one incredibly good looking young bioman. Something she wouldn't have done a few months before. She really didn't know what was coming over her. She saw the instruments. She helped the clones load them, as they loaded a guitar, the chief nodded to clone.
"Well everyone needs stress management," The chief replied, "I prefer poker but alas sometimes that can be stressful."
"But teaching youngsters not to bet a pair against a full house can be exceedingly profitable." the bioman smiled as they latched the tail gate on the truck. The chief replied,
"Exceedingly profitable."
A few days later Mitch while on her rounds as the duty sergeant found a couple of the clones playing their instruments in the Look Out, Mitch was very tempted to join them. If it had been near the end of her duty shift or had she not been on duty, she might have joined them. Provided no one was recording her. Although she had been a little upset at the School Mistress for distributing their recording, she had gotten over it as it was quite thrilling to have a recording being heard around the kingdom.
# ###
"The people of Trojack provided not only man power," General Jones was wrapping her class, "They provided us with several large ships. They were used to transport some very special people. Artificial Intelligences. Many of the AI's could not immigrate to other worlds, and Home was not built up enough to have many AIs. Some AI's were so part of Trena that they couldn't leave. DefConnie the AI that ran the kingdom's defense infrastructure couldn't be moved. Others like the Trena Space Control AI was moved to McKay and is still controlling space traffic around the Trena System.
"Many were able to be evacuated," General Jones continued, "Many are still in stasis to this day."
"General," the girl from Trojack spoke up, "Wasn't the Trojack Hostage Rescue
Team one of the groups Trojack sent to Trena?"
"Yes they were," General Jones answered the question, "and they became one of the heroes of the evacuation."
The bell rang and the general dismissed he class.
# Chapter 24: A Stretch of the Marshal's Legs
"Over the next few classes we will discuss one of the major incidents of the evacuation." The General said sitting on her desk instead of standing at the podium or behind the desk. "At this time the evacuation command had lifted almost three quarters of the people of Trena.
"Salvage companies were working around the planet salvaging what they could." The general continued, "We were getting word from Home how tough things were. People were living in the containers that had brought their goods to Home. We were not being able to keep up with the housing needs on Home. The crown reps were being ruthless when it came to using the planets resources to build homes. But there were now four factory ships in orbit and they were being fed by ships from Trena. But they couldn't keep up with it. But progress was being made in getting every last mother's child off Trena.
"In the middle of this the Marshal found time to do other things. It is amazing now that I think of it how he managed to be where he showed up." The general commented,
"Yet I learned more about leadership from him than from anyone else." "It started out as an ordinary day..." the general began.
# ###
It started out as an ordinary day. Lisa had prepared breakfast with Maggie for her family. She and Mike had compared their schedules. Mike wanted to get back to the palace to hear first-hand Lisa's doctor's report. He felt a bit guilty for not going with her. He had a full morning, with meetings with the Queen, As well as Bob Dupree from Boeing Space Works. Lisa was okay with him not going with her to the doctor, she sometimes like being alone with her doctor. Wilson then took Jill and Lamile to the academy. Both girls along with Mitch had stayed the weekend at the palace. Michael had made arrangement to do his morning run with the cadets. The cadets didn't know he was going to do this. Jill and he had planned it the night before. So dressed in his running clothes he took the girls to the academy and shortly before sun up he was standing on the quad with his daughter, her best friends, a couple of his protective agents and the school's NCOs. Wilson turned to one of his friends from the police academy who was the Academy's lead PT instructor and drill sergeant. "May I call your cadets out?"
"By all means Marshal," The man chuckled.
It had been a long while since Wilson had stood in the near dawn hours on a marine company's drill field, and called a unit to join him for PT. He wondered if he still had the voice to do what had once came naturally to him.
"It is now 0530, and your Marshal requires the presence of the Queens Own Corps of Kaydet to join him on the exercise field!" Wilson bellowed. He had refound his drill sergeant's voice.
The effect was nearly instantaneous. Out of the six dorms surrounding the quad, cadets of the Queen's Own Corps of Cadets flowed onto the quad. They formed up quickly and presented themselves to their officers and finally to Jill who snapped an about face and reported to her father. "Lord Marshal Wilson!" She called, "The corps of cadets are assembled. What is your pleasure Marshal?"
"I wish to stretch my legs this morning." Wilson said straight faced, "Would the cadets like to join me?"
The front rank of cadets answered for their commander, "yes sir!
"Then Sir Wilson, Marshal," and with devious grin his daughter quipped, "Daddy, my cadets would enjoy running you to the ground."
"Let's go!" Wilson called doing an about face and started out at an easy pace. As they passed the NCO barracks, the schools NCOs who lived on the grounds, were finishing up their morning roll call and the start of their own PT fell in behind the cadets. A few hundred yards on the biopeople from the Trojack fire department fell in behind the NCOs. As they ran through the grounds Wilson led nearly a thousand cadets, Black Guard, militia, and clones on their morning PT. And yes the cadets nearly ran him into the ground. He was used to running five miles a couple times a week to stay in shape; but he set a leisurely pace it would take him maybe an hour to run five miles. With the cadets nipping at his heels he ran the distance in almost 45 minutes. As they did their cool down walk, Jill and Lamile both walked without being winded. He chuckled remembering when he used to be able to put in that type of endurance and with a combat pack to boot.
"Well colonel, major, sergeant," Wilson said standing to one side as he let cadets pass him. "Your people look good. Thank you for letting me run with you."
As each company of cadets passed them they fired off a salute. He had expected that, and for the military to salute as they went by but not the company of firemen who dressed up their lines and as a unit did an eyes right and their officer saluted him. He was still getting used to the honors that were his because of his rank. He was still a little awed that he, a retired marine sergeant, would be entitled to the same privileges and honors of a general officer. It made him all the more conscience that he needed to do his job right.
McGregor came up with his car and waited quietly while he said his good bye to his daughter and walked to the car. Lady Hawthorne was waiting for him in the staff car.
"Delores," Michael said getting in the back, "You have done well with those kids."
"Thank you sir," Lady Hawthorne replied, "It's not what we thought I would be doing for you when I first approached you what six seven months ago?"
"No it certainly is not," he responded as his car began to drive to the main gates.
"I am concerned about all of these guys," Lady Hawthorne nodded to a bunch of young people walking to the mess hall who were not part of the cadet corps.
"So am I Delores," Marshal Wilson remarked, the children they had found and were still finding. "So am I"
"A couple of us have been talking," Delores turned to her boss, "hoping that the academy and the orphanage will become a crown institute on Home."
"I am worried about what will become of these kids when we get to Home," The Marshal expressed his concern as they approached the main gate. "I'll make sure these kids have a place on Home! These kids are our future. We have to do what it takes to make that future happen!"
"That we do," Lady Hawthorne replied as Mac stopped the car and let her out.
# ###
As Jill turned to walk back to her quarters to get out of her running clothes she spotted a young Gamma clone standing silently watching her and her officers. She had seen him with Kellogg a couple of times, she wasn't certain what he did with Mr. Kellogg. He seemed to report to Lady Hawthorne once or twice a week.
"Who is that?" Jill asked seeing the very handsome young bioboy.
"Now! Now!" Rhonda who was walking with them as they cooled down said. "I saw him first."
"She did," Mitch injected, as the young man walked over to them.
"Will you be able to get away tonight," the young man asked Rhonda.
"Yes," Rhonda answered, "But not to get off the grounds, I don't have duty, but the
Marshal has restricted us to the grounds it is getting too dangerous for us." "I'll see you later then," the young clone said as he left.
"Nice catch," Jill replied seeing Rhonda blush a bit.
"He is at that," Rhonda replied. She would never make her date with Stephen.
# ###
Her protective detail who normally lounged in the teacher's lounge with only Jenny standing post in the back of the class room, suddenly swarmed into the class room and took up positions near the door and the back of the room. Jenny went to the instructor and spoke into his ear, Sergeant Hanks, a retired Militia NCO was teaching the class. He turned and looked at the agent who just nodded.
"Colonel Wilson you are dismissed," the instructor said, "Colonel, my prayers are with you and your family."
"Thank you sir," Jill didn't ask what was going on. She just picked up her belongings and left with the protective detail wondering what was up. She knew something was up; but knew now wasn't the time to ask questions. They hustled her out to the quad where a landing craft was waiting light on gear for her. It surprised her that it was sitting on the quad not on the landing pad. When she was seated and secured, she asked, "What's going on?"
Before Jenny could answer they heard an explosion.
"Pilot! Get us out of here now." Jenny yelled as she turned to Jill.
"We have a Mountain Event." Jenny replied using the code phrase for a national emergency. It was the code phrase Jill had been taught to listen for, "we were instructed to pick you up and get you to the palace."
"We have an insurrection or something?" Jill asked.
Jenny's instructions were to get her charge to the palace, not to tell her charge that her step mother had been abducted and her grandmother injured. It went against everything she knew to be right, not to tell her. Jill was like a niece to her. That made her decision easier, "Jill, Lady Wilson has been abducted about twenty minutes ago,"
"Oh fuck," Jill cursed and got a stern look from her agent, "How's Dad?"
"Not certain," The agent said, "but he said to get you back to Serenity."
"Was any of the detail harmed?" Jill asked. There were a couple of agents on her step mother's detail that she liked. Georgia in particular.
"They used a stun grenade to take the detail down." The agent replied.
"Stun grenade," Jill said she had once suffered a stun grenade blast. She had been some place where she wasn't supposed to be, near a training area on Mars where the marines were having war games. They were not fun to suffer through. The killer headache would be around for at least a day. Then it dawned on her. Her step mother would have been hit with the grenade also, "Jenny, what happens when a pregnant woman gets hit with one of them?"
"Spontaneous labor if they are within the last month of their pregnancy," Jenny said, "But Lady Wilson was still a couple of months form delivery. She is a biowoman, and from what I know her type of biowoman is somewhat immune to those effects. It might not be fun but she shouldn't lose the children."
"Anyone else hurt?" Jill asked as the LC landed on the palace pad.
"Your grandmother," the agent said, "she was shot. I don't know more than that."
"Look!" Tom was point out the window where a pall of smoke was filling the sky near the academy.
"What the hell is going on?" Le'Gant, normally their driver asked.
Jill took her phone out and spoke into it, "Dad priority one," She told the phone. The phone would call her father's phone and even if it was shut off for a meeting it would come on. Seconds later his voice came on the phone. "You heard." "Jenny told me," Jill said, "Dad, are you at the palace?" "Yes. Where are you?" Mike asked his daughter.
"I am on the palace pad." Jill said, "Dad. Get your bones out here. Jenny, please tell the pilots to stand by to take us where grand mom is being treated."
"Aye-Aye," Jenny walked to the front of the landing craft where the pilots were.
"You're right. I'll be there in a minute." Mike replied.
"What about Abby," Jill asked.
"She's staying with Sally" her father answered.
In minutes the marshal with his detail, and personal assistant were on the landing craft, he stopped by the pilots and commanded "Take us to the Valliant."
"Aye," the pilot replied, "All stations combat lift!" With that the landing craft took off. As it sped to the orbiting hospital ship; four Space Air Superiority Fighters surrounded the landing craft. No one was going to get to the marshal and his family this time.
# ###
Near the old Trenaport Boarding School, the Evacuation Command was using a shopping mall near the school as an assembly point to evacuate people to the orbiting transports that would take them to Home. There was large crowd of well-wishers seeing people off. One of the well-wishers had walked away from the crowd to check out the large landing craft. He became fascinated by the landing gear. He found them extremely interesting. He felt the around one of the landing gear for a while leaving a small package. The man, part of a terrorist team sent by the theocracy, walked away from the landing craft his work done. He wondered why he had been told to sabotage this landing craft. By the time the landing craft was loaded the terrorist was several blocks away.
The landing craft carrying nearly five hundred evacuees suddenly exploded when one of its six landing legs encountered the package the priest left in its well. Although not a large bomb it was enough to cause the landing craft to crash and roll onto a small home.
Mitch had been searching for one of the little guys, who had turned up missing from the orphanage part of the school/academy. This was not the first time the kid had gone missing. Every time he had been missing, he had been found in an older couple's home just off the grounds. They usually called when he or any of the other children wandered into their home. No one knew how the kids were getting off the grounds. School Mistress was going nuts trying to find out how they were getting off the grounds. She knew there was a hole in her sensor net. There had to be. The kids were getting off the grounds somehow; but School Mistress had so far found no holes in her perimeter sensors. The kids would not tell them how they were getting off the grounds. They were eight, nine, and ten years old. So they knew how to keep a secret.
Mitch had just gotten to the home when the crash happened.
The landing craft had rolled when it crashed. Rolled right into the back of the home she was trying to enter. When she saw through one of the windows that part of the back of the house had collapsed. She didn't need any further incentive. She opened the door and went into the house to find the older couple in it. She found all them, including the little guy, all lying on the floor of the kitchen passed out. She quickly found that they were okay, just dazed. She decided that the little guy should go first. She picked him up putting him into a fireman's carry and took him out of the house. Once the kid was safe, she went back in and pulled the woman to safety. She laid the still dazed woman next to the little guy, and went back to get her husband. As she tried to get the husband to safety, he began to fight her. As she struggled with him part of the kitchen ceiling collapsed on her, knocking them both to floor. She brushed off the debris as she stood. Her right shoulder hurt like hell. She saw where the old man was. He was half buried under some of the ceiling debris. She quickly removed some of the debris and began to drag him out. Her shoulder wasn't cooperating. She couldn't put the old man into a fireman's carry as it was too painful. Instead she dragged him out of the house. She had almost got him to where the others were when she passed out from the pain. This is where one of the off duty Trojack fire fighter's found her with a piece of wood sticking out of her back. The next thing she knew she was in the school's infirmary with a worried Sergeant Green sitting beside her.
# ###
The landing craft landed aboard the Valliant about an hour after it lifted from the Palace pad. They were met by the ship's captain.
"Sir Mike," the captain greeted Marshal Wilson, "I wish you were coming aboard under different circumstances."
"So do I captain," Mike Wilson responded, "any news about Mom?"
"Admiral Wilson is still in surgery," The captain answered, "the chief surgeon is operating on her. It'll be a couple of hours before we know any more than she took a round in her arm and lost a lot of blood. She's critical but stable."
"Critical but stable," Mike replied. He knew that was not good news; but it was not bad news either. His mother was alive and in surgery. She wouldn't be in surgery if she wasn't stable. All he could do was find somewhere to wait until there was news about his mother.
"Marshal if you will come this way," The captain pointed to a hatch, "we have conference room set aside for your use."
"Thank you," Marshal Wilson replied.
They trooped to a conference room where a young ensign was assigned to stay with them. Liz, her father's secretary, captured a computer terminal and handled the com traffic that was still bombarding her father.
Hours later a softly spoken voice woke Jill up. "Marshal Wilson." "Keep your voice down please," Mike asked.
"Stephen?" She saw the young bioboy that caused so much excitement at the end of their run earlier that day.
"Hi colonel," The bioboy responded. "Kellogg sent me up to be with you." "Kellogg sent you up?" the marshal asked.
"Yes sir," The young gamma clone said, "He has some information for you. That he didn't want to discuss on the com. He didn't think the Evac would let him on the
Valliant; but thought I could get aboard."
"So he sent you," Her father stated, "instead."
"Yes, it's a message," the bioboy answered. "It was Hozenbur, Marshal," Her father nodded gravely at Stephan.
"She hasn't made contact yet; but as she didn't leave Lady Wilson behind, Mr. Kellogg has some hope that she won't be killed outright." Stephan concluded his message.
Her father gently got up and left. Jill could see the furry in her father's face. She had never seen her father that furious. She turned to the young clone.
"I hope I didn't make him angry at me?" Stephan turned to Jill.
"No," Jill returned, "You just confirmed what he suspected. He's mad at the situation. He's also very concerned about Mom. If we lose Mom I don't know if we won't lose Dad too."
"Oh," The young man said sitting down. "I am so sorry to hear about your mother. The Freedom association is trying to find her; but the witch who has got her, has gone to ground. But we'll find her Miss Wilson."
"Thank you," Jill said, "Would you give a message to Mr. Kellogg for me." "Sure!" Stephan replied.
"Please keep me informed of the progress you guys make. I want to be kept in the loop." Jill said.
"I'll let him know." Stephan said.
A few minutes later her father came in with the Chief Surgeon. "We have some news."
"Okay," Jill replied a little upbeat praying that being up beat matched her hopes for her grandmother.
"Your grandmother took hits in her right arm. The hits were through and through. One did hit bone and an artery. It bled a bit and that was what caused your grandmother pass out. She lost quite a bit of blood. But we have it under control and have cloned enough of her own blood to get her volume up. We have given her some nanobots. They will repair most of the damage that was done."
"How long do you think she will be here?" Her father asked.
"A week," the surgeon said, "We're going to keep her under while the 'bots are in. She is stable and she should recover 100%. She shouldn't have the problems she had twenty years ago. The damage is different and we've improved about tenfold." "Can we see her?" Jill asked.
"We have her in isolation Colonel Wilson," The Surgeon replied. "You'll be able to see her in a couple of days. We have quarters ready for you..."
"That's fine, but we'll be returning to the palace. You folks don't need me up here, and I have an evacuation to run." Her father said, "Ensign would you ask flight ops to lay on a bird to get us back home?"
"Uh Marshal," the ensign said, "The Elsy you came up in is ready to dock and take you aboard."
Her father asked, "Would you please tell the pilot we're ready to go home." "Will do sir," the ensign said.
Jill turned to Stephan and asked, "Do you need a ride?" "Yes," Stephan stated.
"Come along them," Marshal Wilson said as they walked to the flight deck.
# ###
It was the next day and Jill had stayed home from the academy hoping that they would find her step mother soon. She had been allowed to sit in on a briefing that Lord James held for her father, Queen Aggie, and Mylea. She could see the frustration on all of their faces. They were without a doubt at their wits end trying to find Hozenbur and recover her step mother. Now the next night she was sitting in the study trying to work on some school work so she wouldn't get behind when she was distracted by her father and her step sister.
"Dad, are you all right," Jill asked watching her father, where he was distractedly coloring with Abby. Normally he tried to sit with the child before she was put to bed, as often as he could. Sometimes he got home too late to do more than kiss the child good night after she had been in bed for a couple of hours. Sometimes the two of them went for a walk, or played some game. In some respects he was trying to make up from when Jill was growing up and he had to spend so much time away from her. Normally it was one of the best parts of his day. Tonight, the night after Lisa's abduction, she could tell he was getting little joy out of it. He looked up to his daughter not sure what to say.
He looked back to his youngest and then to the young protective agent who was sitting quietly by the study door ready to be of assistance to the family. "Sally would you see to Abby's bath?"
"Come on Little Bear," Sally said, "Let's get your bath."
"Will you tell me a story Aunt Sally," The little girl asked as they left.
"What would you like to hear?" Sally asked leading the child away.
Abby knew something was going on; but not what. They had told Abby that her mother was visiting a client on the other side of the planet, and she would be gone a couple of days. That would work in the short term, but not over time, Abby was a smart child for her age, and they would have to tell her. When her father had discussed the situation with Sally, Sally had agreed to the charade. Thinking the child wouldn't understand had happened to her mother.
"Let's take a walk Jill," Michael said standing up. "We need to talk." "Sure," Jill answered closing the book she was unsuccessfully trying to study.
They left the residence, and walked to the gardens. The gardens took up thirty or so acres in the center of the palace grounds. They were some of the most secluded areas in the palace, yet fully secure. Jenny walked a few feet behind them as they walked. As did Mac, her father's agent. Jill waited for her father to start, knowing he would have to do it his way.
"Jill, no I am not all right." Her father had turned and took both of her hands in his, "but there isn't a lot I can do about it. It is almost impossible for me to not join the search for Lisa. This may be the second and last time that I have lost her and I can't face that."
Jill said nothing, she had seen how close her father and step mother were. After her grandmother had chilled out and was talking to her again, she remarked on it to her. Her grandmother had nodded, not saying much only that her father had found that one special someone who had made it work for him. When she asked about her mother, her grandmother had said that her father had been in love with Killeen; but it was never the bond that Lisa and her father shared.
"Yet I must," her father continued, interrupting her thoughts after a few minutes, "face the fact that I might have lost her and that I have to go on. Hozenbur is one mean vicious witch. She is dangerous. I can't figure out what is going on with this. It makes no sense what she did. Lisa and Hozenbur have a history. Lisa has been associated with several of Hozenbur's failures. Hozenbur tried to kill Lisa a couple of times, and Lisa just survived, by out witting her. Dumped her into a life boat, and left her to die. For that and others Hozenbur wants her dead. When Lisa was seen on the holo with me that first night it told Hozenbur where to find her. I broke a promise baby. I promised never to put her or Abby in harm's way. And that's just what I've done. Put them into harm's way, and now you!"
"Dad," Jill spoke softly, just above a whisper, "Lisa and me talked about the danger. It was one of those nights when you were out with the troops and it was just me, mom, grand mom, and Lamile. She was so worried about you. Worried about all of us! She knew the danger she was in. Mom was afraid you were doing things to keep us safe, and not taking care of the business you needed to. She knew that this was the job that you were born to do. She was willing to take the risk so that the people of Trena got to safety!
"She knew that you had to do that and if she let you take her to safety she couldn't live with her self." Jill continued. "We just prayed that Kellogg would find Hozenbur before she could strike."
"Now what do I do?" Mike asked.
"Dad," Jill said sharply, "Lisa would say it maybe a little more politely; but she would, and you know she would say, Worry about me but get your ass in gear, you have a world to save now hustle your ass mister."
They walked for a while in quiet finally leaving the gardens, as they did Wilson turned to his daughter, "Yes, you are your grandmother's granddaughter. And Lisa would have my ass if I didn't finish this job. I can see that she is rubbing off on you."
Jill waked in silence for a bit and then said, "Dad I have had all types messages from the guys at school. They want to help."
"Jill it's too dangerous." he said as they began walking back towards the residence, "There is going to be death when Hozenbur's captured. She won't go down without a fight.
I can't and won't let your crew help."
"Dad some of my older cadets can ride along with the MPs and Mounties, we can do some of the jobs that are safe and will let some of your cops help with the search. My guys can direct traffic and walk security beats near the landing zones. Simple stuff that a handful kids can do with a little adult supervision," Jill pleaded. "Why can't we help out? My guys want to help. They know it's dangerous; but not as dangerous as the Long March that Lamile led. But Dad if they can relieve one Mounty or MP or Companion to help find mom then it is worth doing."
Her father walked in silence.
"Dad my guys want to help." Jill said, "We need to be of help and this is what the Queen had in mind when she created the corps."
"Lieutenant," Wilson turned to his aid, who had been walking with Jenny and Mac a discreet distance away.
"Yes Marshal," The young man said.
"I know I am supposed to be on leave; but would you get a message to the XO for me?"
The young man nodded.
"I want The Queen's Own Corps of Cadets to be assigned such tasks as befit young people with the Mounted Patrol, and the Companions. Tell her that some of these guys could be of use to General Langtree and that might put a few more bodies on the street. Under no circumstances are they to be put in the search for Hozenbur." Michael ordered.
"Aye-aye," the young militia officer replied. He noticed a change in his commander.
"And LT," the marshal said ruffling his daughters hair, "Be careful how you raise your children. If they are smart, they may argue you into logical positions you can't back out of!"
"Aye sir," the Lieutenant chuckled. Jenny locked eyes with her charge and nodded. Jill didn't know if Jenny was approving the way she had cooled her father out, or because of her suggestion. Whatever it was she knew that Jenny approved of her, and for some reason even with the grief she was feeling, that was enough. She had to help find her step mother. Her father wouldn't let her kids go hunting; but there was no reason they couldn't help out where her kids were not in danger.
# ###
"I have never seen Dad that furious," Princess Lisa was reading from the diaries again, "If the Princess and later Aunt Mylea had not cooled him out I think he would have left the business of the evacuation and began the hunt for mom all on his own.
"Later as he tried to be with us, I could tell his mind was not on what he was doing. I guess I wasn't either. I am so worried about mom," the diary went on, "I haven't been told the whole story about Hozenbur; but everything I have heard of her makes me very concerned if we'll get Mom back. If we lose Mom I am not sure that we'll be able to keep Dad glued together.
"He seems barely glued together." Jill had written, "Our walk together seemed to help a bit; but I have been starting to read him. He is deeply in love with Lisa, Mom. I hope when I finally find that person we are as close as Mom and Dad are.
"I was so relieved to hear grand mom is going to be okay," Jill wrote. "At first I didn't want to believe the surgeon on the Valiant; but later the palace surgeon made a point of sitting with me and Aggie for a special private briefing. He convinced us both that she would be okay. I realize that I can't lose mom, or grand mom. I wish I had told Mom how special I thought she was before she was kidnapped. I will make sure that grand mom and Mom know what special women they are in my life.
"I didn't know it at the time," the Princess continued to read her grandmother's diary, "but that explosion we witnessed near the school, was an effort to cause as much chaos as possible. That explosion almost cost me another person dear to me. Mitch had been injured in the aftermath of the explosion as she rescued one of the little guys, who had wandered away from the school, and the people who owned the home the landing craft had crashed into. Thankfully she wasn't seriously injured; but she was almost taken from me too. Almost three in one day. God I hope I never have to go through another day like today!"
Princess Lisa close the diary wondering how she would deal with her mother, grandmother and one of her friends being harmed or kidnapped the same way.
# Chapter 25: With the Cadets
"Considering how adamant Marshal Wilson was about not wanting the cadets in harm's way," the general began her class, "to this day I am amazed that he relented and let the cadets help out. But he did. I wish I would have seen the first part of their deployment." "Where were you General," The princess asked.
"I was in orbit." The general said, "I had finally got a lead as to where the AI was that I was trying to find was. So I wasn't on world when Lady Wilson was abducted. So I didn't see when the cadets were deployed, but I sure heard about it."
# ###
"What do you think Millie," Lady Hawthorne asked walking into the office that Millie usually worked out of. The sergeant had become her principle advisor when it came to the Cadets. The older woman had the ability to tell Lady Hawthorne the way it was without seeming to scold or berate the younger woman. Delores didn't know how she did it. After working all night, as the night watch sergeant, she showed up bright and early at the academy to help Delores. She was connecting with the kids like few of the other NCOs had. Most, even the Black Guard soon were deferring to her as the academy's top sergeant. Several of the retired NCOs had been grateful when Millie had taken some of their duties.
"Major Atomi has talked to me about it." Millie responded, "I think we can do it, and we should. The kids need something to do after class, and this will keep them from chaffing at the bit, and keep their minds off the evacuation. I think it's a good blend."
"I'll tell Major Atomi that she should have her cadets ready to go in the morning." Delores replied. She looked at the pile of clothing Millie had handed her and the two gold oak leaves sitting on top of them.
Mille saw the noble looking at the pile and said, "Come on I'll help you get ready."
With that the two women went to Lady Hawthorne quarters where Mille helped the noble woman get her uniforms ready.
###
The next morning Chief Atomi went to the academy. She had picked up Jill Wilson as she drove he daughter back to school. She had received the order from Michael the night before and saw the wisdom of it. Now as she walked to the steps to the administration building at the academy, the Corps of Cadets were turned out and ready for deployment. As they came to attention and saluted her, she noticed that they were dressed in BDUs, about two hundred of them. They were all older kids over five crimens old, many of them around 6 crimen old. She nodded to their cadet officers and said, "As you were."
When she walked into the academy's main hall she found another surprise waiting for her, Lady Hawthorne, also dressed in BDUs, with about ten of her retired NCO instructors with her. She was just about floored. She had seen Deloris in work clothes and fine evening wear, and everything in between. Deloris was the type of person who could put on an elegant evening gown and have it a wrinkled mess before she walked out of her dressing room. There was always a bit of sloppiness about her. Now dressed in BDUs she looked as sharp as the NCOs around her.
"Chief Atomi," Lady Hawthorne said softly, "The Queens Own Royal Corps of
Cadets await your orders!"
Lady Hawthorne was enjoying the look on the First Officer's face, and the consternation she was causing her friend. She had made a long hard decision as to what she was going to do after the evacuation. It came after talking to several of the retired NCOs and Officers who were helping out at the academy. Especially Mille! She knew she would never be military, and she didn't really want to be military, it just wasn't her style. Yet she knew she was doing good work at the academy and to respect the young people who were in her charge, and to better communicate with the retired military that was her staff, she had decided to begin dressing as the commandant. There were still some things she had to do. One of the Sergeants had suggested that she go through boot camp. So she would know customs and protocols; she was in good shape, and didn't have to go through the physical part, just the head part of learning how to be military. She was considering it.
"You know Deloris you are a sight to see," Mylea commented, the noble woman was tricked out perfectly. She saw the single gold oak leaf on her collar and nodded, "I would have thought you would have made yourself out to be a general at least!"
"XO," Mille spoke up. "The Queen commissioned her last night."
"Really," the Thonian replied, she walked around the noble woman saw that her uniform was new but not so new it would chaff her. The NCOs had done their job again. "I see Sarge you are doing it again." She locked eyes with the ranking NCO, a Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant who always seemed to be around the academy. She had also seen her working with the Princess too.
"Ma'am," the woman said looking her in the eye, "someone has to take care of you officers!"
"Indeed," Mylea said, "Let's talk about your deployment."
With that they walked into a conference room off the main entrance.
There Mylea got another surprise, one that she rather enjoyed. Lamile and Jill had already entered the conference room. She thought this would be an adult only meeting, but she soon found out different.
"Chief," Jill said reading from a note handed to her from one of the cadet NCOs, "My people are broken up into ten 20 man units. None of the kids is less than fifteen, and some are eighteen years old. All of them have either a cadet NCO or a Cadet Officer who will be in charge of them. They can be deployed immediately, and can stay in the field up to one week. My guys will need quarters; but they are ready for at least a week's deployment."
Taken aback Mylea looked at Deloris who simply nodded. She had learned through her tenure as head mistress of the academy what the cadets could and couldn't do and was still learning. After Jill called the academy and talked to the cadet duty officer, telling the young man what she had negotiated with her father, she had simply said make it happen. The young man working with the adult duty officer put a package together so that in the morning, they were ready. Lady Hawthorne and Lamile Atomi had been kept in the loop the entire way, and signed off on the program. Jill's cadet staff still had their problems, and they were still kids; but they knew an opportunity when they were offered one and made things happen for their fellow cadets.
"I have one squad that is a security police unit; I have one unit whose cadets are all wrench benders. They think it is fun to tear down an Elsy engine," Jill kind of rolled her eyes not understanding why anyone would to do that, "and put it back together. One team is a clerical support team. The others are just bodies."
Impressed again, Mylea turned to Jill, "Jill. I mean Colonel Wilson, you've been holding out on us. But well done! General Langtree will be happy to get your gear heads.
Most of your people will be providing over watch at the landing zones. I take it Major
Hawthorne that your NCOs' will be providing on site adult supervision?" "Yes Chief," Deloris replied.
"Well a couple of the teams will be traffic control, for both vehicles and people. There is no reason they can't guide people to the landing zones and to the embarkation assembly points. That way we can release maybe thirty or forty cops." Mylea said, "Also if you have an EMT unit I might stick them at the first aid station at the port embarkation area."
"Here's your deployment." Mylea handed a data card to one of the NCOs. They displayed the map that she and her staff had worked up. Jill pointed to the map and looked to Lamile, "Lamile I need to stay here so this is your baby. Where do you want to deploy your cadets?"
Lamile and Jill had talked briefly by phone, and much to her surprise she had found out that Jill thought she should stay at the academy. When asked why, Jill had said, "If they find Mom, I want to be someplace I can get to her or Dad in a hurry. Besides I need to see grand mom. I can't function out there if I am worried about Dad, Mom, and grand mom."
"Jill," Lamile had replied, "I will make you proud. Besides this has got to be easier than managing that herd of kids I did a few months ago."
Coming back to reality she said, "Squad one to LZ eight, Squad two and Three to logistics command, Squad four my squad will report to the police department to work with Lord James's team," Lamile said staring at her mother daring her to change her orders, "Squad five will be at the space port, Squad six will be at Fletcher in the MP unit. Squads eight, nine and ten will stand by as ready teams. Tomorrow, Team one will rotate into standby and Team 10 will go to the active LZ."
"Okay," Mylea replied "But I need a team at LZ 30, and one at Container Yard
Charlie."
Lamile looked at one of the cadets, "Trina make it happen."
"Aye major," the girl said. She whispered into a microphone and the display changed to show Lamile's deployments.
"Major," Lady Hawthorne spoke directly to Lamile, "I know you think your cadets can stay for a week in the field; but they'll be bused back here every night. I want you to personally ensure that every one of your squads have adequate water, and rations for the day. They should be back by lights out; but plan on things happening. I'll instruct the dining hall to have late rats laid on for your cadets."
"Sergeant T'rid," Lamile said to the girl she had spoken to earlier, "Will you see to that please? Please double check with the cadet officers."
"By your leave Major," T'rid asked getting up to attend the tasks she had been given.
Lamile nodded and thought how far they had all come. "Chief, thank you, for allowing us to help. I owe a lot to Lady Wilson, and then some. Tell Uncle Mike that my boys and girls won't let him down."
"I am sure they won't Major," Mylea said solemnly. This was the time for these kids to shine and she was going to help them. By letting them work with the authorities it solved a lot of problems for Lady Hawthorne. She knew that if you treated kids with respect and that you gave them tasks that were meaningful, within their abilities with adult support they could do wonders, "Now I got to get back to the palace. Major Hawthorne, thank you for the use of your cadets. Tony let's get out of here." "Yes Ma'am," her driver and aid said.
As they got in the car her driver commented, "Commander, I don't recall my recruit class looking as sharp as those children. Children? No young adults."
"Tony you have children don't you?" Mylea asked as they pulled out of the grounds.
"Yes ma'am a boy and a girl 7 and 8." Tony said.
"I hope your kids don't have to grow up as fast as these kids did," Mylea said, "But you know watching Lam grow into her adulthood has been a wonderful thing. It's been hard to accept her as nearly grown, but she..."
"I know Commander," Tony said softly he had been Mylea's driver off and on for a couple of years, he remembered Lamile all of fourteen standard years old trying to look so grown up in the prom dress she wearing to her first prom. "She's quite a young woman, our Lady Atomi."
"That she is Tony," Mylea replied thinking of her daughter's growing up, the skinned knees, the fights, with her, and the neighbor kids, the type of stuff kids got into. The good times too. The time she met the Ruler, when Mylea was stationed on Thonia for a while and the kid still in diapers had upchucked on the ruler's suit jacket. She smiled at that. Yes, her baby has grown up she commented to herself, wondering why it was so damn hard to accept!
# ###
With the meeting over, Jill left the administration block and walked the short distance to the infirmary, to check up on Mitch. She found Mitch trying to get out of bed.
Jill went to help her, asking, "Are you supposed to be getting out of bed?"
"No," Mitch said sheepishly, "But I have to go potty and want to use a regular
toilet."
Jill thought about calling the nurse to help Mitch, but knew Mitch would fight her. So she helped her friend to the room's toilet and waited for her to finish and helped her back to bed. Just that little bit wore her friend out.
"Over doing it again?" School Mistress ghosted in. She had almost called for the nurse when she saw the difficulty that Mitch was experiencing.
"I guess so," Mitch groused. Trying to get comfortable. Which was nearly impossible. Her back her hurt like hell.
"When will you get out of here?" Jill asked.
"Monday of next week," the School Mistress answered, "If she behaves herself!"
Mitch started to make a smart remark; but she didn't have the energy to do even that. She wished that her back didn't hurt. She tried to adjust the bed finally getting it into a position she was comfortable in.
"Is there anything I can bring you?" Jill asked.
"My guitar?" Mitch asked. Jill looked to School Mistress who nodded.
"You're the only one here," The nurse came in, "and if it will keep you from misbehaving then I'll let you have it. We'll get you up in a couple of hours. The therapist will be in later. Then we'll see about getting you out bed for a while."
When the nurse said therapist Jill almost asked if Mitch wanted her mother to be her therapist. Stopping in mid thought as she remembered her mother couldn't. When School Mistress saw the look on Jill Wilson's face she wished she could hold the girl and comfort her.
Jill visited for a little while longer until Mitch drifted off to sleep.
# ###
"Oh hello Chief," Jill said as the Chief James was escorted into the study. She had just gotten in from the academy. "What brings you here?"
"We have had contact with your mother's abductor." Chief James answered.
"I'll go get Dad," Jill said. Her father was in Abby's room. He was getting her ready to take a swim. The Queen had relieved him for a few days and he was trying to be with his family as much as possible. That meant taking Abby swimming. "Dad, Chief James is here, he has some information for us."
"Okay," her father said, "Go get your suite on you can come along too!" "Dad one of us has to be here...." Jill started.
"Jill there is not much I can do! Which means that there isn't that much you can do either. Less in fact," Mike said, "I need to get back to work; but Aggie isn't going to let me go back to work for a couple of days. Maggie, Mac, or one of the staff will come to get us if anything comes up."
Reluctantly Jill agreed; but she wanted to look at the reports that had come in while she had been at the academy. Her father had authorized her to see all the reports that were being generated about her mother's kidnapping. She also wanted to be near the coms so she could react as quickly as possible should anything come up. She had forgotten that the AI could connect them with anyone anywhere within the Kingdom, from anywhere in the palace.
"Let me see what James has then I'll meet you at the pool." Her father said.
"Dad I want to see the information." Jill pleaded with her father
"Jill please! I will share it with you; but later! Okay?" her father asked, fully aware what his daughter was doing, "Sally, will you take them down to the pool please?"
"Yes Sir," Sally said. "Come on Jill."
Jill nodded and went to get her suit. As much as she wanted to see what the Chief has brought, she had made a pact with herself that she wouldn't cause her father any more grief than she had to.
She went with Sally and her sister to the pool. She swam several laps and played with Abby for a while. Her father still not had come to the pool yet so she excused herself and went to find him. The press center was on the way to their residence. She was in time to hear Pete giving his evening brief.
"Good day," Pete Voinic said as he took the podium in the press tent. There were fewer people here now. Many of the local news organizations had given up as their circulation went down, and as the story moved to Home, many of the interstellar news agencies had sent their people onto Home. So where once there might have been two hundred accredited reporters to the evacuation command, there were might be half that many in the press center. "I have a short statement to read.
"We still do not know at this time where Lady Wilson is being held. We think we know who has her. Martha Hozenbur. An officer of EBio security. Although we're not certain; we believe it is she who has Lady Wilson. We have made that determination based on the people we believe are EBio Security officers who were killed during the kidnapping. We think we have identified all of the EBio dead at the hospital. We will be releasing their names. There were two marines killed in the incident, and no cops. Their names will be announced as soon as the Imperial Marines has releases them.
"The stun grenades took down a lot of the security personnel before Hozenbur could attack. Disoriented and confused the protective detail didn't have a chance. All of them were knocked unconscious. Admiral Wilson was able to return fire because one of the agent shield her with his body. At this time the Mounties are crediting Admiral Wilson with two kills. The rest were killed by the EBio officer.
"Now I'll take some questions now," Pete said knowing what the first one would be. He was fully prepared. The news media would never forgive him. But he really didn't care he had some good friends on Lady Wilson's detail.
"Why didn't the protective detail prevent the abduction." the first one asked the same question he had asked the day before, "Aren't they trained to give up their lives for their principles."
"That's correct." Pete said and nodded to a member of the Queen's Own Guard. Pete ducked behind the podium as the guard threw a practice stun grenade. It was one tenth the power of a live stun grenade, but still very potent. It detonated and knocked all the newsmen down. Pete waited a couple of seconds and said, "Now what was that about the protective detail being able to stand up to a stun grenade. Sometimes I think all of you people never learn the facts of life. It is very hard for anyone who is expecting the grenade to fight it; let alone someone who is unprepared for it. You have just been hit with a practice grenade. There will be no more discussion what the protective detail could or couldn't do at the time of the assault. That is unless one of you guys is Sergeant Rock and from what I see from here, that little practice grenade shows you are not. Now if you have other questions I will deal with them now."
"What is being done to find Lady Wilson," a woman reporter whose ears were still ringing asked. She didn't wait for the answered as she ran out of the center trying to find some place to vomit.
"The Mounties, and the Royal Protective Service," Pete answered watching the reporter leave, "are heading the investigation. I am not at liberty to say where they looking for her lady. I will say only that they, along with the Companions, and the Imperial Marine Corps Criminal Investigation Division, are assisting in the investigation. The Mounties have canceled all days off. Many of these guys are already putting in sixteen hour days and to a man they have stood up and said they will pull extra duty. The same is true of the Companions, and the Marines. They have been given search sectors and have been searching the deserted portions of Trena."
"Do you think she is still on world?" A second reporter asked who was trying not to be sick.
"Yes. The Militia has issued a hard hold on any space craft leaving the planet. At the time of the incident; the Militia ordered all air borne landing craft to return to their ports of departure." The Public Information Offer answered, "None failed to return to their port of departure. We're nearly sure that Lady Wilson's captor has not be able to smuggle her off world!
"From now until Lady Wilson is rescued, any landing craft will need to have a written flight plan. Even military space craft need to have special clearance. All persons entering the evacuation landing zones are being positively ID with an additional check at the gate. Pregnant women are being carefully; but thoroughly checked."
"Could she have gotten off during the confusion?" Another reporter asked his ears still ringing as he repeated the question.
"No," Pete said, "Traffic Control grounded everything. Everything that was light on skids was ground held. Everything that was in route to orbit was returned to point of departure." The public information officer answered, "There were some protests but every one complied. Every landing craft and ground to orbit shuttle was searched. With no results or we wouldn't be here now. Everything in route from orbit to ground was returned to their points of departure. Everyone was checked and once again everyone was cleared. We're certain that she didn't get off world."
"What can the people do to help?" Another reporter asked feeling a killer head ache coming on. "There aren't many of us left; but can we help somehow?"
"We're are fewer and fewer," Pete said, "But those of us who are still here can keep their eyes open for strange things. Things that don't fit into the neighborhood. Granted there are a lot of comings and goings in the neighborhoods. But people know what's going on. If you see something that doesn't fit in, call the Mounties!
"Thank you ladies and gentlemen," Pete said, "Please except my apologies for setting off the grenade. But that was the only way to help you understand a stun grenade."
Pete left the podium. He saw Jill shaking her head and Pete wondered if she had gotten a piece of grenade. "Are you okay Jill?"
"Yes," Jill said, she smiled, "One of these days Mr. Vornic the press is going to give you grief."
"You mean they haven't already," Pete asked.
"I guess they have," Jill said, she had always liked Pete. He was one of the few guys running around the palace and her father's command that didn't put her on a pedestal and treat her with kid gloves. She kind of liked him.
"Mr. Vornic," she wouldn't call him by his first name as he wanted her to do, "did you know the Corps is helping with the search for my mom?"
"No!" Pete said. "Damn that would have been good to share. The corps doesn't get nearly the press it should."
"Jill, do you think that Lady Hawthorne would let a team follow your guys around," Pete asked.
"I'll ask," Jill said not knowing if it was such a good idea. Though she saw the wisdom of letting the press into the academy to publicize what Lady Hawthorne was doing, a lot of her kids were still a little nervous about the authorities. They had taken to being cadets and running a good bit of the academy; but they were a little shy about letting the world know what they were doing.
"Let me know Jill," The young man said, as he left.
"I will," Jill replied and went in search of her father. She found him in the study watching a hologram alone. Chief James had left. As her father replayed the recording again, she watched in silence.
Hozenbur's floated over the study's floor. She was of moderate height, with dark brown hair streaked with grey. Jill thought she might be her grandmother's age. Jill even thought, Hozenbur looked more like a grandmother than the murderous assassin she knew the woman to be.
"This is a message for Marshal Wilson," Hozenbur's image said, "but I guess we are not alone, and so to the assembled cops, investigators, etc. Hello." She waved, "To show you I have your halfwit wife Mr. Wilson here is a recording of it.
"Okay halfwit!" Hozenbur's voice could be heard as the holograph turned to show Lisa, "Smile for the camera. Now speak for your husband and the news media."
"Like what?" Lisa snapped, then looked to the camera and said, "Michael come and get me away from this psychopath! Tell Abby I'm okay and let Jill know I'll be back in time for the coronation day dance at the school! And Mylea if you let anything happen to my old man me and you will have that conversation! It may not be softly spoken!" The image changed to show Hozenbur as she began to speak again.
"I am Martha Hozenbur," the closer spoke into the camera, "I am on my last containment and I am returning the clone Lisa CD 1984 AOS to the company. I will be making arrangements to get off world with the halfwit in my own sweet time. When I can do it safely. If you try to find me and rescue the halfwit, I will kill it. I don't want anything. There is nothing I am willing to receive in return for its life. I only want to get the clone off world. I'll be in touch!"
The holograph went dark.
Her father shut the player down. He turned and saw Jill. He didn't say a word as he left the study. They left the recording in the player. The next morning Sally, Abby's protective agent saw that Abby was watching the first part of the recording. Sally quickly turned the recorder off.
"Was that lady talking about Mommy?" the toddler asked.
"I am not sure," Sally lied to the little girl. Hoping to distract the child Sally McBride said, "Let's start your lessons."
The distraction worked. Soon they were so immersed in Abby's schoolwork that the agent was certain Abby had forgotten about the recording Sally made sure that she had the recording when they left study.
# ###
Lamile's group was dropped off at the back door to central police station, as she followed her cadets out of the bus Frazier the police department AI's voice could be heard,
"Lady Atomi arriving with Squad 4 of the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadets!"
James had told the AI he wanted honors rendered to Lady Atomi. He had found out that she had never been honored since her coronation ceremony elevating her to a Trena noble woman. She was a knighted lady of the Trena nobility; although she was young; she was still a noble woman, and James wanted to also let Lamile know that it had been some feat she had pulled off bringing all those children in. He wished he could bring out the honor guard but that would be inappropriate. He met her in the central police station's main conference room. As she walked into the briefing room, where ten or so Mounties were discussing their assignments, a voice by the door called softly, "Welcome Lady
Atomi!"
When the room saw who was with their chief they began to clap. All had heard of what she had done and some had been there when her kids marched to safety onto the landing craft. Lamile nodded trying not to show her embarrassment, she turned to the chief, "Where do you want us Sir Patrick."
"We have this area here we want searched." James said, "Kellogg, would you brief Lady Atomi."
"Yes sir," Kellogg said and winked at the young woman. He knew what the chief was doing and why, he saw how uncomfortable Lamile was and said, "Major, we want your kids to canvas this area here. We want you to go door to door, and ensure that each house is abandoned. When you check a house and find it empty, you will insert this card in the lock and it will secure the house. The door won't open until someone puts the command key in."
"What about doors where the security system doesn't work, or there isn't any?" Lamile asked.
"Mark it with red X." he pointed to case spray paint on the table, "One of the cops covering you will note it and secure the door. When the door is secured, post this sign on the door."
The sign said, "DO NOT ENTER BY ORDER OF THE CROWN!"
"Post it so the sign is over the jam. The sign then acts like crime scene seal." Lord James said, "Just so you all know. To cut down on looting, the Crown and the Evacuation Command have issued an order that should one of these doors be reopened, or should someone be found in a secured building, they can be shot on sight. Now there are a lot salvage companies who are salvaging whole neighborhoods; but when they are done they have to secure the building. All of their people have to wear green helmets stenciled with the word Salvage on it. Salvage companies and their personnel are to announce where they are working and have to hold a crown warrant with an ID for each of their people. The cops have deadly force authorizations when they catch people looting a house without proper ID and warrants."
Lamile nodded, and said, "I think we can do this. I do want a police officer nearby in case we stumble across something."
"Major," a man in the back of the room spoke up, "I am Sergeant Mave. I will be your Mounty liaison. I'll have one or two of my guys nearby at all times with you. If trouble finds you, get your people to safety and lets us take care of business. Just so we understand each other Major Atomi, I will not be the one to tell Chief Atomi how her daughter came to grief."
"Lady Atomi," Another officer said, "that goes for all of us. We already lost the boss' wife we ain't going to lose the chief's daughter."
"Amen, right on, triple that from me," Various officers said.
"Well," Lamile said when the cops settled down. "Trust me I don't want you to have that conversation with my mother either. After she chews on you a bit, she'll start to work on my anatomy. That is if there is any left." That brought the room to laughter.
Kellogg let it go for a while, "Lamile, I am heading up the search for Lady Wilson. There will be search teams all around you. I don't expect that you will come to grief; but there will be some help nearby. We will be checking homes that we know may have someone in them. If you see one of our teams just back away and let them do their job." "What happens if we find some on in a house were checking," Lamile asked.
"Get their name," Lord James answered, "and give them this."
This was a letter that explained about the consequences of missing their evacuation date. Mostly that the crown and evacuation command would not be responsible for what happened to them. Considering the Command was picking people up and taking to their embarkation point there should be no missed evacuations.
"Anything else?" Lamile asked.
"No." Kellogg answered.
"By your leave chief," Lamile asked of Lord James. He nodded, and hoped that he wasn't making a mistake. Mylea had been very unhappy when Lamile had gone on her journey. Even though it had been wildly successful. Mylea was technically his boss now, not he, hers. She could give him a rough time if something happened to her daughter. The truth be known, he would kill anyone who brought harm to his two children, though they were grown and had children of their own. Once they were gone, he turned to Kellogg, "Kellogg if anything happens to those kids."
"Lord James," Kellogg replied, "I have made reservations for both of us to Dungeon." Dungeon was a prison world ran by the Galactic Council. Only the very worse criminals were sent to Dungeon, "That will be the safest place for us to be should anything happen to Lady Atomi. I know the line will be headed up by Chief Atomi, then the Marshal, then the Queen, then Francine, and that's after you chew on me or I chew on you!"
"Okay Kellogg," James returned, "You ready to brief me? Or do you want to go out with the field teams?"
"Between your best guys and my best guys," Kellogg commented, "I don't need to be with them. I'd just be in their way. Let's do the brief; or would you like to make arrangements with the palace to brief the Wilson family and the Queen."
"We really don't have much," Jamieson mussed, "We really don't have much to share with them. We have set up a briefing schedule. No news; is no news and there is no reason to brief them out of schedule."
"Let me brief you on what we have cooking and you can decide to take it to Marshal Wilson, and Queen Aggie." Kellogg said.
# ###
"I saw the holo from that witch that had Mom in it." Jill had written, "I couldn't really tell if Mom was okay or not. I was shocked to see her in a grey smock. It almost looked like a poncho and couldn't have been very modest with the open sides.
"When I asked Dad about it, he said that Hozenbur was trying break Mom's spirit." Jill's words from two hundred years ago swam up from the page.
"As bad as me and Dad are taking this, Maggie and Georgia are both taking this hard." Jill continued, "Georgia has asked to work on the hunt for Mom and has been refused. She won't look me or Dad in the eyes. Sally says she feels that she messed up. After seeing Pete's demo of the stun grenade and my memory of it from years before, when I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, I don't know how Georgia could have done anything else.
"Maggie has a stiff upper lip; but she's not fooling me. I walked into the kitchen for a snack and caught her crying." Her grandmother's words showed a side of her that was seldom seen in public. "I wish there was something that I could do for her. I hadn't realized that our housekeeper was so close to mom.
"But Maggie and Georgia aren't the only ones. I wandered by mom's private study and saw the flowers, and cards sitting in front of a picture of her. I had to quickly leave as it was too much of a memorial. They thought she was gone. Later I heard Maggie had taken a big trash can into Mom's study and trashed everything that was a memorial she saw there. I also had heard that she had read everyone's beads. Joan had told me that Maggie had told the staff she was not going to have her lady come back to a dysfunctional household and that she would be coming back to us!
"I hope she is right," the diary passage concluded, "So I guess I got my marching orders too."
Chapter 26: On the HPS Valiant.
"The Hospital Patrol Ships were the IRS first line responders to the Empire's serious medical emergencies and rescue incidents. Whether run of the mill rescues or serious illnesses on imperial worlds these ships were the first ones to be called on. The Valiant was one of these ships," The General continued her lecture series, "We were lucky to get her. Normally her patrol district was the other side of the empire. She had just come out of a yard period and so was nearby Trena when she was in route to her patrol district when she was ordered to Trena. While in the Trena system the Valiant treated over one thousand people including the Admiral.
"When Admiral Joyce Wilson was first injured on Trena," The General lectured, "she had been taken aboard Hospital Patrol Ship Valiant. The men and women of the Interstellar Rescue Service were not going to take any chances with one of their admirals, even if she had been retired for a couple of years. Ironically, the Valiant was Admiral Wilson's first command tour as a Landing Craft Squadron Commander. It was where she had met her husband almost thirty years before being brought aboard this time. She was their admiral, even though she had never shipped aboard the Valiant, when she got her eagle, or when she got her stars. She was part of the ships legend. Now the legend had come back to her roots. Most of the crew had never shipped with the admiral before, but several of the pilots had been one of her students over the years, either in primary flight where she had retired from or in the advance flight school. She was known as the Iron Maiden for her toughness on the flight deck when training young pilots. More so to the commanders who would command the pilots on a hospital ship or on an attack carrier! She had caused many a pilot to think about changing their career path. Many of the squadron commanders had come back to Mars and had made a point to leave her some remembrance from their first cruise as a squadron commander. Through the years when one of the nuggets she had given their primary flight training to, had made squadron commander, they sent her their nugget wings. She had been well respected in the fleet, and even though thought to be a royal pain in the ass, she had been loved by the fleet. She had never been a star man's admiral, but it was well known throughout the fleet that the pilots she had trained, were some of the best in the business. Delivering their charges either into Hot LZs or getting them out of there with little or no problems.
"The crew of the Valiant took very good care of their admiral..." The general spoke softly and displayed the images of the patrol ship and Admiral Wilson.
# ###
In her hospital room where they had yet to awaken her from the deep sleep they induced, so that her injuries could heal a bit faster and so she wouldn't fight the drugs, a Marine Black Guardsmen stood guard at the door. The Admiral was almost as well loved by the marines as the IRS. Not only was she their most famous marine's step mother, she was also one of the few IRS, or Imperial Navy Pilots, who knew the sharp end of the stick and how the marines used it. She had been at one time prior to her husband's death, a member of the Black Guard. Only a hand full of pilots ever qualified for the Black Guard. Being a flag officer, the Valiant had opened one of its VIP suites for her. In the reception area to the suite, pilots who had been trained by her had left get well cards. A few of them had left a bloody glove where they had taken their dress uniform saber, drew it across their palm and with blood flowing had taken their white uniform glove to stop the bleeding, swearing a blood oath to get the person who had done this to their admiral.
Joyce knew nothing of this. She had been in a medically induced coma for most of the week while the treatment the hospital staff had commenced took. They knew from her records that the fast healing tanks used by other sick or injured people didn't work for her. So the chief surgeon of the ship, a man on his first chief surgeon tour, kept her under while the drugs and the nanobots repaired the damage. Finally with most of the damage repaired with only a small laceration left that the nanobots were healing, the surgeon decided to wake her up.
"Chris," the surgeon turned to the nurse who was the admiral's primary care giver, "It will be an hour or so before she wakes up, but I don't want her left alone. If you need to leave for any reason you get someone up here pronto."
"Yes Doctor," the nurse who had been aboard the Valiant when Joyce was injured the first time years before, was in the emergency room when they had brought her in this time. She had always felt a bit guilty for not being good enough then. She was now very good at her job. "I or one of my girls will be here until she is awake."
"Okay Chris," the surgeon said, "I'll have the captain call Admiral Wilson's family."
The surgeon left as the nurse started to make her charge presentable. She pulled the blanket up around her a bit, brushing her hair as best she could, and making her comfortable. She also dimmed the lights a bit and brought up some gentle music. When the admiral awoke, she wanted the admiral to be in the most serene, calming environment she could manage. She also brought in some of the flowers from the sitting room that had been left. She settled down for a bit of a wait. It wasn't long, about an hour or so later, her charge started to stir.
"It's okay admiral," Chris laid her hand on the woman's good hand, "You're in good hands, you're aboard the Valiant. I'm Chris your nurse."
"What..." Joyce said her eyes opening, she looked at Chris, then around the room and said, "Oh shit they got the arm again." She started to move her arm but it was still immobilized.
"You can't move the arm. We have it in an isolation field." Chris said, "Who are you?"
"Joyce Wilson," the older woman said, "the last thing I remember was a fire fight and me getting shot. Where's my daughter in law."
"Admiral," the nurse said carefully, "Lady Wilson was kidnapped by the woman who did this to you. There isn't much known about her whereabouts, but we know her to be alive. The marshal will be here in a little while."
"I got to get to Mike and my granddaughter." the retired admiral struggled to sit up, "They must be in sorry shape."
"Easy Admiral," Chris said, "you are in mild restraints while the nanobots finish up with your arm. You didn't have it shot off this time. Only a break and a bad cut; but until the 'bots finish their work you are not going anywhere."
"I have to get to my family," Joyce said, still struggling to get out of bed, "You've got to let me go them."
"Easy Admiral," the surgeon walked in. "You keep thrashing around like that and you'll mess up some of my best work. That will piss me off. And it will delay you getting home another week. Nurse shut the restraints down to one eighth power." the nurse tapped a command on her pad and the restraints lowered their strength. The surgeon tested Joyce's hand strength. He also had the nurse adjust field so that it allowed her to move her elbow and hand a bit.
"Well Admiral," the surgeon said, "It'll be another day at least before we can release you. The nanobots are sewing up the wound and repairing the muscle damage. I won't allow you to be even medically transported until they are finished."
Resigned to her fate, she said, "Commander, can you hook me up with a com, and get someone to tell me what's going on?"
"Chris," the surgeon said, "See that she has a com, and I'll see if the Intel Officer can come down and give you a briefing. Oh the Marshal and your granddaughter are on their way. They should be here in a little while."
"Tell me what happen to my arm," the woman finally asked.
"During the fire fight, after you had accounted for I think the MPs said two of the bad guys. You took a round in your right radius. The round took a two centimeter piece out of it. The ulna wasn't harmed at all. Some muscles and blood vessels were messed up. The Medics at the Evac Hospital got to you soon enough to control the bleeding. They supported you by giving you fluids. The bots rebuilt your radius and have just about finished with your arm muscles and skin. It'll be another day before they will be done. The bots controlled a little bit of infection, and fixed a little bit of damage from your earlier injury. Once the bots are done you shouldn't have any restrictions."
"I got lucky," Joyce said, "Thank you commander. You say Mike and Jill are on their way up?"
"Yes," The commander said.
"Chris can you get me a robe or something," The Admiral asked. They had seen no need to clothe her while in isolation and no one but the doctors and nurses seeing her.
"Sure thing," Chris said going to a closet where a robe that was the admiral's size was waiting for her to put it on.
# ###
The flight of three space craft approached the HPS Valiant. Evac 1, the landing craft carrying Marshal Wilson to the HPS Valiant was being escorted by two space air superiority fighters from the militia. Because of the kidnapping, Marshal Wilson and his family never went anywhere without a beefed up protective detail. Before it would have been Mac and one of his team members escorting the Marshal, now it was a six man team. They were very obviously armed. When they went anywhere on the ground they were escorted by two weapons jeeps with the heavy laser mounts manned and ready. They had already lost Lady Wilson. No one was taking a chance with the boss. Although Wilson didn't want it, he knew what was going on. His team was making sure that Hozenbur didn't get him. She wanted to cause his wife as much grief as she could and get him in the process. She was playing a mental game. She wanted him and the evacuation command so rattled that they couldn't do their job. She wanted to get even with the clone as pay back for all things she had one to her. She didn't care if half a million people died in the process as long as she got her vengeance. The protective detail wasn't about to let her try to get to him. The one thing she had succeeded in doing was diverting resources that were needed for the evacuation. He didn't need this type of protection. Now as the flight approached the hospital ship the escorts peeled off and began to fly a Combat Space Patrol about the hospital ship.
As the landing craft settled to the flight deck and pressure was brought up on the deck, an honor guard of marines and star men formed up on either side of the ramp from the landing craft. The Captain and the Chief Surgeon were waiting with the honor guard. As Wilson stepped down the ramp, thinking only of how his mother was doing the 1MC bellowed. "Evac 1 arriving."
As he and Jill stepped aboard the Valiant, the NCO of the detail bellowed, "Present
Arms!"
As the Honor Guard snapped to attention and the boson put a pipe to her lips and piped Wilson aboard. It was the only time in his life that honors had ever been bestowed to him as he stepped aboard a ship. Especially this one! Normally when he had stepped on board an HPS he had been coming back from a deployment to protect the doctors, or had been the reason they had been deployed to come and get him, and he was in a casualty liter headed for the hospital, not the marine berthing spaces. He nodded to the Chief and the Sergeant as he returned their salutes, and went to where the Captain and his Chief Surgeon were waiting. He thought that the honor, while appreciated was out of place. He wasn't making an official visit to the ship he was coming up to visit his sick mother. He considered if he should say something to the captain.
"Welcome aboard Sir Mike," the captain greeted the marshal.
"I was hoping to visit. But not like this." Mike answered, "How is she?"
"Doctor O'Keefe has taken personal charge of the admiral's care." The captain introduced the chief surgeon.
"Yes sir, we met earlier this week." Although the surgeon usually refrained from the honor brigade, this time he couldn't nor would he avoid it. The admiral was a legend among the IRS and her son was equally a legend among the marines. "If you'll follow me
I'll take you to the admiral."
As they walked through the ship to the VIP quarters in the hospital, marines and starmen all seemed to be in the passageway to lay their eyes on a living legend. Jill watched her father react to the attention. She could tell that he was little embarrassed by it; but was also enjoying it. He never got a chance to be around common soldiers, or police officers doing their jobs, he spent most of his time now around admirals, generals, and high ranking civilians. Finally the Senior Chief who was escorting them bellowed, "All right you apes, get your asses back to work! What do you think this is a cruise ship? Now hustle your butts to where you need to be!"
With that the crew drifted away. As they entered the VIP suite the marine on duty came to rigid attention.
"As you were," Wilson commented softly. "Jill, please wait here while I see Mom."
"Okay Dad," Jill said and noticed the gloves on a small table by the door to her grandmother's room as her father entered it. She picked one up to look at it better. Seeing the dark red brown stain across its palm and asked, "What's this?"
"Miss Wilson," The young marine on duty began. He was only a few years older than Jill. He had to ask what the pile of gloves meant when he saw them for the first time on table outside the admirals room. "The officers and enlisted people have sworn a blood oath that your grandmother's assault will be avenged. Every glove on that table represents one officer or enlisted man who has sworn such an oath."
"I see," Jill said looking to Mac and Georgia to see if they understood. The look on their face said they did. "My family is honored that your officers and fellow enlisted would swear such an oath. Truly honored; but it would be just as much a tragedy for one of you to wind up in sickbay or in this ship's morgue because you took matters into your own hands. Pass the word private that if anyone gets in the way of the authorities trying to rescue my mother I'll dine on their bones!"
"Yes ma'am," the private said. Later when he went off duty and was talking with his squad mates he repeated word for word what Jill had said, in hours every marine in the fleet knew that Jill Wilson could be as tough as her old man and grandmother.
"Come in Jill," Michael said through the open door.
"How are you grand mom?" Jill asked.
"I have had better days," Joyce said, "Looks like I'll be a bit delayed in getting the house built on Home."
Georgia followed Jill into the room. She wanted to see the admiral. Joyce looked up and saw Georgia, and said, "Mac. Georgia is assigned to me. Make it happen!"
"Aye-aye Admiral," Mac said, he had walked in with Jill, and Georgia. He turned to protective agent, "Georgia, please take your post."
"I am only borrowing you young woman," Joyce said, she knew what was going through the young woman's mind, and while it showed a good deal about Mac's leadership, she knew Georgia's soul would still be hurting. "When Lisa is back among us, you are going back to her as her primary agent."
"If she'll have me," Georgia replied. "I messed up Admiral Wilson."
Jill's father sighed, but knew there was nothing he could do about it. He had been there and understood what she was going through.
"Georgia," her grandmother continued, "I am sure she will. You couldn't have prevented that abduction. Hell the marines, and MPs couldn't stop it and they were much better armed than you were."
"But if I could have gotten her attackers!" Georgia said she felt immensely guilty for having lost Lady Wilson. She had been very surprised that Mac had let her stand post with the rest of the team. This was the second time her charges had been harmed because she wasn't good enough. Not only did they get Lady Wilson; but injured Admiral Wilson on account because of her ability.
"Looks like the doctors will be releasing me tomorrow. " Joyce said changing the subject, "How are you guys holding up."
"Mom," Michael said, "We're doing okay. I am very worried. I know Hozenbur, is an animal. I know what she is capable of. I try not to think about what she might be doing to Lisa. I also pray that we find her fast. As for Hozenbur I hope to hell that she is killed in the assault because if she comes out alive I will kill her with my own hands. I'll show her what a Marine Black Guardsmen is capable of when pissed off and provoked!"
"Dad!" Jill said sharply, "Lisa will kick your ass. That last thing she wants is for you to go berserk getting to her or Hozenbur, before, during, or after Hozenbur's capture. The Queen will also kick your but as will Aunt Mylea if you don't let the courts convict and execute that bitch. But you will let the system work. You trained them, you lead them, and you will by god let them do their job. Just like you have told me on occasion!"
"Marshal," Joyce commented, "I think you got the wrong grade on that girl!"
"I am beginning to wonder," Michael replied wondering how to react to his daughter. He was realizing that with every passing day Jill was no longer the little girl he had left on Mars.
"Sounds like a chief I had in boot." Joyce said, "Or like a certain young marine I knew when I was going through Black Guard Beast!"
A little sheepish at having lashed out at her father, Jill didn't say a word. They visited with Joyce for a while, when she tired they took their leave.
As the landing craft left the flight deck and headed back to the planet, a bemused Wilson turned to his daughter and said "Pass the word private, that if they get in the way of the authorities trying to rescue my mother, I'll dine on their bones."
Jill looked sheepishly at her father. She hadn't realized he had heard her.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." The older Wilson said, "I see the academy is wearing off on you."
"No," Jill said, "Just your daughter, and Grand mom's granddaughter. You two have been very instrumental in my upbringing."
"Jill," her father said, "You should have seen the look on your grandmother's face when she heard you speak to that marine."
"Marshal," Mac spoke up he had kept his marshal in eye sight when he had gone in to talk with his mother, "As exquisite as the admiral's expression was, yours was better!"
Wilson let loose with the first good laugh he had, had since Lisa capture. "I image so."
As they landed on the palace landing pad, Jill's fate was being sealed on Home.
# ###
"I saw grand mom today," Jill had written in her diary that night before she went to bed, "She looks good. She was moving her hand around and she didn't seem to be in much pain. The doctors say she is going to make a full recovery. Yea!
"I can't believe I yelled at Dad and that marine," She continued, "I couldn't believe that they would make that type of oath. I can't believe that I told that marine I would dine on their bones. I wonder what got into me.
"Dad really scared me. I thought for sure that he was going to dump everything and start searching for Mom. I have never seen that look on anyone's face. He frightened me." The diary continued, "I need to talk with Lamile, or Mitch. I would bother Aunt Mylea; but she is now running the whole show, and I would hate to disturb her. She is doing both Dad's and her own job. Maybe I can talk with Sergeant Green or Sergeant Lucas, they both seem to be fairly accessible even though Sergeant Millie tries to make it seem she isn't.
"I am worried about Mom. When I first came to Trena I was all set to hate her. I was certain that she was the reason why I couldn't be with dad. Over the last few months I
cannot hate Lisa. She and Dad are so close and she allowed me to invade their space and made me part of her family. Dad was right about this Captain Hozenbur. I asked Mac and Kellogg to tell me what they knew about her and it wasn't good. I want to keep my hopes up but it's hard with what they have told me.
"I want to join my guys in the field." Jill had written, "As I told Lamile earlier I need to be some I can be gotten a hold of quickly if the find Mom. So here or home is where I have to be until we get Mom back.
"I looked in on Mitch again today," the princess read, "and talked to her nurse. She's not badly injured. She'll be back on her feet next week. I already miss her. I didn't realize how much she did around here. I'll have to remind her to start grooming her replacement.
"Oh enough of this," Jill had written, "Time to get some sleep! Tomorrow comes real early."
# Chapter 27: Special Weapons and Tactics Training Center on Trena
"I was up on the space station for the first part of the Lady Wilson incident." The General began her lecture. "So I was not present when they put the team together that would make her lady's rescue. Princess Carroll was made over all SpecOps coordinator for the evacuation command.
"The training center had been set up months before. Marshal Wilson and the Queen had allowed the Black Guard to take over a small isolated town away from prying eyes, to practice in. Everyone one knew that the SpecWars of the Empire, the Realm, and the Militia would be called on at some time to either make a hostage rescue, or to take out a barricade subject holding part of a town on an evacuation route hostage. Some soul who thought he should go before others. Various units of the Mounted Patrol, The companions HRT and SWAT unit, the Black Guard, and Militia routinely practiced at the facility. At least once a month all of the units worked a combined unit operation to make sure everyone understood the other's signals and procedures.
"With abduction of Lady Wilson they began assembling at the training center. Although Marshal Wilson had issued the order that the Companions Hostage Rescue Team would be the lead for recovery of his wife, (mostly because they weren't emotionally involved like his SWAT team) he knew that all of the SpecWars would play a part, including one that no one had expected."
# ###
"They're not going to let us join them!" the driver said as the truck with the twenty men from the Trojack security detachment approached the training center. They were company cops, all clones who had worked in Trojack's security's Strategic Response Team. Simply because most were clones generally nonviolent didn't mean that some clones or others on Trojack didn't occasionally cause some problems. Every once in a while a clone went rouge and the security unit had to go in. Although some people in the company would just take a kill them all attitude; others thought differently. The team on Trojack was not the premier team in the company; but they knew their business and hadn't lost a suspect yet.
"We'll find out," Crandle, the fifty year old team leader said. He ha1d spent 35 years in the hostage unit. He had trained people from all over EBio, and worked with all types of closers, including Hozenbur, who he had sworn a blood oath against. He had to clean up one of her messes. He still couldn't believe that Hozenbur was a company officer.
"Good morning," one of the Mounty manning the check point greeted them, "You'll have to turn back this is a restricted area."
"We know officer," Crandle said to the officer at his side of the car. "I am going to take out my papers and present them to you."
"Okay," the young officer said, as his partner took up a position to blow away everyone in the truck if needed.
Crandle presented his papers, and then asked that the officer call the ranking officer on the post. After the young officer reviewed the papers Crandle presented him, saw that it would be best to call the ranking officer. It just happened to be Princess Carroll.
When the Princess saw who it was at the check point, she told the Mounties to let them past. Crandle had asked permission a couple days before to train with her Black Guardsmen. The Princess thought it would be good for everyone. Besides they were getting to know everyone's moves. So the training exercises were becoming a game. The Trojack team would add some new challenges for all of them.
"Okay folks." the Princess said as she led Crandle into the skull session before the first practice extraction for the day. "This is Captain Crandle, formerly of EBio Security on Trojack. He is the subject matter expert for EBio company goons. He has worked with Hozenbur before and can help you get into Hozenbur's head. He's also volunteered his unit to be your opposition. Crandle?"
"Good day," Crandall said, "first off let me assure you that my guys and girls hold no grudges against any of you. If we do hold a grudge it is against the closers who continue to harm biopeople who just want to be free. I know you have been briefed about Hozenbur but you haven't had this. This is a confidential file that was given to me prior to our departure on Trojack. Roy our manager thought he had seen something where she was on
Trena and I was instructed to bring her in."
"I didn't know that was your assignment," the Princess said thinking that this might not be a good idea to use these people.
"We didn't want it to be advertised, because we didn't want it to be known we were hunting her. We thought, (and still do) at the time of the assignment, that since the Trena Authorities are known to be hunting the woman that, if we were inserted clandestinely, then we had a better chance of nailing her. Now with her having abducted Lady Wilson it might not make a difference. But we can give your troops some live experience with dealing with a containment cop." Crandall said. "I will assume that you know that there is no one Captain Hozenbur hates more than as Lady Wilson. Lady Wilson foiled two of her biggest recoveries and has eluded her for at least fifteen years."
"So there's a good chance we'll be doing a recovery," someone from the back of the room asked.
Princess Carroll bristled at that and snapped. "This is not a recovery! It's the rescue of Lady Wilson. Anyone who doesn't think that way is gone!"
"General," the marine who had spoken up said, "Ma'am, as distasteful as that thought is, we have to be prepared for that eventuality. If this woman is as psychopathic as everyone claims, it's a possibility."
"She'll only kill Lady Wilson as a last result." Crandall spoke carefully, "Hozenbur's a torturer, and tormenter. She'll be planning a way to harm Lady Wilson physically and mentally prior to killing her. She might induce labor to bring Lady Wilson's children into the world and kill them before her eyes. She would find that immensely satisfying. She would let the children live long enough for Lady Wilson to bond with them, and then either kill them in front of her, or possibly take them from her and kill her letting Lady Wilson know that her children will be sold into slavery as she does the coup de grace.
No we won't be on a recovery, but we might find our victim in sorry shape."
"We assumed that," Lieutenant Anthony of the Trena Fire Department spoke up. His team had drawn the air ambulance assignment. They were the best next to the IRS. The XO had decided that Lady Wilson would feel more comfortable with someone other than the IRS on this one. She had trained this man's team when they had stood it up. Lady Wilson had discovered that the lead medic on this team had the same empathic abilities as she had and had worked with the young medic that was part of the Lieutenant's flight crew. "Tina will be ready. We're also requesting an obstetrics team fly in with us. General Langtree's got my bird and is turning it into a mobile PICU. We should have the bird back in a few hours."
"Do I need to say something to the General not to be so fussy?" the Princess asked.
"I doubt if he would listen to you," Corithia, the Thonian MP unit commander injected, she had great respect for General Langtree, and knew how he approached his work, "but in this case, if he says a couple of hours it will be not a moment longer, and possibly a lot sooner. He's not tuning the bird; but he will make sure every piece of equipment is installed properly, and its backups are fail safe."
"Okay what type of house would the captain choose, to hold up in," The Mounty SWAT team unit leader asked.
"Well first off she's not going to be in the traditional places these people hold up." Crandall said, "She will be in a house near or at the port; or by an air facility. Some place she can make a getaway from in hurry. It may not be isolated, it may be surrounded by other houses where she can put her over watch system in place or have loyal people watching the approaches for her. She would prefer that if she has to escape in a hurry, there would be more places for us to search. The bad news is because of the evacuation and the amount of abandoned cars left around she's got plenty of cars to get away with."
"Not Really." A sergeant from Mounty SWAT unit spoke, "All of the evacuees who didn't take their cars with them were told to pull the power. The Crown didn't want to have the cars become a problem. They were told to park them on their lawns or if they lived in an apartment to leave them in the lot. So anything on the street is a working vehicle and should be being used by someone."
"Well that will help some." Crandall said, "The biggest thing you can count on is that Hozenbur will do exactly what you think she shouldn't. She'll hole up in the top floor of an apartment building with no apparent escape path. Just when you expect to get her, you'll find she has escaped. The one thing we have in our advantage is that she won't harm
Lady Wilson until she has too."
"We have got a holo from her. There was enough stuff on it to give us a good idea what the room Lady Wilson is being held in looks like. The techies are a finding house that looks like it. Soon as they find it we'll try an extraction." The facility commander said.
"We'll be doing a different house every day until the time they find where she is being held. We can't all be training. We need to have a reaction force that can deploy quickly. I want to put the 83rd on alert tomorrow, the Mounties will go into crew rest and the Guard will go into practice against the OpFor." "We can be the OpFor," Crandle injected.
"Crandle," the princess spoke up. "We have enough folks here to be a different OpFor every day. Besides they would learn your moves and be able to best you if you were to be the OpFor every day!"
"May we be put into the alert rotation," Crandle asked.
Everyone was quiet while the Princess who was the Evacuation Command's special operations commander pondered the request. She had no doubt that the team was good. When she asked Kellogg about it he confirmed that they were good. But she didn't know how much she trusted them. She was going to let them train with her people as a way to keep them close. But she didn't want to commit them to the rescue of Lady Wilson until she got a better feel for their true allegiances.
Sensing that the Princess didn't quite trust them, Crandle spoke up, "Let us earn your trust. We want to be part of Lady Wilson's rescue, and the arrest of Captain Hozenbur. That won't happen if we don't work as a team. If you don't trust us then we can't build the team."
The Princess when she spoke did so with a little relief in her voice, "Thank you for understanding Mr. Crandle. You can be of great help to us."
"But we have to earn you trust," Someone from Crandle's team spoke up. "I guess we need to get about that."
Over the next few days the special operations team from Trojack earned if not the trust of the other special operations teams they did earn their respect. Although not nearly as aggressive as the Black Guard, or the Companions HRT, they did get the job done. Often with fewer simulated casualties and usually before the hostage came to grief.
The Black Guard unit leader and Crandle were sharing a meal after a day of heavy simulations, "I thought my guys were good at infiltration. But we haven't been able to detect you in the last couple of passes. Even the cyber watches didn't catch on."
"The whole key captain; is over watch and cyber skullduggery," Crandle replied. "We have a good electronics counter measure suite to begin with and we know most of the Imperial, Thonian, and Trena's surveillance devices. The company went to great pains to know what their capabilities were."
"That makes sense," the captain said, "We always had trouble infiltrating your guy's places."
"Oh that reminds me," Crandle said looking to one of his people across the dining hall. "Lincoln!"
"Yes boss," the older man spoke.
"You get with the cops and the guard and let them have everything we have on company electronic counter measures and such." Crandle called, "They'll need that to make their infiltration and rescue!"
"Already done boss," the man said, "I sat down with them yesterday!"
Crandle smiled his people were doing everything to earn the other SpecOps people trust. The next day the Lor'ns, the thonians who were nominally the special operations site manager came up to Crandle. They sat with him after a practice rescue and said, "Starting tomorrow, your team goes into the rescue rotation. If you are not on when the balloon goes up we want you to be part of the over watch unit." "Thank you," Crandle said.
"You are welcomed," They got up and went about their tasks.
# ###
"Grand mom's back," Jill had written in her diary, "Though she seems not to be herself. I wouldn't say moody; but maybe so. When I talked to Dad about it, he said she remembered when she had been shot the last time. I think it's more than that. I think she is really worried about Mom. But then so are all of us. I see her and Georgia walking the grounds. Often in animated conversation. Georgia is still hurting from the assault
"But so are all of us." The diary went on, "I am so worried that hardly an hour doesn't go by when I don't wonder and worry about Mom. Mom, I would never have thought I would call Lisa mom. I was all set to hate her after all she had taken Dad from me. Yet over the last few months I have become quite close to mom. Grand mom and I had a good relationship. There was little I couldn't discuss with her. When I began to see that Lisa was not the evil step mother I had envisioned and could be trusted, I began to trust her and actually enjoyed her company. Especially on those nights when Dad was away and it was just me and Mom sitting in one of the gardens just talking. I don't know when I began to love her, I just hope that nothing happens to her. I really don't know how I will deal with losing her. I already miss her terribly.
"The last few months have been so unpredictable I wonder what will happen next," Jill concluded her entry.
# Chapter 28: Home gets a Government
"From reading the Queen's diary," Princess Lisa said in class the next time the class met, "she had no idea what was going to happen next. But I don't think anyone else did either."
"Yes the Queen and her father had given the planet of Home or a large part of it to the refugees from Trena." The General commented, "They had deliberately down played the formation of a government on Home. Queen Agatha, felt that because of her charter, and the opinion of her regent, and the Galactic Council that her monarchy was tied to Trena and the Trena System, didn't extend outside of the Trena System. Because of this she could not be the planetary ruler oh Home. Truthfully I think that she didn't want to be queen after the disaster on Trena. The Wilson's for their part really didn't want to be planetary rulers either and was hoping they wouldn't be. But as you know that didn't happen.
"Here is how it fell," The general began her lecture in earnest.
# ###
"Jill," her father accompanied by Princess Carroll and her grandmother came into the study where she was reading a few more of the reports that the searchers had filed about the hunt for her mother. She was considering hiring some private investigators, but did not want to have the argument she knew she would have with the Princess and her grandmother. "We need to talk!"
"They found Mom?" Jill asked expecting good news.
"We wish!" her grandmother answered, as Queen Agatha came into the study.
"So what's up?" Jill asked disappointed there was no news about her mother. She was glad for a distraction as there was nothing in the report she was reading that indicated where her step mother was.
"Well the four of us need to discuss some stuff going on, on Home." Her father replied.
"Oh," Jill commented, "I thought things were going okay."
"They are! But something's come up that we have to decide on." Her father replied,
"They want to form a government."
"Oh," Jill commented, "I thought that as the owner that I ruled it. But I was all set to let Aggie take charge. To cede it to her like I did Trojack a while back. I don't want to be a ruler or a queen."
"We know that Jill," her father said, "but we're running into a hand full of problems."
"My charter prohibits me from colonizing another world," Queen Agatha said, "So
I can't just take over Home. But you know that!" Jill nodded.
"It's more complicated than that," Aggie said, "We've been talking with experts and they say that my charter being the way it is, and your ownership of the world they feel that I cannot rule the world. But you can!"
"Well since I own it I guess I can rule it; but I don't want to." Jill injected, "I can't image running a planet! I have trouble enough running my life!"
"It can be a challenge," Aggie commented, "From what we can tell a couple of the nobles from Trena are forcing the issue. What we thought made sense is for you to authorize a grand council of all the districts."
"Larry thinks that none of the nobles have enough of a backing to be named the leader," her father said, "But we think if you authorize a grand council of the districts one or two people from each district to meet and settle some issues. May cool out the nobles."
"Also it is time to form some sort of government on Home," Aggie injected. "You are not going to want to be the answer girl for everything. Also by letting the people choose their form of government it might work."
"But what if one of the hot heads gets appointed or takes charge," Jill asked.
"We don't think that will happen," Aggie said, "With Larry's help and that of your agents we have identified a lot of people who would be good people to have on the council. Larry seems to think planting the seed for these folks to be included in the council will more or less keep it under control."
"So they would be a constitutional convention and create the formal document of how Home is to be governed," Jill asked. Everyone nodded, "What if I abdicate and choose not to rule the planet."
"We think there will be revolution," her father said,
"I see," Jill replied. "So you think this will prevent a revolution."
"We don't know Jill," Aggie answered, "The very least thing that will come about is that you will rule the planet as you do now with benign neglect. The worse thing will be that you will not be able to just do what you want when you want. Though something in between is more likely to come about."
Jill sighed with exasperation. She didn't want to be a planetary ruler she really didn't want to own any planets. She just wanted to be a girl!
"Jill we have a couple of options," Her father spoke softly, "You can cede Home to the people of Trena and ask permission to live on the world you own. You can abandon it to the people of Trena and not worry about what happens next. Or we can throw the dice with this council and see what happens."
"What happens if we just let things take their course?" Jill asked.
"Maybe nothing," Her father replied.
"Grand mom, Princess," She turned to the older women who had said nothing during the conversation. "What is your opinion?"
"I am not certain you can cede the world to the people of Trena or give it to Queen Aggie," the Princess answered, "I've talked with the Galactic Council, Ambassador Gray, the Thonian Ambassador and a couple of galactic law specialists they all seem to think that you have to make a positive statement on how you will treat the people of Trena. But they all seem to think that you are the owner of the planet and must rule it, run it, or govern it in some fashion. You can abandon it but unless you sign the title over to the governing body of Home you will still be responsible for anything that goes on, on the planet.
"Logically," the princess general continued, "Aggie should be the one you turn the world over to."
"When this is all over I hope to be just a common citizen!" Aggie responded, "I...I am not certain that I can...handle being a ruler of a world after what is happening."
"Aggie," The princess replied, "We understand. The other option is to let the refugees form a government and then turn the world over to them. Have a small preserve on the planet that is your family's home. Then do your best to stay out of things." "That will be no problem!" Jill said.
"What about your children and other descendants," her grandmother asked. "How will you set it up so they won't want to retake the world and rule it?" "This is not going to be simple," Jill remarked, "is it?" "No it isn't," the Queen answered.
"What are you suggesting," Jill asked.
"Let them have their council," the Princess replied, "Then we can do what we have to do at that time. Accept their form of government or try to put one to our liking in place, or just sign the world over and get out of dodge."
Jill nodded and asked, "What do I need to do?"
"Just authorize your agents to allow the formation of the council." The Princess answered.
Jill nodded. With little more fanfare Princess Carroll handed her the document. Jill read it ever. It was simple statement authorizing the people of Home to form a government to govern the planet. She noticed that there was a statement telling the people of Home that any government they formed would have to be endorsed and approved by Jill's guardians.
When she was alone with her father once again she turned to him and asked, "Dad did you have an idea that this might happen?"
"Not really," her father replied, "we suspected that some of the nobles might want to become the new monarch, president or what have you. The agents that we sent with the flights were to be the local government. Some of the agents were from the parliament. People who we knew to be moderates. Most of the problems we have been having on Home are from the extremes. They are pushing for the government. We've been so busy trying to get people there that we didn't give much thought about how to run the planet."
"I wish Aggie," Jill commented, "wanted to be queen of Home. You don't want to be king. I don't want to be queen. I wonder if the queen's heir would want to be the king?"
"That would be Duke Horton," her father replied, "No. When Aggie abdicates he becomes king. Although Aggie doesn't want to be queen over Trena, even with destruction of Trena herself, he'll have a kingdom that is mostly intact. There just won't be a habitable planet in the system. We know what's going to happen to everything in Trena's orbit, a lot of the space stations will be destroyed. If the asteroids were going to clobber us thirty six days earlier, or later, McKay would shield us by being the asteroids main targets. If McKay wasn't airless we could have evacuated to McKay. Evacuating seventy five million to an airless moon would be a disaster all in itself. Duke Horton is no Aggie; but I think he'll be a good king. Unfortunately he'll feel he has to lead the remnants of kingdom here in Trena, and not rule Home."
"I had heard that," Jill continued, "The Queen and her cousin don't get along that well."
"They don't," Her father remarked. He had met the man. He wasn't certain why the Queen and the Duke didn't get along. "I don't know why."
Jill sighed, realizing that there really wasn't anyone to be Home's leader, but maybe herself.
"Dad I really don't want to be Queen, or manager, or the ruler of a planet." Jill turned to her father expressing her feelings. "It's just too much to comprehend now."
"I know baby," Mike said, he too was feeling overwhelmed with everything that was going on. Between his wife abduction, continuing to deal with the day to day operations of the evacuation and now this thing with Jill, it was a lot to handle. "Just try to take it one thing at a time."
"That makes sense." Jill said, "Dad what have you hear about mom?"
"Not much," her father replied, "Chief James will be briefing us later. Maybe they have something that this stuff doesn't." he pointed to computer display that showed the reports she was trying to get through.
"I think I'll try to muddle through these some more." Jill said. Knowing he couldn't change her mind her, father nodded and left. Wondering as he did if they were throwing too much at his daughter.
# ###
Suzy Gabriel was one of the many people traveling from all over Home, to Ellis, the capital of Home. Suzy Gabriel was coming down river on the Maritime Rescue Boat Deliverance. She had been approached by one of the agents of the Evacuation Command's Civil Affairs unit to be a member of the Great Council in Ellis, where they were to meet to form a government. When the crew had found out that she was going down to Ellis, the Captain had talked to her headquarters and got permission to take Suzy her down river.
The Captain had given up her own quarters to Suzy for the three day trip to Ellis.
Suzy and the crew had been discussing the upcoming assembly before they had left Sunrise Cliffs, Suzy's home. It had been one of the many homes that EBio either had built for their employees, or had found on the vacant world. No one had wanted it so when it was offered to her she took it. She shared her home with Admiral Klond, and the crew of the Deliverance. As the trip continued downriver the crew felt free to continue discussing the upcoming assembly.
"I don't see why the Queen can't be our Queen here on Home." the chief of the boat said the first night out, "It just seems silly she can't be!"
"The Queen doesn't own Home." Suzy replied, "Because of that, the Queen's rule doesn't extend here. Since Jill Wilson owns the planet she could be considered our monarch. But Miss Wilson hasn't set up a system to run the planet. She more or less has decided to let us do our thing. I don't understand some of this myself. It is benign neglect. I would have thought Lord Mercer and a couple of the others would have formed a government. I don't know why they haven't."
"I heard that some of the lords are angry that they have not retained their nobility." The cook said, "There has been some talk about forcing Miss Wilson to recognize their special status."
"Yeah, I had a show down with one of them a few months ago." Suzy said, "They want to have what they had on Trena. That's just not going to happen.
Their nobility is tied to the Trenan Court. As such there is no court here. If I understand what the Evac guy said, the Queen's monarchy ends when Trena is destroyed. There is some question about her rule over the orbital industries and the things off Trena. But the
Trena Court will cease to exist once the planet is destroyed."
"So the Queen will no longer be our monarch," The chief said, "So this Jill Wilson is our new queen?"
"Well she does own the planet," Captain McNally commented, "Just like Queen
Agatha does Trena."
"So she is for practical purposes our queen," the apprentice asked.
"I think all but the nobles will agree to that!" the petite woman retorted. That brought a round of chuckles around the mess table.
"So this assembly or council is not to find a planetary leader but to develop a system of governance that Miss Wilson will accept and our people will want to live under." The captain asked.
"More or less," Suzy answered. "With the Wilson family our new royal family?" Most of those around the galley table nodded.
"But what form should our government be," Suzy asked.
"Why not the same as we had on Trena?" the gunners mate asked. "That seemed to work."
"Trena has what is known as a balanced democracy." Someone said, "The Queen is the planetary leader; but the Prime Minister is head of government; elected from the parliament, the crown departments are managed by the prime minister. The courts are independent of the monarch and the parliament. The courts act as a balance between the monarchy, the government and the people. The courts handle all the issues that can't be resolved by the crown or prime minister and to handle other legal matters."
"That seemed to be working," The chief commented, "Most of the time. The in fighting in the parliament was getting fairly bad though."
"Before the evacuation," the captain remarked, "it was almost grid locked. It surprised me that the Queen has had as little trouble with the parliament as she has over the evacuation."
"I am surprised she is having so little trouble also," Suzy remarked as the apprentice spoke up.
"So this council," the apprentice asked, he was a young man barely 19 years old with brown hair. He had no real assignment on the rescue boat. He spent his time between the deck division, the galley, the engine compartment and occasionally the bridge. His real job was to learn all the systems aboard the seventy five foot craft, "is to build a complete new government. Or is to create a government for us?"
"I think it is to create a government for Home," Suzy replied. "But what type of a government. A constitutional monarchy like we have on Trena or some hybrid? We come from the Thonian Realm, the Earth Empire, the Republic, and of course Trena. All of them have working systems. I am no political scholar; but it seems to me we have an opportunity to take the best from all of our worlds and make a gestalt of them."
"Do you think that the Marshal and his daughter would stand still for a constitutional monarchy," the captain asked. "I mean they own the planet. Why would they consent to something like that?"
"Well if their duties were somewhat ceremonial they might sit still for that," Suzy replied. "But I can't see the Marshal allowing his daughter to be a figure head."
"You know," The chief spoke softly, "would it make any sense at all for a parliament to rule the planet to write the laws that a head of government would enforce; but leave some of the power in the hands of the monarch." "What do you mean chief," Suzy asked.
"I am not sure," the chief a man in his early sixties who's whole life, since the passing of his wife was on the boat. "It makes a bit of sense to me for the monarch to be the commander in chief of the military and maybe the emergency services. Be the top cop, fire fighter, medic, dog catcher, as well."
"That's a lot of power chief," Suzy remarked.
"It is but; she could only mobilize the troops for a planetary emergency she couldn't go to war without the parliament's approval," The chief continued. "It seems to me there should be one and only one commander in chief for all of us. The monarch would be the CIC and wouldn't change because of whim of politics. Also it might prevent a prime minister from going off halfcocked if the monarch didn't feel a threat existed. If the situation was such that there was ample evidence that there was a threat and the monarch and the prime minister disagreed either to the scope or whether to prosecute or not to prosecute the emergency then the planetary bench could be asked to rule. But if done right that will never come about."
"So you would put the welfare of the people in the monarch's hands rather than the crown departments." Suzy asked.
"Yes," The chief said, "within reason. I would put all life safety operations in the monarch's hands. But have her advised by crown departments. In other words like Captain McNally here. She is the Deliverance's master; but her department heads advise her on the status of her boat and the best way to approach a given situation. Then she takes the best action accordingly. The crown department heads who would be populated out of the parliament or other political body would advise her on the rules and regulations that her various emergency service and military organizations would follow. I don't know but there has to be a balance between the power of the monarch to use the military and the power of the parliament and the ministers."
"That makes sense," Suzy commented, "So you want a parliament, a representative government in other words?"
"Yes but it has to work better than the republic's and the one on Trena," the rescue tech said, "Two houses. One house where one person who represents so many people. The other house, a senate or a house of lords would represent a large district or province."
"But done in some way that the partisan politics can be hosed down and controlled," Captain McNally commented.
They discussed the prospects for a government all the way down river to Ellis. It gave Suzy a lot to chew on.
# ###
Days later Suzy sat in the council and listened to the proposals that various people were offering for the formation of their government. The arguments were going around and around. No one seemed to understand that they had a queen and that Jill Wilson was her and she was asking them to form the management system for the day to day running of the planet. Some of the proposals went from installing a particular noble as the monarch to having no system and everything in between. Finally losing patience with the entire group Suzy left the council one morning to go sit on the dock watching the burgeoning river traffic flow up and down the river trying to clear her head a bit. It was there that captain McNally found her.
"Good morning Mrs. Gabriel," the captain said handing her a cup of coffee. The Deliverance had made another trip down river to pick up some medical supplies for the
Outpost 1 Clinic. "I saw you sitting here and thought I would join you."
"Hi Captain," Suzy took the coffee. "Thank you."
"I've heard you been having some problems," the captain stated.
"Yeah, no one wants to listen." The thirty year old woman complained, "The Contras are fighting the Royalist, the Royalists are fighting the newbies, it's a mess!"
"No one's taken charge," the captain commented, "There doesn't seem to be one voice trying to unite them."
Suzy looked at the captain, "Yes! The speaker doesn't seem to have a back bone. He's afraid to be too pushy because he doesn't want to lose his position. He doesn't get it that we are to be short lived, create a government and go home. It's happening like it was in the Republic."
"Then someone needs to read the riot act to them." The captain said.
Suzy nodded, and said "Thank you skipper. I think I know what I have to do."
Suzy finished her coffee handed the cup to the captain and walked back to the assembly. She entered a small auditorium where the five hundred members of the assembly were meeting, and spoke with the secretary of the assembly to put her on the speakers list. She found out that it wouldn't be until the next day that she would be able to speak. That suited her. It gave her some time to talk to some people, and write her speech.
"Gentle Souls of the Home Council," she began the next day, "I ask that you listen to me for a while, and as you listen to me ask yourself are we getting the job done we have been asked by our friends, families and fellow citizens to do. To form a government; one that will help Miss Wilson govern our new world. The planet she is allowing us to build our new homes on. We are not here to decide who will be queen. We have one Jill Wilson.
"I have sat in this assembly for over a week," She spoke, "and listened to your proposals. Most if not all seem to ignore the facts I have just mentioned. Nothing has gotten done. We have argued and talked and argued but; nothing has gotten done. I know some of you have the belief that we can take weeks to make this happen, others feel we should import from Trena our former home world's governmental structure just to be done with it. We don't have time to argue this! The people who have put their trust in us want us to get this done. We are not on Trena anymore my honored colleagues! We are on Home! A world given to us by Marshal Wilson's daughter! We don't own this world, the marshal's family does. They haven't given it to us they are just letting us live on it. Queen Jill has asked us to come up with a way to govern a world that has no government.
"Some of you have forgotten the nobility of Trena have no standing here on Home. That their nobility dies, except possibly their title, dies when the asteroids kill Trena. But they are not alone in having no standing. In fact none of us have standing except for the very special title of representative to the Home Constitutional Council. As such when we form the government that Queen Jill has asked us to form, our roles will be over. Many of us may be asked to be part of the new government we will form. None of us know. But we can't be concerned with our future appointments or positions in the government. Our job is to create a government and go home. Not to spend weeks and months to do this job.
"Last night I met with several of you to go over some ideas I have about forming the government. Although not all of you agreed with my thoughts and what I presented, many of you thought it might be worth a shot." Suzy pressed a button on the console and the assembly saw the constitution that had been forming in her mind since her conversation on the Deliverance.
"We come from many worlds, From the Earth Empire, From the Thonian Realm, the Theocracy, the Republic, and of course our own home world of Trena." She spoke softly, "All of these worlds have both good and bad political systems. My own native world, the world I emigrated from to Trena is a democracy. Yet I find a constitutional monarchy more stable. It has both the stability of a long standing monarch, and yet by electing people to a parliament we can reign in the power of a monarch who has stepped beyond its bounds.
"What I propose is this," she spoke with passion.
"I think a constitutional monarchy is what would work for us. The monarch would be the head of state; but not the head of government. Similar to what we have now, the monarch would be the ruler of our world and would have the power to call parliament into session, have the right to overrule the parliament when it takes us into an unprovoked war, or when it raises taxes too high, or enters into a treaty that is not in the interest of the Kingdom. The monarch will be the commander in chief of the armed forces. Many of the same powers Queen Agatha currently enjoys.
"I have mentioned a parliament. This parliament will be made up of two houses, a house of commons where common everyday citizens would be elected to a term of ten years. Once they served their ten years they could never be reelected to the House of Commons. Every five years half of the House of Commons would be elected. They would represent 200,000 souls. And this would include artificial intelligences, as well as flesh and bone people like us. The second house would be a Senate or House of Lords. To be inducted into the House of Lords, the monarch would nominate someone and at first the House of Commons would approve them. Then as time goes on, the House of Lords would nominate their own to the monarch who would have veto power over the appointment, and the House of Lords would have the right to overturn the veto by a super majority. They would after a few years have the right to reject the monarch's nominations by a super majority. The Monarch would always be able to nominate someone to the House of Lords.
"The prime minister would be elected from these two bodies, but could be rejected by the monarch. If parliament feels the monarch is wrong they can by super majority vote the prime minister in. If the monarch still thought the nominee was wrong, then the Planetary Bench would try the case and then all the justices would have to vote either in favor of one side or the other. It has to be unanimous.
"The parliament would create the crown departments whose heads would make the prime ministers cabinet. All who would need to be nominated by the prime minister and approved by the House of Lords, and then presented to the monarch for their approval. If the monarch disapproves of a minister, then the entire parliament must vote by a super majority to override the veto.
"I know it seem like I am putting a lot of power in the monarch, but not really as this forces the monarch and the parliament to work together."
Suzy took a sip of water to let some of what she was saying sink in. She was watching the reactions of her peers. She was a long way from selling it. But people were starting to read the details on their displays. Now she went on to the third part of her government.
"Now to balance off the Parliament and the Monarchy, a judiciary will be established. This judiciary will be modeled after the Crown Bench on Trena, and the Empire. All capital cases will go before the Queen's Bench. A bench will be established in all districts. The House of Commons will nominate judges for their home districts. The House of Lords will approve the nomination with the monarch having the final say. With a standard super majority to override her veto! From this group of judges the queen will nominate judges for the appeals bench, and the Planetary Bench. The Monarch will preside over the Planetary Bench, which is the court of last appeal for all capital cases, and constitutional cases, except when constitutional cases involving the monarch. To ensure fair trials, and access to equal justice, no private attorney's or counsel will be permitted for criminal cases. All attorneys will be in a pool that will trade off cases between defense and prosecution. Both sides will be able to call on witnesses and pay them out of the monarch purse."
She paused again before finishing her presentation, "This is my proposal. It has taken the best of the royalist world, the best of the democracy world, and a bit from here and there. It is by no means perfect, and we will need to spend long hours to make this become reality. I will yield the remainder of my time to the representative from Ellis."
The representative from Ellis stood up and began speaking he was an old hand from Trena's House of Commons, an independent that was respected by both sides.
"The representative from Outpost 1 has spent long hours putting this together, and like her I believe it is not a perfect document," the man continued, "but it is better than anything we have come up with so far. I move that we table all other proposals and debate the gentle soul from Outpost 1's proposal."
"Second the motion," the representative from Near Port the next town up river from Ellis stood.
The speaker asked, "A motion has been made and seconded to table all proposals except for that of the representative form Outpost 1. If there is no objection I call the vote."
He waited a few minutes then said, "All in favor of tabling all other proposal say yea."
To Suzy's surprise it passed. A couple of days later to her surprise and with only minor changes her proposal was approved. The one detail she had clearly forgotten was to allow the people of Home to colonize other worlds. She had not thought of a bill of rights, but the representatives had. It included a provision that sentient people were not possessions and could not be owned on Home. This also included Artificial Intelligences. She thought that was very astute. There were provisions about search and seizure, and selfincrimination. The right to appeal directly to monarch on capital cases was a guaranteed right. That capital punishment when it was applied was not to include execution unless a crime against the people of Home, or Humanity occurred. She thought that overtime the constitution would be amended and that had been something that she had not put in her original draft.
"May I address this assembly," A voice from the back of the assembly called.
"Yes," the speaker replied.
"We have approved our constitution and we will set a date for our House of Commons to be elected. But now we have to take this proposal to Miss Wilson and get her approval. I believe we also have to somehow formally acknowledge her as our monarch." the representative from Westport a small port town on the west coast spoke up. "How shall we do this?"
Suzy who was now the speaker of the assembly spoke up, "Yes, Jill Wilson is our monarch. Yet somehow we need to reinforce this."
"What if she refuses to listen to us," Someone asked. "It is possible that she has her own idea of how to rule Home."
"I don't know," Suzy replied, "But she asked us to form this council and come up with the government for Home."
Another stood up to be recognized. Suzy recognized him.
"That is something we will have to deal with after we advise Miss Wilson what we have done here." The speaker said, "Until we do, we are only speculating what her response will be. One thing I think we need to do is to formally accept Miss Wilson as our queen. I therefore move that this assembly confirm that Jill Wilson is to become our very first queen."
"Is there a second?" Suzy asked.
"I second the motion," Someone called.
"All in favor of the motion say aye!" Suzy asked.
The room thundered with ayes.
"Very well then, let it be known that on this day, the Home Council does hereby acknowledge Jill Wilson as our monarch, and accepts the constitution as proposed." Suzy spoke from the podium and crashed down the gavel, "Unless there is any other business I hereby close this council."
There were no objections, and Suzy closed the assembly, "I now close this assembly with the hope that our people will find peace and happiness on Home!"
After the document had been prepared for publication Suzy went to the main office of the community affairs office of the evacuation command. There she formally presented the document to the evacuation command. The man looked it over and said, "Thank you.
When do you leave for Trena to present it to Miss Wilson?" "Isn't that your job?" Suzy asked.
"No Ma'am," the gentleman said, he had been a member of the Trena Emergency Management office. "This is now a political thing, not an operational activity. That means civilians need to present it to Miss Wilson. That means you."
She turned to the representative from Ellis who said, "As speaker of the assembly it is your job to take the constitution to Trena and present it to the Queen Jill, and Queen
Aggie. It is your creation you should be the one to take it to Trena." Suzy sighed all she wanted to do was to get back up river to her kids.
# ###
"Suzy Gabriel," T'harla asked, "Wasn't she the one whose husband was killed in that container accident right after the announcement."
"Yes," General Jones replied remembering the short almost chubby brunet with the coal black eyes. "Her husband tried to smuggle her and her three kids off Trena. A hoist broke and the container popped open as it fell. When he fell out of the open doors, he managed to fall in such a way for the container fall on him."
"Yet she was on the first lift to Home!" Princess Lisa commented. "That smells of a set up."
"No it wasn't," the General answered, "she was chosen to be one of the network installers on Home. She was that, until the people of Outpost 1 asked her to represent them.
She was our very first prime minister, and some think our best."
Anthony Gabriel was sitting in the back of the class, a senior in his last year of the academy. He had heard that General Jones was going to lecture on his grandmother and wanted to hear the story from someone who had been there and had known his grandmother. He locked eyes with the humbot who acknowledged her presence.
Chapter 29: The End of a Very Long Day.
"Cadets, your predecessors were a great help to the evacuation command," General Jones began, "Some of the cadets worked with General Langtree at the Maintenance Group headquarters. Some of the cadets worked traffic control and crowd control at the LZs. Things that a group of young people can do with a little adult supervision. One of the most tedious and time consuming tasks was making sure that the abandoned buildings were abandoned and that the neighborhoods were clear.
"The work they were doing put more and more police officers on the search for Lady Wilson, and helped the Evac Command get its task done.
"The command was getting reports of people missing their evacuation dates, or simply deciding not to evacuate. One group of people led by Lord Wallace, had even built an underground shelter on the opposite side of the planet from where the asteroids would initially impact. It was vital though for Lord Wilson's charter to make sure that every last mother's child who wanted to get off Trena could. Double checking the evacuated portions of Trena was a job that had to be done.
"So Lady Atomi's group was one of the groups searching neighborhoods for strays," The General said. "It was long hard and hot work..."
###
They were pulling into the academy after a long day working with the police to find Lady Wilson. Lamile had lost track of the number of homes that they had searched, and they were all bone tired. Lamile wanted to do nothing but find a piece of mattress and read the back of her eyelids for a few hours. The truck bringing them back to the academy stopped before the dining hall. As she got off the truck she noticed a crowd of people standing around on the grass before the dining hall looking into the sky.
"What's going on," Lamile asked, wondering why they were all looking to the sky.
"This is the first night we can see the asteroids," Someone replied, "with our own eyes!"
"Are they that close?" Lamile asked searching the sky. Sergeant Lucas pointed them out to her. They were not much bigger than the stars in the night sky. She could hardly see them even though her eyesight started in the near infrared.
"I can hardly see them," Lamile observed.
"They are about two months out." One of the adult commented, "From here on out we'll be able to see our damnation."
"How did it go Major," Sergeant Lucas asked seeing the young woman. Lamile still thought it was someone else who they were talking about when they called her major, or Lady Atomi.
"Not good," Lamile said following the cook into the dining hall. He had sandwiches for them. When Lamile saw the chocolate chip cookies she smiled. Sergeant Lucas always seemed to know how to treat the cadets. "Thank you sergeant," Lamile bit into a cookie, "We didn't find Aunt Lisa, but we found several people hiding in abandoned homes."
"How you holding up Major," The sergeant asked. Sergeant Lucas was like an uncle. He seemed to be there when one of the cadets needed an adult. He wasn't as imposing as Lady Hawthorne, or Sergeant Green. There was always a mug of coco and a willing ear for a cadet who needed to talk. What Lamile didn't know was, that the sergeant was playing his part. Millie Green had asked him to stay on and be the person she couldn't be. As the lead NCO for the school she couldn't be mother confessor, or the one that the cadets came to when they were in trouble or needed a friendly adult. She was part of the disciplinary chain for the cadets.
"Oh we're all tired," Lamile said as Rhonda, one of the kids from the long march came up to her. She held a plate for both of them. Lamile took it as the cadet sat down with her own dinner. "We did a lot of walking today. And we spent a lot of time in cars. We can't be doing this every day." Lamile said seeing Mitch come in.
"Major," Mitch approached them, "this came in from Serenity for you." "How are you?" Lamile asked as her friend hand her an envelope.
"Getting better," Mitch replied. She didn't have much pain, it just seem to take more energy than she was used to; but not as much as it did the day before.
"From Jill," Lamile asked. She was terribly worried about her friend and her parents. She was thankful for the work she was doing or else she would have too much time to dwell on things. She had spoken with her mother briefly and could tell she wasn't doing well either. She and her aunt were terribly close. More so as Lisa helped her mother adjust to the loss of her father. For a non thonian, the biowoman seemed to understand the ramifications of the aqaut and the bond that lifemates formed through it. She didn't know who the person that was holding her aunt but it didn't sound good.
"No ma'am," Mitch said and gave Lamile the note. It had the royal seal on it.
She opened the note it was hand written, "Lady Atomi, I know you will be getting this late, so I won't keep you long. I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of the crown for you and your cadet's service in the hunt for Lady Wilson. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you.
"Queen Agatha I of Trena," Was how the note was signed.
"Mitch get this is in the bulletin for tomorrow. Make sure that all of the special cadets get a copy slipped under their door tonight." Lamile said.
"Aye," Mitch said, she too looked tired.
"How is Jill holding up?" Lamile asked.
"She's doing okay Major," Mitch said, "We took a run earlier today that seemed to mellow her out."
"Where is she now?" Lamile asked.
"In quarters sound asleep." Mitch said, "It all finally caught up with her. She nearly collapsed. Lady Hawthorn and Sergeant Green put her to bed an hour ago."
"Thank the gods," Lamile commented. She had talked to her friend, after Jill got back from the Valiant, she could tell that her friend wasn't doing too well either.
"She was running on adrenalin." Mitch said seeing the fatigue in her friend's face. "You okay Lamile?"
"Nothing a few hundred hours of sleep won't cure," Lamile said and turned to Rhonda, "Not that I am liable to get it. Rhonda, I am off to bed. Get our unit ready to move by 0800. I want everyone showered and ready to board by 0800."
"Aye-aye Lamile," Rhonda said. She too was tired; but she wasn't going to let Lamile down.
"Mitch before I stumble to my bed to read the back of my eyelids, is there anything else I need to deal with." Lamile asked.
"No," Mitch replied. "We have everything under control."
"I am off to bed then," She looked at the plate of cookies and took one more and turned to Lucas, "Thanks Sarge."
"You're welcomed Major." Lucas said. He watched the kids troop off to their dorms and then shut his kitchen down. They were the last ones in. When he made sure that the kitchen was ready for morning chow he called Sergeant Green at Fletcher.
"Hi Steve," Millie said, "Once second! Tell Hawkins that he needs to report with that platoon to the South Mall in morning." "Sure thing Sarge," a voice said off phone.
"How are they?" Millie cut right to the chase.
"They all are tired," Steve said, "But they'll be okay. They all are proud as hell to be doing this."
"It's a big thing for these kids," Millie said, "They are being given a big responsibility. I saw the roster that Lamile and her people put together."
"So did I," Steve said, "There isn't a dud in the group."
"I'll try to get out among them tomorrow." Millie said, "Thanks for calling me." "Okay Sarge," Lucas said, "I'll see you in the morning."
He went back outside and looked to the skies. He could barely see the asteroids.
# ###
"I asked the museum if I could borrow this," T'harla said at the end of the class. He stood and took what he had borrowed from the exhibit about his grandmother. He placed it on the first cadet's desk the original note that the last Queen of Trena had sent his great grandmother.
All the cadets looked at the document, many had seen this as they toured the museum as perspective cadets; but until now it was just an exhibit, something from the past. Now they were beginning to understand how much of their history was tied to it and their first cadet class.
"The efforts of the class 1 of the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets set the standard for all cadets and officers who have graduated from this institution." The General spoke passionately, "Your predecessors were not the children of Trena's Nobles or the elite of the world; but the waifs, the abandon and orphaned children of the evacuation. But this was only the beginning. Throughout the long history of the corps, your predecessors and fellow cadets have always stood tall when they were called to help."
# Chapter 30: On High Port Space Defense Station
"General," the princess asked the next day in class. "Weren't you instrumental in rescuing great grand mom?"
"Yes," the General replied, "I was part of the rescue force. I was not part of the entry team; but the intelligence cell that determined where she was."
"But wasn't it by accident that you even found where she was." Georgia Hawthorne asked.
"It was," the General answered, "If it hadn't been for the other work I was doing..." **###**
"Hey Alice," the lieutenant came up to her where she was finishing her latest report on some cyber skullduggery that she had just put an end to.
"What's up LT?" Alice Jones asked. Alice had come in early that day so the lieutenant could get part of the day off. She had become not just his one of his top people; but his deputy. He had no idea that she was a humbot designed by the logistic officer to help with cybernetic security. She had replaced the unit sergeant when the thonian had gone back home to Thonia. She had been on the station for only a couple of weeks. He had no idea that part of the reason she was on the station to continue her chase for the traitorous artificial intelligence. He couldn't believe how fortunate he was to have the master sergeant.
"One of the guys up in surveillance thinks they have a problem." The lieutenant replied.
"What type of problem," Alice asked.
"It seems they have a section of northern Trenaport that has become blind to them! DefConnie in the Mountain reports it is not blind to her, but the guys upstairs think it might be a computer security problem. Go up and take a look." The lieutenant ordered.
"Okay LT." Alice replied. She got her tool kit and went up to the surveillance shop. It didn't take her long to get there and five minutes after she got there she knew what the problem was.
"You have been hacked." Alice told the unit commander, "Loos like an AI has been messing with you! I've put in a better firewall, and an alarm, so if anything is blocked again, you'll think the GQ alarm got switched on. I've located the records and have emailed them to you Captain."
"Do I need to deactivate the AIs." the captain asked.
"No," Alice said. The bugs she had placed around and in the computer would tell her the story. It was the best lead she had gotten so far while in orbit. Her suspicion concerning DefConnie was growing. DefConnie was the only AI that could misdirect the surveillance system without drawing attention. "No it wasn't the expert system. It was a ground based AI that was messing with you! I think we've got a handle on it." "Thanks Sarge," the captain said.
"Anytime captain," Alice replied and left the center. Before finishing with the surveillance computers she had sent herself a copy of the surveillance data that she sent to the captain. She reviewed them as she went back to the cyber cops shop. When she did it stuck out like a sore thumb. The time span for the outage was the same time span that Lady Wilson had been abducted for. They were for a twenty block area of Northern Trenaport.
That part of Trenaport that was mostly evacuated. She was sure that was where Lady Wilson was being held. She needed to get back down and talk to the people hunting for Lady Wilson.
As she walked into the security shack she quickly had a set of orders written for her, assigning her to the Trena Mounted Patrol team hunting Lady Wilson. When the lieutenant told her about the new orders she, she quickly reported on her activities in the surveillance shack, before leaving to pack her bags. The orders said for her to immediately report to Mr. Kellogg at the Mounty headquarters. With Bugs in his carrier she started for the departure lounge. Bugs had made a lot of friends on the station. No one knew that he was a robot! He was becoming the unofficial mascot for the unit; but no one understood why they had never seen him chase the occasional rodent that popped up in the security spaces.
The LT thinking that Alice would be on station until they closed up shop, was surprised to see that she was being transferred out. Already she had found several cyber computer criminals and fixed several dozen leaks in the system. He was enjoying her competency. None of his other investigators, including the AI had her skills. She was going to be sorely missed as they began to automate the station, and prepare it to be bombarded by the asteroid field. He made a call to his boss at the computer security division at the Mountain on Trena.
"Major," the lieutenant spoke into the communicator. "I know it's highly irregular, but I want to field promote a Tech Sergeant to a Second Lieutenant." "Why," the major asked.
The lieutenant discussed what he knew of Sergeant Jones' background, what she had done for him, for the logistics command, and for the palace. He felt she had earned a promotion to lieutenant.
"Okay Ralph," The major said, he had recommended the lieutenant to his current posting, and the lieutenant had been a warrant officer before he had been promoted to lieutenant. He knew that the LT was not one to promote his people ahead of zone, or to recommend his people for an unusual promotion. He was a good officer that nurtured his people and prepared them for their next assignment. If he was recommending one of his cyber cops be promoted to an officer she had to be hot shit. The major pulled up Alice's personnel file and made a snap decision. The promotion may only be valid for a couple of months, but she had all the paper work, education, as well as the skills to become a lieutenant. He saw her new orders and then added an addendum. Upon completion of her current assignment Alice was assigned to the Mountain as a first lieutenant in charge of a cyber-security platoon. They were short a lieutenant in that unit and the sergeant that was running it refused to be promoted to a lieutenant. It was a fix the officer liked. The promotion was immediate.
Alice had just gotten to the debarkation lounge for her trip to Trena when a private from her old unit came up to her.
"Sarge," the private greeted her, "new orders from the Mountain. Oh the LT said to give you these."
He handed her two single silver bars.
"He also said to keep up the good work, LT." The young man stepped back brought himself to attention and gave her, her first salute. Not sure why he would salute her she returned it.
"Oh," Alice commented as she took the paper from the private's hand and then read the orders. A little stunned, she said "Tell the LT, I have received my orders and will comply. Oh, and tell him thank you."
"Aye-aye LT." the private a young kid that Alice had been working with over the last week showed a lot of promise and had a bit of a crush on her. He saluted her again and left in a hurry. As he left one of the officers waiting to go planet side turned to her and asked, "What's going on sergeant?"
Alice showed him the orders, he shook he is head saying, "You know this is the first time I have ever heard of being given a promotion in transit. What gives?"
"I don't know," the humbot replied, "I will be heading up a cyber-security platoon when I get down."
"Lieutenant," the major said, "You're out of uniform!"
"I am at that," Alice replied, "By your leave sir?"
The major nodded and walked away shaking his head. Things were sure a changing. Alice checked the time, and decided to treat herself. She had two hours to go before her flight. She left Bugs with the departure clerk in the departure lounge and went to the station's uniform shop. She emailed them her sizes and what she needed. She showed the clerk her papers and soon had her uniforms. She left the shop and was just in time for her flight. On the flight down she changed from her enlisted uniform to her officer's uniform. Wishing it didn't look so new.
Once down, she got a port police officer to take her to Mounted Patrol Headquarters. There she went into the emergency operations center where Lord James was working with Kellogg on the latest intelligence. Kellogg who knew Alice, as did Lord James were both speechless when they saw what uniform she was wearing. Kellogg assumed it was a cover, James for his part didn't know what to think. Alice presented her orders to Kellogg who nodded and asked, "What do you have for us lieutenant?"
"I know where Lady Wilson is," Alice had been talking with Frasier, the Mounty AI, while in route to Mounty headquarters. She had shared what she had discovered with him. Frasier double checked the information and was ready to display the data when Alice walked into the center, "Frasier please display what we have been working on."
Lord James looked at the thirty something officer realizing that Alice was not who he thought she was. It was one of the very few times that Alice had ever let on that she was other than a human being.
Frasier displayed the section of Trenaport that the AI had blocked. He then laid down a grid map of the same area. He had worked with the municipal service computer and found out what homes and buildings were still drawing power and might be occupied. There were five hundred buildings that someone might be in. Once the display was complete, she explained how she had come about the data.
"DefConnie thinks she's a smart computer. She is rather dumb." Alice said with some venom after she made her presentation. Alice was a computer packed into a human looking body, "She doesn't know I am on to her. I'll get her next week. After we rescue Lady Wilson, she gets fixed!"
Kellogg and Chief James both noticed the venomous tone of voice. They both thought that it might not be a bad idea to stay on Alice's good side.
"We can use those cadets for this." Kellogg said, "I also want to set up staging for the SWAT units here."
James nodded. Pointed to a police officer and said, "Move the SWAT to this fire station here. I want them to go from twenty four hour alert to eight hour pad alert. They roll on anything suspicious in the area."
"I am going to the forward OP at the fire station!" Kellogg said, "Alice I want you forward deployed, to provide com security for the team." Kellogg commanded "It's too early to tell Lord Wilson."
"Aye," James agreed.
# ###
"It was that simple," The princess asked, "I mean half the planet's military and police hunting for grand mom and you found it by accident!"
"To this day," the General replied, "I have trouble believing it myself. It was so off the wall and unanticipated that it could have been over looked. Especially when you consider how the surveillance net was off and on over that portion of Trenaport for weeks. It wasn't until it went out for a week and the other maintenance guys were busy that we wouldn't have even had what I found."
"A couple of us have reviewed that data," Lamile Mitchum commented, "Last night it seemed to us that, this was a long shot! Especially after in hindsight what we knew was going on."
"It was at that." General Alice Jones commented, "But it was the best lead we had.
So we went with it."
# Chapter 31: SWAT Forward OP
"It was an awesome sight to see the gathering of heroes that began assembling at the fire station." General Jones was sitting on the edge of the desk, the following class, "We had police officers from Trena, the Companions, Trojack and SpecWars from the Black Guard. We had cadets, militia, and fire fighters begin assembling at the fire station. But it was a waiting game..."
# ###
It was a waiting game now. Although the SWAT team was now on 8 hour alert, all of the teams, the Mounty Team, the Trojack Team, the Black Guard, and Companion Team were all sitting in the abandoned fire house's common room. Their gear was laid out by unit in the abandoned equipment bay. This was the worse time for the teams. They were looking over maps, and building diagrams. The waiting was in the early part. All of the advance training was over. All four teams had played both aggressor, and rescuer. All four teams thought they were the best, but in General Alpine's opinion they were evenly matched with maybe the Trojack security unit being a little better at entry and recovery, with her Black Guard being a bit better in the infiltration with both police units being about evenly matched on infiltration and entry. She hated to admit that her Black Guardsmen were being second best by the biopeople; but her guardsmen lacked certain finesse when it came to gaining entry quickly and quietly without killing the subject. They also knew how to clear a building quickly. The detachment commander told her over dinner one evening that her NCOs were learning big time from the clones.
"Part of it is that when these guys were doing their thing, on Trojack, they didn't want to destroy company merchandise. So they learned very early how to make an entry that didn't get clones killed. "The captain said, "But they are good. Their infiltration has a lot to be desired. They don't usually have to cross into an enemy held position and take it out without being spotted. I am really surprised that the MPs and the cops are good at that."
"Yes they are good as they need to get in close and not be seen before they make an entry. So when they make entry they can do it fast and furious." the Princess had said. "We could learn some stuff from the Companions and the Mounties. I think once we clear Trena I think I will mention to Lord Wilson, that Home might set up a Special Forces hostage rescue academy. There will be a lot of Mounties that can teach the course, and
there might be a call for them to be an on call hostage rescue team."
"They'll need to earn some money somehow." the captain said.
Now the Princess stood silently watching as the four team leaders began to work out how they would do things.
"Look we know that there will be more than Hozenbur in the area. They may not have heard that we're hunting for Hozenbur. They may think we could be hunting them. There may also be people in there ready to support Hozenbur. So we need to set up a response protocol." The Companion Team leaders spoke. The Trojack, the Mounty, and Black Guard teams had generally accepted them as the overall Tactical coordinator. General Alphine had to admit the woman and her lifemate were good. It was unnerving to be around them sometimes. As one would start to talk then the other would finish what the other's thought was. Or they would both begin speaking together as they were doing now and you couldn't tell one from the other. "Unless someone objects, I have divided the twenty block area into four strike areas. Each of our teams has been assigned a strike area.
Black Guard is assigned blue; Mounties, Red; Companions Green, Trojack Yellow. Get the feel of your sector. When the sector is entered by the sweep team, I want you guys to deploy half your team forward. I want us to be ready to make the infiltration and the extraction. If your team makes the infiltration, we'll back you up. The Mounties are securing the area. There'll be no foot traffic and road traffic in or out of the area.
"The sweep teams will be made up of cadets from the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadet Academy. Major Atomi will be their lead." the Companion pointed to Lamile who was studying the map. She had been pulled from her team to attend this briefing.
"We think," the companion continued, "That if we work out from the center. Spiraling out. I've been talking with Lieutenant Jones here and she agrees with me. It is significant that these twenty blocks have been blind to the surveillance team. We think that the center of the zone is where Lady Wilson is being held. It could be an elaborate spoof. But that's where we're going first.
"Lady Hawthorne will be here soon and she'll oversee the deployment of the rest of the cadet teams. The rest of Lady Atomi's guys will be arriving in the next hour or so. We have about three hours of day light left. Princess Carroll, Kellogg, are the cadets authorized to work after dark."
"Negative." The marine commandant said, "My guys can work after dark. They own the night, to repeat a corny phrase. You guys might miss something in the dark.
Besides it would be out of cover to doing the survey after dark."
"Maybe we'll get lucky," someone commented, "and get this done tonight."
The Companions looked at each other shrugging in unison and turned to the group speaking in unison, "That would be outstanding. To continue...
"The sweep team will be doing what they have been doing for the last week or so. Checking buildings and such. The Marshal doesn't want them in harm's way; but they will search these buildings to ensure everyone is out of the area. Major if you stumble upon anyone call for an officer and we'll take over. If you stumble upon Hozenbur, disengage and get out of there. We don't want you harmed." Lamile nodded.
"If Lady Atomi stumbles on Hozenbur she'll get out of there and we'll go into stack and rack. If someone else stumbles upon the captain we'll get the cadets to safety and then go in." the companions were quiet for a moment. Watching their faces and body language, it was obvious they were discussing something. They looked to the map then finally turned to Lamile, "Lady Atomi I want you guys to work on the edges. The more we think about I think it will be safer for you to work in."
Lamile nodded again. She had mixed feelings about her assignment. She was concerned about the danger her cadets were in. Not certain how Hozenbur would react to them should she find them.
"Force Leader," She turned to the thonians, "Is there any possibility that Hozenbur will know who I am? Am I putting my kids and Lady Wilson in more danger?"
"We know you have been in the news Lamile," Kellogg said, "We have let it be known that your cadets are searching the neighborhoods and securing the abandon homes. But no one has even mentioned that you are hunting Lady Wilson at this time. To answer your question. I can't answer how safe you will really be; but we think that you will be okay!"
Lamile nodded and knew she could trust Kellogg. He had made a point of checking up on her personally every day and making sure she was okay.
"Let's go around the table one more time," the Force Leader said, "Go or no go!" "Medical," She asked.
"We're staged; with the landing craft is sitting at Trenaport Main. The crew is sleeping in the bird and that includes all my medics. The Valiant has been named to receive our casualties. I have an ISR team with me they'll be first in after you guys clear the house." a woman in the livery of the Interstellar Rescue Service spoke up. She had been living with the team since they had started practicing. At first a fire department medic unit had been assigned but they were needed by Trenaport Fire as they were getting short on staff and the IRS team knew something about hot landing zones. "We'll triage your injured and Lady Wilson then yell for the Calvary. They'll be on the ground five minutes after light on skids."
"Logistics?" the Thonian asked.
"I'm ready," Sergeant Hoi had been seconded to the team when they moved to the fire station. Langtree hadn't even blinked an eye when the team said they needed a top logistic sergeant. Langtree had turned to his aid and asked why are you still here? He turned to the team commanders. "There'll be a mess team here in a while. Some of the cadets will be making up your bunks. I think we have everything we need." "Fire?" the Companion asked.
"The Trojack team will be staging in the fire house and they will be your fire suppression team," A fire fighter wearing the white shirt of a battalion chief spoke up. He had been on duty since the announcement had been made of the disaster. After leaving Trena he would end his fifty year career as a fire fighter.
"Traffic control," the Companion asked.
"As planned," a captain in the Trenaport Mounted Patrol replied. "My guys have the outer perimeter, the MPs have the warm zone, and the SWAT units have the hot zone. This is the entire 20 block area. One block out from the hot zone the MPs are setting up road blocks. Everyone in this area is now to be positively identified. Three blocks out from the warm zone we have closed everything down. No traffic in or out unless the CP has cleared them. I don't have enough people; but General Qoum is loaning me some militia men, a lot of my off duty people are coming in to help. We can do it. But force leaders, you and I both know we cannot secure a neighborhood this big." "PIO," both thonians nodded as they asked.
"No press in the command post, and I have set up a press center in a park in the cold zone. At least it's ready to go. Any newsmen found in the hot zone are instantly violated and will spend the night on the Prison Ship."
"Okay it is now 1700 hours. " The captain gave the time hack turned to the team and asked, "Go no go one last time."
"Entry go," the SWAT commander called.
"Survey go," Lamile called.
"Fire go," The chief called.
"EMS go!" the IRS office called.
"Perimeter go," the Mounty called.
"Logistics go!" Sergeant Hoi said.
"TacCom and ComSec go," Alice said she had not been asked to report, but thought she should speak up. "I have a com black out. Only our stuff will work in here. The major and her cadets will have a camera attached to their uniforms and a secure com back to here.
The area will be swept continuously until we are contained. Again go!"
"Flight Ops!" the force leader called realizing she had forgotten the quiet lieutenant in the corner.
"Flight is go!" the militia forward air controller called.
"Mr. Kellogg" The companion turned to the former closer. "We are go." "Execute!" Kellogg said softly.
"I'll be with my cadets!" Lamile called and left the fire station. One of the police officers drove her to where her cadets were waiting for her.
The drill was simple! Four kids would approach a house and knock on the door. They would announce themselves. Rattle the door knob and then enter the house. Two other kids would stand by the door as their team members went in, ready to assist if needed. The team captain stood by the door and marked an X on the wall beside the door. The captain would mark the time they entered and exited, and what they found. If they found nothing they would secure the building and flash weld the door lock shut. They had been given a small hand held laser welder that one kid in each of the teams had been shown how to use. Anyone entering the building would have to use forcible entry tools. They would then leap frog the house next to them as another team was already been in it.
If the teams found a home with people in it they called for an adult and moved on. They didn't find many, Mostly drunks and derelicts that were running from the authorities. The few kids they found whose parents were not to be found were taken directly to the academy. This neighborhood had been declared evacuated a month or so before.
By nightfall the teams wandered into the fire station. They were tired. Lady Hawthorne watched her cadets enter the fire station and collapse in small groups around the dining tables or just on the floor. As she watched, a couple of them went right into the squad bay and right to sleep. She was proud of them. Each and every one of them had volunteered for this mission. A mission that some adults would find daunting! Not only was it exhaustive, it was potentially dangerous. She was having trouble justifying the use of her young people this way. But all of them knew what the risks were and what could happen.
"Major Hawthorne," Millie approached her with a cup of hot coffee distracting her quiet observation of her cadets. She took the coffee. "Want me to get some more guys form the school? I think maybe ten or twenty of the NCOs can be broken out of their duties. You want them."
"Check with Mr. Kellogg and see if he's okay with it. Then make sure that Jenkins is cool with it I don't want the school shut down because of this." Lady Hawthorne said.
"Understand ma'am," the master sergeant replied. She made her call and came back to the head mistress. "Jenkins said he would see what he could do. They'll be here in the morning."
"Good," the noble woman responded.
"Major can I borrow a minute of your time." The marine sergeant asked.
"I guess so," they sat down at a nearby table.
"I can retire at the end of the year." The sergeant started, "If I were to show up on your door on Home would you hire me."
"Millie," Lady Hawthorne said, looking the older woman in the eye, "In a heartbeat
Millie. I owe you! I couldn't do this without you."
"Thank you," the master sergeant replied then looked oddly at the noble woman
"May I say something else Major,"
Deloris nodded, unused to this woman addressing her as major.
"A lot of the guys have been watching you and over you for a while now. Without a doubt everyone is in awe of you. What you have done with those kids, is nothing less than admirable. Whatever it is you have, I have not seen it in any of the officers, or the guys I have been looking after for years. They wouldn't say it to your face, they would be ... I don't know the word for it, but they would want you to know that even if you hadn't accepted the commission in the militia they would still call you General. We all think you have it between the ears."
"Thank you Millie," Lady Hawthorne wasn't really hearing the sergeant, as she was distracted as another group of cadets coming in. This time it was Major Atomi. She came over to Lady Hawthorne and said, "That's the last of us Major. I am going to get some food and then stretch out for a while."
"Okay get some hot food and some sleep. Have you talked to Colonel Wilson today?" Lady Hawthorne asked.
"Yeah, as we came in. I briefed her on my plan for tomorrow. Told her how I was using the cadets. I made sure that she didn't need me or the guys back." Lamile said, "She wants to be here; but knows it will be counterproductive. One of us has to be at the academy so it can still function."
"Okay Lamile. Call your mother, let her know you are okay and then get some rack time." the sergeant chimed in. Lamile took two steps back saluted and was soon sound asleep on the floor amongst the cadets having forgotten to call her mother.
That is where Mylea found her the next morning when she stopped by the fire house to see how things were going. She looked so peaceful. Someone quietly called, "XO on deck!"
That broke the spell and her sleeping baby stirred and sat up.
"Hi mom," a groggy Lamile called seeing her mother as she got to her feet, "I meant to call."
"Sergeant Jones called and told me where you were." She looked over to a recliner where the humbot was apparently sound asleep. She was surprised to see the silver bar on her collars. She would have to talk to the security officer about the promotion to lieutenant,
"Let's go the galley let these guys sleep."
"Commander, Major," a marine came up to them as they sat down in the galley holding a plate of food and a cup of orange juice for both of them.
"Thank you private," Mylea said, as they found a place to eat and talk.
"How many did you check yesterday," Mylea asked.
"Maybe twenty," the young woman replied, "It's much too slow. There's got to be a better way."
"There is," Kellogg sat down with them. "We've been back checking the surveillance data. We think we know where she is. I have been pouring over the aerials and I think I have found fifteen homes that seem to have people in them. Homes with a heat signature that were not there a couple of weeks ago. This one in particular was empty for months, and now it is lit up like a Christmas tree! These houses here and here are empty. Everywhere we have found people in here, there's been a concentration. Like here and here." He pointed out a couple of concentrations on several of the hard copy prints.
"Chief," Kellogg looked at Mylea, "I need Lamile for a special job that none of these cops can do. I don't trust my guesses 100%. So I need to send Lamile in with a couple of her cadets to check out this house."
Kellogg waited for Mylea to say something, anything. He knew the order she and Marshal Wilson had issued about the cadets. They were not to be put in danger. He agreed with them. Some of Lamile's cadets were barely sixteen. He didn't want them harmed. If someone was asking to use his son on this he would be anything, but calm.
"Go on," Mylea said knowing Kellogg was waiting for her.
"All I need is for her and a hand full of her older cadets to do a survey on the houses across the street from we think Hozenbur hiding in. She'll be able see the cadets from them her front windows. Then do the houses on her side of the street. We need to know that Hozies in here. She won't blow her cover if she thinks we're just doing the survey. As much as most of us hate her, we know she is a professional. She will not kill or endanger
Lamile unless she feels threatened. Lamile's cadets can get in and get out." "Mom," Lamile said Mylea held up her finger to quiet her daughter.
"Okay Kell," Mylea said, "I won't disagree with you. And I have been observing how you been watching over the kids. Lamile you did know that your drivers have all been SWAT or Black Guardsmen, and except for when you go into the houses, they never lose sight of you. That time you were in that house for fifteen minutes and they lost connectivity with your camera a couple of the guys were on the verge of rushing in."
"I know," Lamile said. "You're okay with this?"
"Hell no," Mylea replied, "But there's a lot of things I don't like when it comes to you growing up. But I sure as hell can't stop it. No one ever said motherhood wasn't worrisome. Even when their children grow up! Kell, the major and her cadets are yours to use. But if you think Mike would ream you out if you got Lisa hurt what do you think I'll do if Lamile gets hurt?"
"Uh Chief," Kellogg looked the evacuation command's second ranking officer in the eye, "You can send my remains to Shannon's on West Third if Lamile comes to any grief."
They understood each other.
"Now you go and rescue my friend." Mylea said, "I'll stay in the CP. Alice!"
"Yes Chief?" Alice stirred from her slumber. While in recovery mode regenerating she often looked as if she was asleep.
"I want a complete com black out. I don't want Lord Wilson in here and I don't want the Queen in here until we have Lisa out. I want to know that she is safe before Michael gets any info. If there is any grief, I want to be the one tell him. I owe him that much!"
"Done," Alice replied absently stroking the cat that was nuzzling her. A few seconds later the cat jumped off her lap and went in search of Lamile. Alice had told the robot to stay with the XO's daughter.
# ###
"Was it dangerous General," Lamile Mitchum asked.
"To a certain extent," The General replied, "We had an idea that Hozenbur was in the house. But we didn't have an idea who else was with her. When she abducted Lady Wilson she killed everyone on her team. We had no idea if she had recruited more or if she was running solo. We weren't certain if her ladyship was there or not. We weren't really certain how Hozenbur would react to the cadets. There were a lot of unanswerable questions. But we were almost certain that she wouldn't harm the cadets needlessly.
"Why did grandmother Mylea relent and let the cadets do this," T'harla asked.
"She had been receiving reports from Lord James and Kellogg on what they were doing with the cadets, as was Lady Hawthorne." Alice said, "Those kids were almost as well protected as the Queen. Maybe better, as the SpecWars were well armed and ready."
"In her biography," Georgia Hawthorne injected, "The XO doesn't say much about that time. Only that she couldn't believe how well her daughter handled it."
"Yes," the General said, "They all did a wonderful job, Lamile, Mitch, her majesty
Queen Jill, though she wasn't at the forward op."
The bell rang and the General dismissed the class.
# Chapter 32: The Entry
"The entry," The General began, "was the most intense time we had during the entire episode. If there is any time that is most dangerous to the hostage, it is during this time. When the Hostage Rescue Team knows they have to go in and do a physical rescue. The team knows that they could lose the hostage and take casualties.
"But they have to do it," the General continued remembering her own part of the rescue. "So they began to get the job done. Everyone was tense. Real tense!"
# ###
They had been working slowly all morning. No one except Lamile, Mitch, and her adult chaperons knew what was going to happen. She didn't want any of the kids to know that they were close to rescuing her Aunt. She didn't want her kids to know that Hozenbur was so close. She had set things up so she would do the house that they thought Hozenbur was in. She had rearranged her team so that she had only older kids with her. She had wanted Rhonda to be her back up so she didn't have to bring Mitch in. She couldn't as Rhonda was needed as one of the team captains as did the other cadet officer that were with them. Then as she thought about it; she wanted Mitch. She had learned to trust the sometimes shy and soft spoken Mitch. Mitch was like a rock at times. Rhonda on the other hand sometimes seemed to let her emotions get the better of her. She had requested that Mitch be released from her duties to be her back up. When Mitch got in Lamile had taken her aside and told her what the deal was, and had sworn her to silence. She was finding that Mitch knew how to keep her mouth shut and she was very loyal to her and Jill. The last thing she asked Mitch, "Can you do this?"
Mitch had thought for a moment flexed her back, it was almost pain free. The fatigue the injury had caused was almost nonexistent. But even if there was pain, even if her injury tried to prevent her from accomplishing her duties, there was nothing in the world that would stop her from helping to find her friend's mother. She looked in Lamile's eye and said, "Try to stop me! I owe that much to Jill!"
"Let's get this done," Lamile had said. With that the two young women went and joined their team.
The entire morning had been tense. She had just wanted to go directly to the house and knock on the door. But she knew better. So she watched her kids work the other side of the street between doing her own assessments and walking between the houses. Finally they were ready. Mitch had a hand on her belt as she approached the door. As she was about to knock on the door she looked down and saw Lieutenant Jones cat at their feet. He had been with them all morning as if he was keeping an eye on them. He was almost underfoot at times. As she observed the cat, she thought she saw the cat blend in with its surroundings.
The Black Guardsmen who was her driver and chaperon had pulled the hover jeep up to just easy eyesight of the door. He even had his sidearm out laying it beside him on the seat, ready to go. Just out of Lamile's eyesight was an APC containing the Trojack HRT. Should she get in trouble they would make an entry to get her to safety. As she approached the door she tapped her ear twice and heard Alice say, "Connectivity is good
Major. We're ready!"
Hozenbur had been watching the kids check the houses across the street. She had heard that cadets from the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets were checking abandoned buildings to be sure that they were abandoned. She hadn't been out of the house in a day or so and hadn't seen what they were doing until this morning. The Evacuation Command always posted what streets they were going to work each day on the Evac net. But not just the Evac net; but on the law enforcement network; and also on the news nets schedule so people would know what was going on. For some reason she hadn't heard they were going to work her neighborhood. She had thought about offering the kids some drinks; but changed her mind; she didn't want to have eyes seeing too much of her. She knew her face had been posted not only the law enforcement nets; but also the general news nets. She thought of not opening the door; but saw they were opening doors and going into the abandoned home when no one came to open the door. She had no choice but to answer the door when they knocked. She opened the door and saw kids.
"Oh hello," The young Thonian said, "We didn't think this house was occupied."
"For a little while yet." the sixty year old slender woman replied, "I go at the end.
I am on one of the last lift. So I just stayed in my home."
"Okay then," Lamile took out a data pad and began to write on it. "Who are you? I need to enter this into my notes so that you won't be bothered again."
"Martha Livermore. I am a widow." Martha said. "I live alone."
"I see," Lamile said as he ear bug came alive. "Lamile I am in the back of the house. I am behind a force field that I can't disable. There appears to be no self-destruct. It is a prison style containment field. What is Sergeant Jones cat doing in here?"
"Okay, Mrs. Livermore," Lamile heard her aunt trying not to let on she said, "I think we got everything. I am required to tell you that should you not be here for transportation to your departure point, or miss your evacuation date the Crown will not try to find you. That you are on your own after that date!"
She handed the paper she had been told to give anyone they found in the houses.
"I understand," Martha said taking the paper from Lamile's hand. The kids left going to the next house.
The kids did the whole street. It was maddening, Lamile wanted to clear off to get her people out of danger. Especially as her aunt was keeping a steady narrative while they were in range. She asked when she was out of ear shot of Hozenbur, "Aunt Lisa, are you okay?"
"Yes," Lisa answered, "It's good to hear you."
"It is good to hear you too!" Lamile responded, "I may be out of range in a bit so I'll make this short we'll be getting you out. Hang on it won't be long!"
Lisa couldn't believe her luck that she had been found. But hearing Lamile also frightened her, as she didn't know what was going on. As she lost connectively with the Thonian teenager she hoped that they wouldn't be long in getting her out.
Lamile was tense. She was afraid that her conversation with her aunt had been over heard by Hozenbur. She knew that her aunt had an implant that allowed her access to computer and communications systems, but wasn't certain that her aunt's captor could monitor it.
Mitch heard only Lamile's side of the conversation as they searched the rest of the street. As the cadets searched the rest of vacant houses on the street Mitch stayed with Lamile outside sending the cadets in. She knew that her friend was greatly distracted and she had to run the team for Major Atomi. Thankfully they found no one else in any of the houses.
When they finally got to the end of the street Lamile found her mother waiting for her, with Lady Hawthorne.
"You did good," Lamile was fiercely hugged by her mother. "Mitch, thank you."
"You're welcomed," Mitch replied, she had come a long way from the time she had been assaulted in the Trenaport Children's Shelter. Lamile had been one of the reasons she had made so much progress.
"Major Hawthorne, get them out of here!" Mylea commanded
"Aye-aye," Lady Hawthorne said. "Come on Lamile. We'll go to the fire house. I am sure Mr. Kellogg will want to talk with you."
Lamile nodded. She looked around for the Lieutenant's cat and didn't see it. "Mitch do you see Bugs?"
"No. I haven't seen him since before we did the house where Lady Wilson is being kept." Mitch said looking for the cat also, "He must be in there!" "Lieutenant Jones will kill us!" Lamile said.
"It is okay Lamile," Lamile heard the Lieutenant's voice in here ear bug, "Bugs is doing his job. He'll be okay."
"Okay then," Lamile touched her ear bug. "Did you hear Aunt Lisa?"
"Yes," The lieutenant answered, "We'll see you in a bit."
She followed the commandant to the jeep and soon they were at the fire house. When she got to the fire house she found the Trojack team mounting up. They had drawn the entry and extraction. They had wanted to be the ones to rescue Lady Wilson. They didn't think they would get to do it; but the house was in their sector, and the other teams had been deployed for the over watch of the cadets. If they had moved out of their spots, they might be seen. They had the house bottled up. The Mounties had the back of the house, the Black Guard had the left side and the Companions had the right side. One squad of the Mounties and one squad of the Companions were the backup team.
Crandle was ready.
"Major Atomi," Crandall called as he saw the cadet, "We saw the images from your camera. Is there anything they didn't tell us?"
"I don't know! Did you hear Aunt Lisa talking to me?" Lamile asked, "She told me she was in there."
"We not only heard her Lamile," Alice Jones came up to where Trojack entry team was prepping. "She gave us this." Alice had been monitoring Lamile very carefully. She wanted to be able to tell the over watch team to get her out if things went crazy. As she was listening and watching Lamile, she noticed that there was a second data signal over laid on the audio. When she took it apart she had found pictures of what Lady Wilson had seen of the house. She had also sent a complete set of images of the containment system that kept her locked up. Alice shared them with the team.
"Bugs has managed to roam the house a bit," Alice said. Unknown to Lamile and Mitch, Bugs was a robot. She had ordered Bugs to infiltrate the house when Hozenbur answered the door. "We now have a direct link with Lady Wilson's implant. We'll be able to tell her to duck and cover as you go in. Bugs has found a couple of hand guns, one assault riffle. He hasn't found any heavy weapons, and Lady Wilson confirms there are no others in the house. Lady Wilson hasn't seen any heavy weapons in the house either." "Can Bugs create a distraction," Crandle asked.
"Bugs has dropped off a 'bot on the electrical panel," Alice replied, "When you knock, the lights will go off. Bugs is trying to infiltrate the force field panel. There he's in." Alice appeared to be working the robot from a remote terminal, "I'll have Bugs make a pest of himself a few seconds before you enter. I can have him to try to get Hozenbur to go to the door right before you hit it. Then as you hit the door, he'll get in between her legs and trip her. You can go in anytime you want. I have the back and front doors."
"We need to go in fast and furious!" Crandall said, "Randy, you have the key."
"Yes sir," an Alpha clone patted a three inch diameter, three feet long pipe with four handles. Capped with a solid looking plate. Someone had written 'Universal Key!' on it. He commented, "Me and baby will get that door open!"
"Lieutenant, I know you can defeat locks; but I think just for effect and disorientation, when you defeat the lock, Randy will open the door as violently as possible. And then we go in as practiced. I'll be last in the stick with the medic behind me. While you guys take Hozie down, we get Lady Wilson out."
"Crandall," Mylea having come in with the last of the cadets spoke up, "I want Hozenbur alive. She has killed several people on this world and she will be tried for the criminal she is. She gets the Queen's Justice."
"Chief," Crandall said returning the ice cold stare of the Chief, "That lady has murdered thousands of clones, and has been responsible for the repression of hundreds of thousands of others. I want that bitch. But I want her to be brought up on charges to show biopeople all over the Empire, that some of us who worked for the company are moral, ethical people and don't support animals like Hozenbur. She is going before the Queen's Bench. Where if the Crown Attorney does his job right, the woman will be found guilty and executed. My team hasn't lost a suspect yet. I don't intend to now. But we both know that Hozenbur may have other ideas."
"I know you know your business Mr. Crandall." Mylea said formally, "I've seen you work. I know what you can do. I am not questioning your abilities. I have a duty to the People of Trena to make sure we are all on the same page."
"Chief Atomi," Crandall as he stood to his full six foot two inches, "I understand.
Mount up people!"
As they walked out to the truck they found the Queen and Francine, Lady Wilson's personal assistant, walking into the fire station.
"Your majesty, please tell me that Mike isn't with you!" Mylea asked.
"No, General Langtree picked him up a while ago," The Queen answered, "The General wanted to go over some paper work with him, and General Langtree suggested
that they catch a meal at the Fletcher O club while they discuss it."
"Okay." Mylea said. "Black Guard to me!"
"Yes ma'am," A lieutenant came up to where the XO was standing. He was the secondary team leader for the guard. The primary team had the over watch on the street where Hozenbur's safe house was.
"Your mission has been changed! You are to stay with the Queen, at least one team." Mylea said sharply turning to the young queen, "Later I will discuss with the Queen how her presence here is not the brightest thing I have ever seen her do."
"I know Mylea," the Queen replied, "I know. But shouldn't you be back at the Evac command post not here also."
Princess Carroll wearing fatigues and weapons came up at that time. She was about to say something to both women, that none of them should be there, (Maybe even herself), when she heard a chuckle behind her. She turned with the two others to see Lamile smiling at them, "Mom, Your majesty, Princess. I will remember the example you are setting, when
I become in charge."
"Let's get out of the shooters way," The Mylea said shaking her head. She hoped her daughter would never be faced with this situation.
They went and stood with the medics waiting for the word that Lisa was safe. As they were standing there Francine, who had come in with the Queen, gave the medics a small overnight bag. "This is for Lady Wilson when you get her out. It's her own clothing. Maggie sent them over."
The medic made sure it was on the armored ambulance that had been staged at the fire house. It was only seconds away from Hozenbur's safe house.
# ###
Crandall's team stacked up and began to move on the house. They had chosen to stack two doors down from the house just to be sure that Hozenbur wouldn't spot them. They slowly approached the house waiting for the over watch team to clear them to the next one. Hozenbur had not poked her nose out of the house since Lamile had knocked on her door. They finally got to the front door. Another entry team had worked up to the back door. They would take Hozenbur down if she tried to escape through the back.
"Do it!" Crandle yelled as they heard a cat screech and cry out, on the other side of the door. Randy battered the door open with the "Key". As it swung open and Randy got out of the way as the number two man threw a stun grenade into the house. They wouldn't collapse the force field containing Lady Wilson until Hozenbur was under the control of the entry team. It would protect Lady Wilson from the effects of the grenade. Seconds after the grenade went off; the team flowed into house yelling, "Police! Down! Police! Down!"
Lady Wilson had been given a heads up of the entry, had buried herself in her make shift cell's bath room and waited. She knew they had control of everything; but she wasn't going to take any chances. She pulled the thin mattress over her and waited.
Hozenbur was bewildered. Between her stepping on the cat, that had come out of nowhere, the lights going off, the door flying open and the stun grenade going off she was completely disoriented. She had tripped over the cat and fell as the front door burst open. She saw the grenade just in time to open her mouth and squeeze her eyes tightly closed before it went off. She didn't have time to recover as her attackers piled onto her. They had her secured in seconds.
They kept her down until they got Lady Wilson out of the house.
It all went to hell when they started to get off her. They thought they still had her secure. But Hozenbur was just waiting her time. As the fog cleared and as they stood her up she broke free and went to the back of the house. As she got to the door she pulled a gun she and fired into the biopeople. Two died instantly. Another lost an arm. Finally one of the biopeople got a clear shot and fired. Hozenbur was shot through the eye and died instantly.
"Suspect down!" Randy yelled. "Scene is secure! Medics! I need Medics now! I have two dead and one injured, and Hozenbur's dead!"
Lady Wilson was already out of the house in an armored ambulance that had roared up to the house as the entry was made. The medic and Crandall had almost carried her out of the house. They barely allowed her feet to touch the ground as they hustled her into the waiting ambulance. They had gotten her to safety before they tried to stand Hozenbur up. Once inside the ambulance, Crandall called on his communicator, "All units, all units, we have Healer. Repeating we have Healer and she is alive!"
A landing craft roared to a landing at the fire station, its front ramp already down.
Another ambulance roared off it just as the ambulance carrying Lisa got to the fire house. As soon as the other ambulance was clear, the ambulance carrying Lisa roared up onto the ramp. As soon as it was aboard the landing craft, the landing craft made a combat lift with the ramp closing as the Elsy cleared 100 feet.
"Is she okay," Mylea had scrambled onto the landing craft while the ambulance loaded onto vessel. She wanted to be one of the first people Lisa saw. She saw Lisa sitting in a web seat on the ambulance looking a little worse for wear; but looking okay, "Are you all right?"
"I am all right Myl," Lisa said activating her implant's communications suite, "Let me call Mike!"
"Mike is in route to the Valiant. David's getting him there. You're in route to the
Valiant."
Mylea had gotten word to David when they had found Hozenbur, and were rescuing Lisa.
"I guess I can wait." Lisa said, "Who is the team leader?"
"I am Lady Wilson," Crandall had been waiting a little ways away from the noble woman letting the medics check the noble lady out.
"Thank you." Lisa returned. As they got her onto the ambulance she had heard someone yelling about the casualties, "I am sorry about your team."
"Lady Wilson," Crandall said, "We got you out alive. Every one of my guys had been on Hozenbur's team at one time or another and had found a way to get off it. They were ready to die to get you out of her hands."
The Queen who had scrambled with Mylea onto the landing craft listened to the conversation and knew what she had to do.
"Mr. Crandall," Queen Agatha spoke to the bioman, "The Crown will honor the blood price your team paid."
"Thank you, Ma'am," Was all that Crandall could say as the landing craft landed aboard the Valliant. The ramp of the landing craft opened. It had barely touch the deck before Marshal Wilson was scrambling onto the landing craft and then into the ambulance and finally pulling her into his arms.
"God I was so afraid that I lost you!" Michael exclaimed hugging her, and kissing her passionately. "I promised you I would never put you in danger, and I couldn't even protect you!"
"It's okay Mike," Lisa responded, "I'm okay."
"I'm never going to let you out of my sight again." Mike hugged her again. He let go of her and helped her down the ramp of the Life Saver ambulance and the ramp of the landing craft where a nursing team was waiting for her. They had gotten the word that she was not injured.
"I need a team at the casualty dock!" a chief called, "I have another landing craft coming up with casualties. One of these birds needs to go."
"This way Lady Wilson," A nurse came up and led Lisa to an antigravity chair,
"Now don't argue with me you're under my care now." "Okay," Lisa replied and sat down in the chair.
"Marshal," the nurse said as they cleared the air lock. "We're going to examine Lady Wilson. Check her babies, and make sure she's none the worse for wear. It'll take an hour, but she'll be back in your care shortly."
Wilson knowing there was nothing he could do nodded went with his best friend and the Queen to a waiting room to wait for Lisa to be released.
"Well Lady Wilson," The nurse practitioner that managed the obstetrics unit spoke to her a few minutes later. "Both children appear to be healthy. From what you said you have a normal gestation period of 9 months. It looks like you will give birth in a month or so. Your ordeal has in no way compromised your health, or that of the children. I would suggest that you speak with a counselor about your ordeal."
Lisa was impressed. The nurse practitioner didn't pamper her, or baby her; but wasn't brusque or rude. She quickly and professionally examined her, drew some blood, looked at the children, and in general doing one of the most thorough examinations Lisa had ever witnessed. Then she gave her results just as professionally without getting into medical jargon.
"No one knows anything about assisting you to deliver your children in the IRS," the nurse continued, "Is there anything significantly different that your midwife should know."
"No, child birth is similar to that of a non-bioengineered woman." Lisa remarked, "It shouldn't be that bad I have been pregnant before and while labor is no fun, it's something I can deal with."
"Okay then," The nurse said, "There is no reason to keep you. I am discharging you. Lady Wilson, until the Valiant is pulled out the com computer has instructions to find me anytime time you call. I'll come to you if I have to."
"Thank you," Lisa said getting to her feet reaching for the rough gray colored smock that Hozenbur had made her wear. It was what clones in a production complex wore. Hozenbur had done her best to intimidate her and control her.
"Oh Lady Wilson, your maid sent this up." She pointed to a small overnight bag.
"I'll leave you now so you can dress."
"Thank you," Lisa said. It was then that Lisa learned that she wasn't in a standard examination room but a VIP suite. A few minutes later after a shower and in her own clothes, she left the suite to find her husband waiting for her. The Queen, and the others had left for the nearby VIP lounge. Lisa hugged Mike as fiercely as her pregnant belly would let her. He returned her hug with a passionate kiss.
"And," Michael asked when they broke their embrace.
"Every thing's okay," She replied, "The babies weren't hurt, Hozenbur wasn't going to hurt me until she was ready. She wanted to kill the babies after they were born and either let me live or kill me hideously. Did they really kill her?"
"Yes, she's dead," Michael answered coldly, "Which is most likely better, she would have made a spectacle. That no one wanted. I don't think we could have tried her."
"Well I can't say I am unhappy about her passing." Lisa commented keying up her implant and sending out a query about her mother in law. She found that Joyce was now out of the hospital. Resting in the palace. She read the medical report, and said aloud, "How is Joyce?"
"She's okay. About back to her old self," Mike said, "Ready to go and tackle the estate on Home. Would have been gone but she wanted to know you were safe."
"I see from the records that she recovered fast this time," Lisa said, "Good time. I guess twenty some odd years does make a difference in medical treatment."
When they left the suite's lobby they found Mylea and the rest of them. Lisa went right up to Mylea and hugged her
"Thank you," Lisa said. Once she got connectivity back with her implant she was slowly but surely wading through the terabits of information about her kidnapping, and rescue. "You did a very brave thing allowing Lamile to make contact with Hozenbur."
"Lisa," Mylea said quietly, "I would do it again if I had to. We had to get you back! Mostly because as much as this big strong marine thinks he is a manly man, he really needs you around to keep him in line. I tried but damn he's a hard case!"
"Oh yes! He can be bullheaded, stubborn, and generally hard to manage." Lisa with a wicked smile and glint in her eyes responded, "But ya know what would I do without him."
"I know," Mylea said, she had seen the bond between her two friends, she didn't quite understand how it could be so strong without the Aqaut that made her people telepathic and empathic with their lifemate; but it worked for them. In some respects she sometimes thought their bond was stronger than she had with Garth, Lamile's father.
The Queen saw the by play between her seniors and didn't quite understand it. If she had been held captive for nearly three weeks; she wouldn't be bouncing back as fast as Lisa appeared to be. She would want some very quiet time, and some close friends around to help her cool out. Though as she thought about it; there was tension between the Wilsons. Mostly from Lord Wilson, as he wondered what was going to happen next? Lisa for all her brave front was not wholly immune from had happened to her. She was just going to deal with it. Which the Queen thought, as they walked to the flight deck, was the best way to handle it, just get on with it. Don't dwell on it, don't wallow in it but acknowledge it and go on.
Lisa had noticed the Queen's steady survey of her and Mike before they had trooped to the landing craft. She knew what was going on in the young woman's mind. Lisa made a note herself that she would invite the Queen to lunch in the next day or so, so they could talk.
The landing craft landed at the palace, and there was Jill in one of the electric carts that they used on the palace grounds in place of bigger cars.
"Mom!" She said getting out of the cart running to her step mother, "are you okay!"
"Yes," Lisa said returning the girls embrace. "Lamile, Crandall and all of them did their job."
"I am so glad you're back," Jill hugged her step mother again. She hadn't realized until her step mother's abduction how much she needed her step mother.
"I am glad to be back," Lisa said. She got into the cart sitting next to Mike, "Get us home Jill."
"Yes ma'am," Jill said getting back into the electric cart and taking the three of them to Residence.
"How's Abby," Lisa asked.
"She's okay," Michael said, "We haven't told her what's going on. We thought it best not to until we knew for sure."
Lisa was quiet for a while then said, "Sally most likely had some strong opinions about that."
"Yes," Michael said, "but she understood." "Where have I been for a month?" Lisa asked.
"You were working with a client," Michael said.
"I see," Lisa commented. "You know there is no way we can prevent her from learning about this."
"I suspect she knows," Jill replied, "I saw her seeing a part of a news holo of your abduction."
"How did she react," Lisa asked.
"She asked if that was you they were talking about," Jill answered, "I told her I didn't know."
Lisa was deep in thought as they approached the residence. Lisa saw Abby sitting on the steps of the residence with her mother in law. Lisa got out and saw how Abby's face lit up as the little girl ran to her mother. "You're safe!" "Yes I am safe," Lisa said.
"I was so worried," the little girl said, "Daddy and Jill wouldn't say anything; but I
knew you were in danger."
"How did you know that?" Lisa sat down on the steps with her daughter.
"That woman on the holo said that you were kid...napped," the girl said hesitantly. The child had been in the study trying to find her holo of Star Pony when she saw Hozenbur's. She had kept the secret to herself.
"Oh," she turned to her family, "I'll be in a while."
"Will you be okay," Joyce asked her daughter in law as she sat down next to her.
"In time," Lisa answered as the girl climbed up on her lap. "In time. Let me be with
Abby for a while. I'll be in, in a while."
"Okay," Michael bent down and kissed his wife on her head and then took Jill and his mother inside.
"Abby," Lisa said trying to get her head around what she had to tell her daughter. "Yes I was in terrible danger. But that woman will never hurt any of us again. She was a terribly bad woman who hurt a great many people." "Did Daddy rescue you?" the child asked.
"Daddy helped," Lisa replied, "he, Aunt Mylea, Lamile, and Jill all worked to make sure that I came back to you."
The girl was quiet and Lisa wasn't certain what to say next. They sat on the front porch until the sun set, Abby falling asleep in her mother's lap. Concerned, Michael came out and saw both of them asleep on the porch. He tried to gently take his sleeping daughter from his wife, trying not to wake her. Of course that didn't work, she woke up. Michael reached down for his wife with his free hand helped her to her feet. The three of them walked into the house together.
# ###
"I couldn't believe how good Mom looks," Jill had written in her diary, "I can tell though that she isn't as cool and collected as she is letting us believe.
"Lamile called me after Mom was on her way to the hospital. Lamile had given me a heads up that Mom was safe and the rest of the kids were also. She told me how she had helped. At first I was shocked that Mr. Kellogg and Aunt Mylea had let her do that, especially after dad's edict. But they had and from what Lamile had said everyone had performed outstandingly.
"Mitch called after she got back to the academy," Jill continued, "She told me what Lamile hadn't. That Lamile was scared that they had put Mom in danger when Mom had talked to Lamile over her ear bug. I need to do something special for both my friends. I will need to talk with Lady Hawthorne and Sergeant Green to see what I can do." The Princess closed the book as she finished reading aloud.
"It wasn't Queen Jill who let it be known how much she appreciate what her friends did," The General commented, "Queen Agatha, Chief Atomi, Princess Carroll, Lady Hawthorne, and Lady Wilson held a very private dinner for the cadets who were instrumental in Lady Wilson's rescue, as well as the police officers and others who helped rescue her. The biopeople were given an award of valor for their rescue as well as Mitch and Lamile for their courage. The award, The Queen's Citation for Bravery is issued only to cadets who put their lives in danger while rescuing others, was given out for the first time. It wouldn't be the last time that Mitch would be cited for gallantry and bravery in the service to the Queen and people of Home."
The medal, only awarded to Cadets of the Queens' Own Corps of Cadets, materialized in the class room. It was a simple design, with the corps coat of arms, a Shield shaped device with two scarlet red crowns opposite each other on a field of space black with tiny jewels simulating the star system of Trena. In addition the shield showed a figure carrying another in a fireman's carry with a bomb burst behind them. Around the shield were the words "Queens' Own Royal Corps of Cadets". The medal hung from a navy blue ribbon.
"The Medal of Bravery has been award only 12 times since Queen Agatha first awarded it." The general continued, "About half posthumously." The end of class bell rang.
"Next week we'll discuss the founding of our kingdom's monarchy." General Jones reminded the class before saying, "Class dismissed!"
# Chapter 33: Equals
"It has always amazed me," the Princess said at breakfast before class the next week, "that through a series of circumstances that I could be just another girl attending this academy."
"It does seem ironic," Peter McAlister commented, "That had Great Grandmother's charter been different I would be the Prince. But in some regards I'd glad to be another cadet here without all of the pressure that you have."
"Sometimes it can be a little much," Princess Lisa admitted. As the heir to the throne took her tray the window for reprocessing, she thought about how the expectations of her could be overwhelming.
"Can you imagine how over whelming it was to the Queen though," Princess Lisa asked as they went to Langtree Hall for the beginning of their morning classes. She lapsed in silence as two upper classmen came nearer. Underclassmen were not to be talking on the walkways between classes. They entered the hall and climbed up to the classroom.
"I guess it could be," Queen Agatha's great grandson commented as they took their seats.
"She went from being a marine brat to that of the ruler of a world in less than a year." The princess remarked, "That is one hell of a change."
"But it doesn't say much how it affected her," T'harla commented.
"No it doesn't." Princess Lisa said softly.
# ###
It was late afternoon, and Jill was working quietly in the commander's office at the academy. She was looking over the Mast report for the Saturday morning Commander's Mast when she was interrupted by Princess Carroll, and her grandmother and a short chubby brunette she didn't know.
"Jill, this is Suzy Gabriel," her grandmother spoke up, "She is the Speaker of the
Council that you authorized a few weeks ago to form a government on Home."
"Oh!" Jill gave her full attention to the three women before her. "I see. Speaker
Gabriel, are you here to brief me on the government you folks designed?" "Yes Majesty," Suzy Gabriel replied.
"Grand mom," she turned to her grandmother ignoring the woman calling her, majesty, "Carroll have you reviewed Speaker Gabriel's document?"
"We all have," Queen Agatha and Larry Mercer walked into the office.
Suzy handed the document to Jill who read it in silence. She nodded at it in a couple of places. Then looked at the Queen asked, "What do you think?"
"It's really good," Lord Mercer spoke instead. "It is something that is elegant and simple yet not so. The big thing Miss Wilson is that they have formally accepted you as the Queen of Home."
"I see the proclamation." Jill commented, "I see something in here about a regent?"
"Yes Majesty," Suzy answered, "Several of us felt that since you were so young and new to this planetary ruler business; it would be better for us and for you to have regents or proxies running the planet for a while."
"I see," Jill remarked. At nearly eighteen years old she thought she was old enough to manage her own affairs. She was a little insulted that strangers felt that she wasn't old enough to run her own affairs.
"But only until you are twenty five standard years old," Suzy answered, "Did you read who we wanted to be your Regents?"
"No," she hadn't read the full document.
"We are recommending that Queen Agatha and Marshal Wilson be your regents," The brunet replied, "It wouldn't be that different from the setup that you have with your grandmother, and the Princess. Instead of handling your financial resources they would both advise you and handle some of the day to day running of the departments under your supervision."
Jill opened the document and read the passage then asked, "So Carroll and my grandmother will handle my finances until I am twenty five and Dad and Aggie will advise me and help me manage Home's Crown Offices until I turn twenty five?" "That is correct." Suzy replied.
"Speaker Gabriel," Jill asked, "let me have some time and I will have a response for you shortly. I would like to talk to my father about this."
"Your majesty," Suzy spoke, "take as much time as you want."
"Thank you!" Jill said then called, "School Mistress, would you and Lady Hawthorne see that Speaker Gabriel is given quarters. Also I would like Sergeant Mitchum to be her aid while she is on planet."
"I will make it happen, Colonel Wilson," School Mistress answered.
"Thank you," Jill replied, "Oh and you can post the Mast Report."
"Will do," School Mistress replied while alerting Lady Hawthorne and Sergeant Mitchum they were wanted in the cadet commander's office.
"Have you spoken with Dad about any of this?" Jill asked.
"No," the Queen answered, "we should have but he was having lunch with Lisa when Mrs. Gabriel showed up at the palace. This is the first time they have had any Mike and Lisa time this week so I didn't want to disturb them."
Jill nodded, trying to find a way to get everyone out of her office except Aggie. She was about to say something when Mitch showed up.
"Sergeant Mitchum," Jill spoke up, "Would you escort Speaker Gabriel to the VOQ and look after her please?"
"Aye," Mitch said turning to the only person she didn't know in her friend's office, "Speaker Gabriel I am Sergeant Mitchum, the Cadet Sergeant Major. If you are ready I will escort you to the visiting officers' quarters."
Suzy nodded and said, "By your leave Majesties."
Aggie and Jill both nodded. The woman left and Jill turned to the others. "Could you give me Aggie a few minutes?"
The two nodded and began to leave. Princess Carroll waited for a second before following the admiral and noble woman from the office. When they were alone Jill motioned for the Queen to shut the door. "School Mistress I want you make sure me and the Queen are not disturbed. I also want you to turn your sensor off in this room for fifteen minutes."
"Will do Colonel," School Mistress faded out giving them some privacy.
When they were alone Jill turned to the Queen, "Aggie if you don't want to be my regent then we'll find a way to get you out of it. I think it is a good idea."
"Thank you for that," the Queen said though she didn't really know how she felt about being Jill's regent.
"Though before your make you decision Aggie you might want to consider it." Jill commented. "There is a certain sense to it Aggie. You, a young monarch who came to the throne after the death of your parents know what I will be going through. You can show me the ropes so to speak. Also you, Dad, and Mom have a close bond; the three of you
won't allow harm to come to me. You will also help me to rule."
The Queen was silent as she digested what Jill was saying.
"Aggie I turn 18 in a couple of weeks." Jill spoke into the silence. "That means you only have to put up with me for seven years. More importantly I would be greatly honored if you would be my regent and one of my principle advisors."
Jill lapsed into silence to await her friend's response. Aggie's mind was reeling over the prospect. The evacuation was taking great emotional toll on her. She was sometimes right on the edge of a complete breakdown. It was the combination of the great disaster befalling her home world and the worry of was she doing the right thing for her subjects. She had made up her mind that once Trena was gone she would not be queen. She was coming to grips with that, and was looking forward to being just Agatha McAllister, private citizen. Yet she also wanted to continue to helping her people as best she could.
Finally she took both of Jill's hands looking her in Jill's deep dark blue eyes and spoke,
"Jill I swear fealty to you. I will serve you to the best of my ability."
"I will serve our people to the best of my ability Agatha," Jill returned.
"How do we tell your family?" Aggie said brushing a tear off her face.
"Very carefully," the teenager replied, "Dad may have a heart attack over this!"
"I am more worried about Lady Wilson," Aggie returned, "I was getting the feeling she wanted to go back to being a simple house wife and healer. Not the step mother of a queen!"
"Flip a coin to see who tells who," Jill suggested with a smile.
"Tales you tell your dad and mom," the Queen answered, "Heads you tell your mom and dad!"
"Such bravery!" Jill giggled. "But it's the same thing I would have suggested."
"I am brave; not stupid," Aggie said, "the only good part of this is that your family already knows you will be the planetary ruler of Home!" "Let's get to Serenity," Jill spoke.
# ###
They drove from the academy to the palace. Jill looking out the window couldn't help but notice the sharp contrast between the first time she had rode to the palace with her father and now with Queen Agatha. It had been a couple of weeks after the announcement. Although traffic had been controlled as they went to the palace there had been a lot of it. She could remember police officers blocking cross traffic as they crossed intersections. Now with the population nearly evacuated, there was almost no need for the traffic control as they went to the palace. At the intersections their police escort stopped traffic at, there might be as few as five or six cars, where before the intersection had been loaded with cars and traffic snarled for miles. Now there was hardly any traffic on the roads.
"I almost hate to do this," the Queen said.
"What? Driving through the city?" Jill asked.
"Yes," the Queen replied, looking out the window and seeing her once vibrant capital city; was almost a ghost town now. "I mean no. I hate to disturb you parents! I think your mother's abduction has made them closer."
"It has your majesty," Joyce Wilson who was riding with them commented. "Mike was protective of Lisa before the abduction; but now he is even more so."
"I know," the Queen said, "he is trying to carve out some time for her every day!"
"Oh shit," Jill suddenly said realizing what today was, "It's their anniversary! They were going to spend the entire day together! That was I why still at school. We were to have dinner later tonight to celebrate."
"Can we wait 'till morning to tell them?" Princess Carroll asked.
"No," The Queen answered, "We have to tell Mike tonight. He has to know from us and not some news leak or in a report from the command."
"She's right," Lord Mercer agreed. "They need to know from us."
Jill nodded wishing that this announcement could wait until the morning. She resented that she was going to intrude on her parents' quiet time. She had been amazed at how close her father and step mother were, more so after the abduction. Where before, her father would try to find some what he called Mike and Lisa time, now he was making and keeping dates with her step mother. It wasn't anything special. Often just a quiet dinner with none of the family around, other times he would come home for lunch and they would take a walk. Without telling her parents, she had been staying at school more and more to let them have more privacy. She suspected that they knew what she was doing; but were not saying a word. In some respects, she and her parents had become closer in the last few weeks also.
As they got closer to Serenity and they continued to ride through the nearly deserted town, Jill wondered how her parents would respond to her becoming, not just the owner of Home, but its ruler. She didn't really know how she felt about it. It was exhilarating to be asked to be Queen of Home. Though in retrospect she realized she could have claimed to be the queen and ruled Home as she saw fit because she owned the world. Yet as exhilarating as it was, she was frightened, of what it could mean to be queen. The power she could weld. She wondered what would happen if she refused it. She and her family had been planning to move to Home, but not be involved in the planet's day to day operations. Which would have suited her fine! She was planning to remain at the academy and then go onto college, either on Home or on Earth. Although was extremely proud of her accomplishments at the academy, she wished at times she could just be an ordinary teenage girl. But now that was impossible, her heritage made it impossible.
She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the limo pull into the vehicle entrapment at the palace until the limo drove through the other end of the entrapment.
"Let me go first," Jill asked as they neared the residence. She didn't want to embarrass her parents by having a bunch of people walk in on them.
Everyone had cleared out of the house. Her step sister was spending the day with a couple of the neighborhood kids from her old neighborhood. Her grandmother was spending the day aboard her yacht and Jill had been at the academy. It had been a well orchestrated day to give her parents some time to themselves. Maggie had given her staff the day off and was keeping mostly to her rooms in the servant side of the house. Jill came into the family room and saw her step mother lying on the sofa with her head in her father lap. She couldn't help but notice that Lisa's blouse was open and where her father's hand was. She turned around and quickly left.
"Mom! Dad!" Jill called opening and slamming the front door of the residence.
"One second Jill," her father called and Jill tried to swallow a chuckle imagining what her parents were scrambling to do. The same thing she might have done if someone had walked in on her and a boyfriend getting really friendly. Finally Lisa called, "Okay
Jill!"
"All decent now?" Jill asked needling her parent a bit. Her father actually blushed a bit in embarrassment. "Sorry! I wasn't planning to be home until dinner later to let you guys have some time together. But...Well let me get the reason why I am here."
She left and brought the adults with her. When Lisa saw the Queen and the Princess she frosted over until the Queen spoke, "Lisa I am sorry. I know what you had planned. I am really sorry but this couldn't wait. We have some news that has to be shared today." "What it is Aggie," Jill's father asked.
"We have a government for Home," Aggie replied.
"Well that's certainly news; but it could have waited a bit!" he father said exasperated, hoping that his daughter and the people with her would get the message, and let him and Lisa get back to what they were doing.
"Yes that could," Aggie replied, "but we didn't want it to leak out that we are to be Jill's regents before you knew about it. They have fully accepted Jill as their queen with only that stipulation. That me and you become their queen's regent."
"Oh," Michael responded, "How do you feel about that?"
"I think I can deal with it," Aggie replied, "besides it will only be for seven years.
Then we'll turn her loose on the universe."
"God help the universe!" Lisa remarked, all thoughts of enjoying her husband now pushed out of her mind. "Have you seen it Jill?"
"I have," Jill took the document out of her uniform jacket. "I want to read it some more before I make my final decision. Aggie, will you see that Dad gets a copy of this?"
"It is sitting in his mail box." Aggie responded, "We'll discuss it in the morning. We just wanted to make sure that you heard about this portion in case it leaked."
"Now if you'll excuse us," Jill remarked with a twinkle in her eye. "We'll let you get back to what you were doing."
Jill ushered the others out. As the double doors to the family room closed, Lisa looked over to her husband, "Now where were we?"
"I think right here," Michael said unbuttoning his wife's blouse. Though his heart wasn't into making love with his wife, Jill's news distracted him.
# ###
After Aggie and Lord Mercer left, Jill went to her room and re read the document, several times occasionally using the palace's AI to help her research the royal library to see other models of government. She became quietly impressed with the crafting of the document. As she checked it against other forms of government she quickly found that whoever was the major author of it had done their homework.
She was also very impressed with the bill of rights. She was very impressed when it extended rights to artificial intelligences. She wasn't certain that she as the monarch should pay for a defendant's lawyer; but as she researched that part of the constitution, she began to see the wisdom of it. She made a note to talk with Princess Carroll to see about setting up some sort of a fund to cover it. At dinner that night she was distracted as were her father and mother. Everyone was so lost in their thoughts that the anniversary party was subdued. After the party broke up Jill went back to her research. Near dawn she placed a call to the academy and extended an offer to have Mrs. Gabriel breakfast with her at Serenity.
After leaving a message for Maggie that she was inviting Speaker Gabriel to breakfast, she showered. As she showered, she thought of all the ramifications of what she had read. She surprised herself when she agreed with most of it, and could live with the parts she was not sure she understood well. She didn't want to change anything. But she wanted some guarantees too. As she finished brushing her hair, there was knock on the door. When she asked who it was, her father answered. She made sure her robe was closed and allowed him to enter. He had a copy of the constitution with him.
"What do you think," her father asked.
"I like it," Jill said suppressing a yawn. "I stayed up all night and read it did some looking around the royal library. I think it will work."
"Did you see the point about succession?" her father asked.
"Yes, it was one of the things I didn't quite understand," Jill admitted.
"Well from what I understand," Her father continued, "They want the right to approve your successor. The way they have it set up, is that say you nominate your first born as your successor and say he has a gambling problem. One that has him spending more time at the casino than at school for instance, then the parliament has the right to reject your son as your successor. But they can't nominate a successor. Only you can. But should you find that you want the boy to be your successor then, you can go to the planetary bench and let them settle it."
"It doesn't sound that simple," Jill replied. "But there is a whole section on the right of succession and how to go about replacing me if I become incapable of doing the job because of medical frailty."
"So will you accept it?" her father asked as her mother came in and leaned on the door frame.
"Only if you, Aggie and Mom will be there to help me." Jill answered. "I will need all of your help to do this!"
She had thought long and hard about becoming queen. She had decided that she would become queen. When she realized how many people had stepped up to do jobs that they hadn't done before, or the sacrifices everyone was making to get their people to safety she felt she had to stand up and be counted. Her father's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Jill," her father interrupted her, "when you were born I swore an oath to take care of you and to be there for you, to protect you and to help you become whatever your destiny was to be. I can do no less now. I know I know I left you for five years; but you were well looked after by your grandmother. But I will be there for you."
Jill didn't know what to say and was trying to formulate her response when her step mother came and stood next to her father, "Jill we will be there for you. Jill I won't let anything keep us from helping you. We won't run off again. I won't let him."
"Miss Jill," Maggie came into her room. "Your breakfast guest will be here in a few minutes. Miss Mitchum just called."
"Thank you Maggie," Jill answered, as her mother cocked an eyebrow at her. She was supposed to clear all guests with Lisa before the invitation was issued.
"I'm sorry mom," Jill looked a little sheepish, "I asked Speaker Gabriel to breakfast with me."
"Do you want company?" Her father asked.
"Yes I would enjoy having you both there when I give Mrs. Gabriel my decision," Jill returned.
A few minutes later Mitch and Mrs. Gabriel were escorted into the smaller less formal dining room.
"Welcome to Serenity Mrs. Gabriel," Jill greeted the woman. "Let me introduce you to my father, Lord Michael Wilson, and my mother, Lady Lisa Wilson."
"It's good to meet you," Mrs. Gabriel replied shaking her father's and mother's hand. She turned to the young woman beside her and back to Jill and said, "Majesty thank you for the loan of your sergeant major. I couldn't have asked for a better aid."
"You are quite welcomed," Jill returned, "Mitch is one my top cadets."
"If she is one of your top cadets, and from what I saw, I can well believe she is, then she will go onto greatness," Suzy replied. She had been quite surprised when she had found out that her escort and aid was that Valerie Mitchum. She refrained from getting the young woman's autograph!
"Yes she will," Lisa rubbing the girls back, "Come on sit." Jill nodded at Maggie who brought breakfast to them.
They spent a few minutes exchanging pleasantries, before Jill decided to breech the subject of the government.
"Speaker Gabriel," Jill said getting the document out, "I am inclined to sign this thing without any revisions or demands."
That shocked Suzy. She figured there would be long discussions over some of the points in the constitution. No one in their right mind would just blindly accept the thing. She was about to say something; but was cut off by the young woman as she continued.
"Although I am inclined to accept this with no changes or demands," Jill continued,
"I do want some guarantees."
Suzy knew that it wouldn't be simple, "Such as?"
"The Queen's Own Royal Corps Cadet Academy is to be a royal institution on Home." Jill said, "And Lady Hawthorne is to be its commandant. The Commandant's position is to be a hereditary position from the lady's family. Her chief advisor is to be the last duty post of the most senior ranking NCO in the militia. I believe that Lady Hawthorne has done a good job; but if it hadn't been for the sergeants who have shown up to help, she wouldn't have been able to pull it off. I also want all military education, and training to be by disabled military personnel, or officers on their last duty station. All of the officers and the NCOs are not to have had any disciplinary problems, and they are to be the best of the best in their MOS. I want the Militia Officers and enlisted people to think of an assignment to the academy as a reward."
"That makes sense," Suzy said, "As you are the Commander in Chief of our militia what you want at your service schools is what you get."
Jill nodded then went on, "I want a monument erected in the center of Ellis that lists every man woman and child whose life was lost during the evacuation. In addition I want a monument erected to the people of Earth, and the people of Thonia as a thank you for the assistance they have given us during the evacuation."
Jill's statement surprised her father. Michael knew that Jill was no slouch when it came to school and current events. He hadn't been aware though, of how much she had been paying attention to the losses of the evacuation forces. Though not many, there had been a few. Jill's voice brought him back to reality, "I also want a memorial to the Trojack
HRT to be erected. Without them Mom would not be here."
"Anything else," Suzy asked so far not upset at the young woman's request.
"Yes! So there is unity between all people of Home, I would like to be formally sworn in on Home." Jill said, "By her majesty. I will take my oath of loyalty and fealty to the people of Home on the Rock"
Suzy nodded, she like the symbology of it.
"I want to make sure my cadets are safely loaded onto transports, and I will accompany them to Home." Jill spoke quietly. Mike was about to say something, but decided against it. It was fitting.
"I'll make it happen," her father ordered.
"There is nothing else." Jill concluded.
"I need to get back to Home, and tell the assembly that our queen has approved our constitution with her requests." Suzy replied.
"You'll make the announcement here," Michael said, "Then you'll go aboard the
Traveling Lady and go to Home."
"Why the Traveling Lady," Suzy asked not sure what the vessel was.
"My mother is leaving for Home in the next day or so and her ship is the next best thing to get you back," Michael replied.
"Very well then," Suzy replied, "Your majesty, Jill, thank you for your gift and for willingness to be our Queen."
"You are welcomed," Jill said as Mitch suddenly stood turned to her friend and said, "Your majesty the Queen's Own Royal Corps of Cadets stands ready to serve you."
Then her father stood and turned to her, "Your majesty. I stand ready to serve you and the people of Home."
"Long live Queen Jill," Mitch called. She was joined by the others in the room.
"That's enough!" Jill pleaded, "I am, still Jill!"
"Okay Jill," Her mother replied, "we'll knock it off." "Jill," Mitch asked, "So what happens next?" "Dad," Jill turned to her father.
"We make it happen," her father replied.
# ###
It was late at night again and the Princess was in the day room this time. She had, had to relocate to the day room as all the first year cadets were making a habit of sitting in her dorm room to hear her read aloud from the Queen's diary. The room had become too crowded for all of the people who wanted to hear the details from the diary.
"I had a quiet conversation with Home's envoy," Jill had continued, "She is not much older than the Queen. Although I had made some demands, Mrs. Gabriel didn't bat an eyelid. The more we talked, the more I liked her. Surprisingly she understood some of the stuff that was going through my mind.
"To think less than nine months ago I was just a junior in West Mars Port High School when I first heard Dad on the holo and came here. Now I am a ruler or will be a ruler on a world that I hadn't any idea that I owned." The diary went on.
"I have had a good example in Aggie," She had written, "I hope that I can be as good a ruler as her. This will be the toughest thing I will ever do and it has to be right. I am frightened that I will mess it up. If I do a lot of people will be impacted. God I hope I don't mess up."
The future queen of Home closed the diary and wondered if when she became queen she would be as good as her great grandmother.
# Chapter 34: Silver and Lead
"I was shocked," The Princess was reading the diary on a Saturday afternoon, "by some of the fallout from my acceptance of the government on Home. We made the announcement from the palace press center. That was the first time I have ever had to deal with the press. I didn't know how shielded I was! But that was minor compared to some of the other stuff.
"I was sitting with Mom and Dad in the Princess Garden at the palace," her grandmother had written, "When the Queen, who was walking in the gardens stumbled on us. She was plainly upset. We soon found out why."
# ###
"What's wrong Aggie," her mother asked seeing that the young monarch's agitation as she entered the Princes Garden. Jill couldn't recall seeing her friend so agitated.
"I have been asked to abdicate," Aggie answered.
"But you are," her father exclaimed, "when we leave Trena you are planning to abdicate then!"
"I have been accused of treason by allowing our people to be taken to Home and letting Jill, a foreign queen to have sovereignty over them." Aggie replied, "The charge is expected to be heard in the Lords in the morning."
"Who is making the charge," Her father asked.
"Duke Horton along with Trena Orbital Industries, and the space habitats," Aggie replied sitting down with them.
"This doesn't make much sense," Her father commented, "No one was forced to go to Home. It is purely voluntary."
"Not really Dad," Jill said getting 'a what are you talking about look' from her father, "People have been told they have to evacuate. You haven't let them make their own evacuation plans. You have told them we'll provide you with transportation and a world to go to, to live on. So they make a good case Dad!"
"They brought that out in their charges," Aggie added.
"We don't have time for this," Mike said, "This all came about after the announcement of the government on Home. Duke Horton has been against this evacuation from the start. He may think he has an issue now with so many people on Home. He may think that you are over reacting."
"But how do I deal with this," Aggie asked. "He may sue for an embargo on the rest of the evacuation."
"It would impact the evacuation should he try that," her father remarked.
"Aggie," Jill suddenly spoke up, "I seem to remember something from my Trena Civics class that if someone accuses you of treason and if they fail; then they themselves are accused and tried for treason."
"That's right," the young woman turned to her young friend. "Why?"
"I am not certain; but if you meet with him and lay out that should he fail in convincing the parliament that you are a traitor; then you would be well with in your right to take issue with what he said and resolve the issue according to crown law." Jill commented.
The adults looked at her as she had suddenly turned a bright light on.
"But he's going to want something," Aggie said getting up and starting to pace in the small garden. "What does he really want?"
"The space habitats," her father said suddenly, "He and the orbital industries folks think they can survive the asteroids." "Can they?" Lisa asked.
"Well not the stuff around Trena." Her father answered, "It's going to take forty eight hours for the Trena to move far enough in its orbit to be out of the asteroids' way. So anything in orbit about Trena at that time will either be destroyed or seriously damaged. That's why all the crown properties in orbit will be evacuated and set to automatic."
"Could you cede the off planet territories and habitats to them," Jill asked shocking the adults again, "from what the holos said and some of what I have overheard when you, Dad and the others have been talking at dinner, you all think that except for the near Trena orbital habitats, the others can survive without Trena being inhabited."
"That is true," Aggie said thoughtfully, "they are all self-contained and the ones farther away could survive without a planet to draw on. We just think that the ones in orbit about Trena can't survive the asteroids. None of the transfer stations, ship yards, and factories will not survive. Some of the orbital industries have already given us some problems."
"All our planning has been to evacuate Trena first, then the habitats." Her father stated, "Some of the orbital communities and industries believe they can survive the asteroids. They can't; but try as we might they just can't see that even the habitats that are not in the direct paths of the asteroids can't survive."
"But can't the off world habitats survive without Trena," Jill asked.
"Yes," Wilson replied, "Yes, with McKay to support them the off world industries and habitats can survive."
"If I offered the off world habitats their independence then this charge of treason might go away." Aggie brightened. "I need to meet with Duke Horton. Jill I want you there."
"Why?" Jill asked.
"The habitats are going to need someone to be in their corner. Someone who can come to their aid if something happens," Aggie replied.
"Won't the Empire and the Realm still have to honor their treaty commitments?" Jill asked.
"Maybe," Aggie said, "it will depend on how we separate the off world territories from me. Jill and the people of Home could offer them protectorate status. They would have their independence yet they could call on Jill and our people to come to their aid if they got into trouble."
"Can we guaranty that?" Jill asked, "We're going to have our own problems establishing Home!"
"We'll be able the protect ourselves," Jill's father commented, "We could come to
Trena's aid if we need to."
"Would he accept us being Trena's protector," Jill asked still not convinced they could offer Trena any help should Trena need it.
"Oh he'll accept it," Aggie replied, "He's always wanted to be king. This will allow him to be king."
"The challenge will be to sell it in a way he drops the Treason charges" her father commented.
"Not a problem," Aggie replied, "Have you ever heard of Silver and Lead?" "Not exactly. Isn't some old earth thing to do with criminals," Mike asked.
"It goes something like this," Aggie said, "You take my deal and you get silver. If you don't take the offer you get a lead bullet in the back of the head. So the silver is; Duke Horton, you get the off world habitats and the lead is if you don't take the deal you had best be successful in proving my treason or you and all your conspirators could be executed for high treason if you don't."
Jill had never heard anything like that come out of her friend's mouth. The look on Aggie's face was almost frightening. It was a face she would always remember.
"I have a call to make," Aggie remarked leaving them.
When she was out of ear shot Lisa turned to her husband, "I have never seen her that agitated. Even when she was almost killed by that bomb blast at the convention center she wasn't this agitated."
"Me either," Her husband commented turning to his daughter, "do you understand what's going on?" Jill nodded, "and the repercussions?" Again she nodded. "Good! Jill this is very dangerous. If you two don't handle it right we could be in serious trouble."
"I know Dad," Jill said, "A month to go before we are done and if we don't handle this right we may not be able to finish."
"I think you do understand," her father replied. Jill nodded stood up and hugged both her parents as she walked to the residence deep in thought.
# ###
The next day as Jill walked out to the limo that would take her to the academy Aggie came up to her and her detail.
"Duke Horton will meet with us at the school later today." Aggie told her, "Around
9."
"Should Dad be there?" Jill asked.
"No only me and you," Aggie answered, "This needs to be only me and you."
"All right," Jill replied. "I am usually in my literature class at the time. But when you guys get to the academy we'll capture Lady Hawthorn's office for our discussion,"
"See you then," Aggie replied. She got into the car and went with her now beefed up detail to the academy. Where before it was Jenny and a driver, now there was a jeep before and after her car. The jeep was armed with a gun and the gunner was if not up behind the weapon, sitting beside it ready to take care of business. She sighed realizing that would be a fact of life for the rest of her life.
She looked out the windows of the limo and watched the city of Trenaport go by. It was deserted, or mostly deserted. What people that were still in Trenaport were either the authorities trying to finish up securing the city, a few people waiting for their own evacuation, or the salvagers picking over the bones of what was left. She watched silently as one of her father's team set up their remote sensors to record the devastation that was about to fall her adopted planet. As they skirted the bay, on their way to the academy, she realized that she had never been to the ice caves, or the falls the captain from the IRS had told her about that night on her way to Trena. The only thing she had visited was the convention center. The car turned away from the bay road, onto the road that would take them up to the academy's main gate. She wondered if she could find some way to visit the falls and caves before she left Trena.
They arrived just in time for the cadet's morning assembly. Jill hustled out of the Limo to take her post beside Lamile just in time to get the reports. Lamile turned on her heel having seen Jill take her position beside her out of the corner of her eye. "Colonel Wilson, the corps of cadets are all preset and accounted for."
"Thank you Major Atomi," Jill replied, as she listened to her friend read out the day's announcements she wondered if she should mention the fact that they would have royalty on the grounds this morning. She kept her counsel and didn't mention any thing during the assembly.
When the cadets were released to morning classes Lamile turned to her, "Cutting it kinda close today!"
"I know," Jill replied, "I am either going to have to live on the grounds even on the weekends or turn it over to you early!"
"Don't even think of it," Lamile retorted, "I can wait for that dubious honor."
"I hear you," Jill answered, "Look, the Queen and Duke Horton will be here at about 0900. The Queen hasn't asked for anything special; but as I have to meet with her I can't be the Queen's escort. I want Mitch to be the Queen's escort, and you to be mine." "What about the Duke? He is Heir after all," Lamile asked.
"Who's the next Senior Cadet?" Jill asked, she had forgotten who the next senior cadet was. It was a combination of grades, demerits, and seniority. Simply because the cadet had been an officer longer than other cadets didn't necessarily make him the senior cadet.
"Cadet Morgan," Lamile answered.
"Make sure she knows she has a detail this morning," Jill replied.
"Uh Jill," Lamile said pulling on her ear, "I think it would be more proper for Mitch to be your escort and for me to be Her Majesty's escort. It could be construed as a snub to have Mitch be the Queen's escort."
"Okay," Jill answered, as Jenny came up with her books. A gentle reminder she needed to get onto class.
She was distracted all morning. She was concerned about the meeting to be had between Duke Horton and the two of them. It was the most political meeting she had ever attended and one fraught with the greatest consequences. Whatever the results unless the Duke could bring an army against her she would still be the Queen of Home! Aggie on the other hand might find herself in prison because of being accused of treason, or possibly executed. She was very concerned that the heir to the Trenan Crown might try to take over by force if the meeting was not to his liking. As she hurried from her math class to the history class she turned to Jenny.
"Jenny," she looked to the older woman, "I need a favor."
"Yes ma'am," the older woman said aware what was happening that morning.
"Get with Lady Hawthorne and tell her that I am concerned for both the School's safety and the Queen's. The Duke may try something. He may not!" Jill admitted, "But I want you and Lady Hawthorne to be ready for anything. Tom!" "Yes majesty?" Jenny's partner spoke up.
"I want you to be close by should we need it." Jill said. "I just hope I am over reacting."
"Do you want the cadet escorts armed?" Jenny asked.
"God no," Jill said, "Aunt Mylea and Dad will have some heads if they find that out!"
"Yes Ma'am," the protective agent responded, "Get to class we'll make sure you two are safe."
When she left her next class Mitch dropped in beside her. She was wearing a side arm. Jill cocked an eyebrow at her. Her friend just said simply, "As your escort and a member of your and Aggie's military I am required to be armed."
"Okay Mitch," Jill replied. "I just hope you don't have to use it."
"The Queen's detail briefed me" Mitch replied shocking Jill still more. That told her how much the adults at the academy trusted her young friend. "Oh we're meeting out in the open. The detail doesn't like it but Duke Horton wouldn't meet in doors." "So where," Jill asked.
"The pad," Mitch replied, "The detail has got it secured and a couple of your guardian's people have it under surveillance."
"I hope this is all silver," Jill commented.
"Me too," The young woman said, although as part of her cadet training she had to qualify with both pistol and riffle she hoped she wouldn't have to deliver the lead. As they walked to the pad Jill noticed that her friend was walking better than what she had in a while since she had been injured. She was back to her old self.
She met the Queen on the landing pad with Lamile who was also armed.
"Are you ready for this Your Majesty," Jill asked.
Aggie nodded as she asked, "Are you ready Your Majesty?"
Jill chuckled nodding as a landing craft came in. When it settled to its gear and the small executive space craft opened its hatch, a tall, handsome middle aged man, walked out down the ramp and approached the Queen. He went to one knee. Agatha asked him to rise.
"Duke Horton," Agatha spoke, "I want to introduce you to Her Majesty, Queen Jill of Home. Your Majesty I want you to meet Duke Horton, my heir and the protector of the off world habitats."
"Your majesty," Duke Horton spoke softly.
Jill reached her hand forward and shook the man's hand, "Your grace."
"I'll make this short," Aggie said, "I am not abdicating. I have a solemn obligation to get the people of Trena to safety. Queen Jill has graciously allowed my subjects to find refuge on Home. We have almost gotten everyone who wants to be evacuated off Trena. Next month if the people of the Space Habitats desire after the planet has been destroyed we will begin their evacuations to Home."
"And if we don't want to be evacuated," The duke asked.
"Then I will make every attempt to ensure that the dukedom is protected by the people of Home," Jill said her piece, "You may of course choose some other star nation to be your protector but Home desires to be your protector with no strings attached."
"What about the people who were taken against their will to Home," the Duke asked.
"If they wish to leave Home and come back to Trena or to any other world I will not stand in their way. Within reason I may even provide the means for them to leave." Jill replied surprising Aggie.
"And if I refuse," The duke asked.
"Should you proceed with your charges of treason, and should you fail to prove your case," The Queen replied, "then it will be my very sad duty try you for treason and should it be proven you have committed treason I will order your execution."
The noble began a retort, but Aggie held up her hand, "All I want to do is get our people to safety. I don't want to play these political games; but if I have to, I will. Now it is your turn to respond to my proposal. How say you Duke Horton?"
The Duke was quiet for a moment then asked, "You will not stand in our way if we try to re-inhabit Trena?"
"When I leave Trena, I will abdicate my sovereignty over Trena and her environs," the Queen answered, "Whoever feels they can live on the planet is of no concern of mine. It has been brought to my attention that the planet will not be livable and will be destroyed, so it may not be of much value except as salvage."
"And you will not interfere in the running of the remains," the Duke turned to Jill.
"That is none of my business," Jill said, "You will govern the remains of this system. I will not interfere in the governing of Trena System. Should you ask for any help what so ever, I will be obligated to come to your aid!"
The Duke was quiet. He then asked, "Will your heirs and regents stand by this decision?"
"Absolutely! I will sign a treaty that outlines what we have discussed and what I and my heirs are required to do and not do where Trena is concerned," Jill answered.
The Duke was quiet as he obviously mulled things over. Finally he said, "I need to talk to a few people."
"Duke Horton," The Queen said, "This deal has a sunset!"
"I know your majesty," The man said turning to both of them, "Let me go to my landing craft and make a couple of calls and talk to a couple of people. I won't be long."
The Queen nodded and turned to Jill as the noble man climbed the ramp to the landing craft, "What do you think?"
"I don't know," Jill responded, "He didn't seem opposed to it."
"No. He just wanted me to deal with the space habitats and guaranty that he has some sovereignty over them," Aggie replied.
"As long as we let him do what he wants here within reason then he'll not fight us," Jill replied. "I think we have to find a method to insure that the people who stay here in the system can come to Home if they want to leave the Trena System."
"I think," Aggie commented, "That your first ambassador should be to the Trena Off World Habitats."
"Ambassador," Jill commented, "Or may be a crown officer. I am out of my league here Aggie."
"We'll work... here he comes," Aggie said as the Duke stepped down from the landing craft.
"Your majesties," The Duke addressed them, "The people of the space habitats can agree to your suggestion. Are you prepared to cede the space habitats to me?"
"I am," Aggie responded.
"Queen Jill," the Duke turned to the young monarch, "We will accept enter into a treaty where you will come to our aid in time of distress."
"I swear an oath," Jill said, "That if any harm that comes to the people of the Space Habitats obligates the people of Home to come to their aid."
"On behalf of the people of the Space Habitats," Duke Horton said going to one knee, "I accept Queen's Jill and the people of Home's pledge to come to our aid if we request help."
"Arise," Jill said feeling goose bumps form. Outside of her family no one had formally acknowledged her as a sovereign. They had not been playing it up trying not to make an issue of it. Now for the first time ever a stranger had acknowledge her sovereignty over Home. "Duke Horton. May the people of Trena Space Habitats and the people of
Home always be friends!"
"That is my hope too, your majesty," The man said rising he turned to Queen Aggie and said, "Your majesty, the charge of treason will not be brought against you in the House of Lords. I trust you will pardon me and those of us who were bringing this charge against you?"
"Duke Horton," the Queen said, "Provided all who have signed the charge statement recants in public, and swear fealty to me and the people of Trena then they will be pardoned! Don't spend a lot of time getting them to recant; as I may have to reconsider."
"I understand your majesty," the Duke answered and asked, "By your leave?"
"Of course," Aggie nodded. She and Jill watched the noble man leave. When the landing craft was off the landing pad a few minutes later they both slumped.
Jill turned to her two friends, "I know it was window dressing, but thank you Lam,
Mitch."
Both young women dressed in their office dress uniforms came to attention and saluted Jill. Together they said, "It is the corps honor to serve and protect the queens of
Trena and of Home."
Jill looked at Aggie and back to her two friends, "Thank you for the honor. But will you two knock it off so I can get back to class!"
"Aye-Aye Colonel Wilson," Lamile said winking.
Aggie smiled and turned to the three young women, "Carry on cadets!" Jill did an about face to face Aggie properly and called, "Aye-aye your majesty!" The three young women saluted and ran off to their classes.
# ###
It was night time, the academy grounds were quiet and Princess Lisa was sitting on a bench in a secluded area of the grounds. There was a high hedge around a reflection pool. At the right time of the day, one could almost believe they were the only person on the planet as they sat by the pool, it was so secluded and quiet. She needed the quiet time as she reflected what she had read in her grandmother's diary.
"I was surprised at the Duke's reaction," she had read, "I had thought he would argue and fight for Aggie to abdicate right then and there. I was also surprised that he came alone. There might have been someone in the landing craft but he talked to us alone.
"Some of this stuff just overwhelms me," she had read, "It is hard to just deal with it and go on. But this had so many consequences. Still has so many consequences. There has always been low level resistance to what Dad and the Queen were doing. Not everyone thought Dad had the answer or the planet had to be evacuated. It had occurred to me that the Duke might have tried to assassinate both of us in his attempt to keep the space habitats. That was why I had asked that some of the protective detail take up positions around the pad."
She looked into the pool watching the water as it was disturbed by the fountain. She knew about security and the possibility of being assassinated. Unfortunately it was a fact of her life. Even as she sat at the reflection pool there was a security agent with in ear shot to come to her aid if someone tried to harm her. But she was never in the type of harm her grandmother had ever been in.
"I don't know if he would have tried something or not," Jill had written. "But trust me I am just as happy he didn't.
"Later in the day we signed the treaty. I couldn't believe how simple it was. I have heard of treaties taking years to hammer out." Her ancestor continued, "We had a couple more details added to it. Some of it minor stuff. It surprised me when the Duke named me as the protector of Trena Off World Habitats. I almost refused, but Lord Mercer convinced me it would be good.
"So now I am not only Queen of Home, but protector of the Trena Off World Habitats," She had mussed, "But it makes sense. Only the planet will be destroyed, and then some of the orbital infrastructure, but the off world enterprises will survive. I am still worried about messing this up. Every time I turn around something new is being thrown at me. I wonder what else I will have to deal with now."
# Chapter 35: The Republican Debacle
"We were about a month from being completely off world," the General began her class, "We knew we had Republican agents on world, that some were working with the Theocracy agents to disrupt the evacuation. We suspected that the near Trena Orbital Industries and possibly some of the nobles in the space habitats were in talks with the Republic of the Stars.
"The Republic's agents were causing all types of trouble," the General continued, "some of it was real subtle. There were anonymous statements in the press stating that the evacuation command had messed up on the calendar and we were not going get everyone off world before the rocks hit. Another one was that the Queen had left the world. It wasn't until she addressed a group of evacuees at a marshalling area; did that rumor go away. There was some very low key stuff. Some of it was very active and bordered on sabotage. It wasn't until later we realized that the most of the sabotage was directed at military targets. It didn't seem so at the time. We thought they were malcontents. We were getting incidents like pot shots at landing craft. There was an explosion at an armed vehicle park. We thought that was an accident. But later we knew it was an attempt to slow the militia response to an invasion.
"My original tasking was to find an artificial intelligence that we knew was betraying the kingdom," General Jones continued. "That was why I had been built. I had transferred by this time to the Mountain. The Mountain was near the capital, in a mountain that held the Militia Headquarters. I now suspected that the traitor was the main defense AI at The Mountain. I needed one more bit of proof to lower the boom on DefConnie. I was fairly certain that I had her. Or thought I did.
"The Evacuation Command was in the process of getting ready to dump a lot of the kingdoms special weapons into the sun. These special weapons were things like nuclear mines, large EMP devices; fuel air explosives. They were weapons that we couldn't take with us to Home and stuff no one wanted to buy from us. Some of the stuff we didn't want to sell! We were concerned that they might be used against us!" The general spoke softly.
"Several weapons barges had been built by my mother to hold the several million tons of small arms, tanks, and heavy weapons," she displayed pictures of many of the weapons that the barge carried. There was a division of tanks, several hundred large field guns, crates and pallets of small arms. Even explosives.
"The Marshal and General Qoum had made a decision that Home didn't need all these weapons. We did take many weapons with us; but Home didn't need all of this stuff. So the plan was to dump this crap into the Trena's Star. We wanted to make sure that none of the stuff would fall into the hands of the Republic or the Theocracy. Or possibly some other element we didn't know of to be used against us or others.
"We had wanted to blow the stuff in place," The General continued, "But Lord Mercer said no. He had been concerned that if we blew them in place we would be accused of causing the very disaster we were fleeing from."
"So we created several large barges that would hold everything that we were not taking with us to Home. My mother had successfully transferred herself to her new home on the space dock that would take her to Home. As Mom was looking around her new home making a list as to what she wanted to improve or change she noticed that the weapons barge was powering up. That surprised her as she had not told it to get under way.
Yet as she watched, the barge had cast lose its mooring and left the dock. She went aboard the tug to see what was going on. As she did she realized that their disposal plan for the weapons barge had been compromised. Generals Qoum and Langtree, Marshal Wilson, Queen Aggie and Lord Mercer had been the only ones to know about the actual date of the transfer." She continued, "What we didn't know was that DefConnie, who was the main defense coordinator had been compromised and taken over by its back up. Junior, as he was known. He had somehow locked the main AI down and was controlling all the data coming into the Mountain. He had managed to make a portion of the asteroids that were approaching Trena to look normal, masking the signatures of the Republic's invasion fleet that was hiding in them.
"Junior made his move as part of the Republic's invasion...
# ###
It was near lunch time. Although many of the kids had either been returned to their parents or reunited with their families, or had been adopted; there were still a great many kids still on the grounds. There was also a great many small children, younger than 12 who had not found homes yet. As they all trooped to the dining hall, for lunch the general alarm sounded.
"This is not a Drill!" The School Mistress was calling over the public address system as the alarm tones muted. Her image was seen everywhere it could be. There wasn't a computer display that didn't have her image on it. "All students and staff report to emergency shelters. Immediately!"
"What's going on School Mistress," Lady Hawthorne asked as she put her coffee cup down on the instructors table where she was eating lunch.
"We have just been informed that a fleet of Republican war ships have been spotted among the asteroids and are heading our way." The School's AI projected her image in a seat in front of Lady Hawthorne. "The Mountain says maybe a day or so before the full fleet gets here; but light space craft could at arrive anytime."
"All right continue getting the kids and staff into the shelters," Lady Hawthorne replied wondering where her kids were. As if reading her mind the School Mistress said, "Your boys are with Lieutenant Morgan and heading towards the shelter under the gym."
"Thank you School Mistress," Delores said watching the kids make an orderly exit from the building. Sergeant Lucas came up to her, "Major. I'll have box lunches at each shelter in an hour."
"That sounds good," Delores replied as she saw Sergeant Green coming her way.
"They'll be in the shelters in fifteen or so minutes major," Sergeant Green reported.
"I want to arm the instructors and some of the cadets." "How soon do we have to do that," Delores asked.
"We can wait a bit," Millie said, "But we don't want to be handing out weapons as Republic troopers enter the grounds."
"Hold off on the cadets," Delores then it dawned on her, "do we have enough weapons?"
Millie Green realized that the noble woman had forgotten that the cadet weapons were real and could be armed with the insertion of power cartridges, "Yes ma'am. It'll take an hour or so to make the cadet's weapons live. The other instructors will get theirs from the armory."
The noble woman nodded and ordered, "Make sure everyone of the adults who know how to use a gun has one. I want the guards at the gates and the patrols along the fence to be doubled up! Adults with older cadets."
"Aye," Millie left to be about her business.
Delores went to the gymnasium shelter where she found Jill. The gym's concessions had been set up as an emergency command post for the school and for Jill. The rest of the gym was the shelter. Jill and Queen Agatha were talking over the secure communications system. Another addition they had made for Jill. "We only know that a Republican fleet is hiding in the asteroids. The weapons barge has been taken over by an AI and is in route to this fleet. General Qoum reports that the combined fleets of Earth and Thonia are on their way to do battle. It's a good thing they are here because we have very few militiamen left."
"Aggie," Jill asked, "You don't know if there will be an invasion or not?"
"No one knows Jill," The Queen answered, "We're getting everyone to shelters and praying that the fleets can do the job they were built to do. How are things there Major Hawthorne?"
"We'll be under lock down shortly," Delores replied, "I am distributing arms to the adults and am thinking about the senior cadets."
"Major Hawthorne," The Marshal broke in, "Slow down on arming the cadets. This thing is going to happen in space. Even if the Republicans win, they'll be so bloodied that an invasion is unlikely."
"We don't need this now," Jill commented, "We still have several million to get off world. Dad will we still be able to do that?"
"The fleets are using dedicated ships," Her father said, "None of the space lift and star lift vessels involved in the evacuation are impacted. None of the landing craft the defenders are using will be from the space lift group. I have suspended current ground to orbit flights. I have told the ships in orbit that can head to Home; to do so!"
"Okay," Jill said, "I guess I need to be out of your hair Dad. We won't know what's going to happen for a few hours."
"I'll keep you both in the loop." Her father cleared the com.
"Your Highness," Delores asked, "Would you be safer here at the school?"
"No Delores," the Queen replied, "I need to be here where everyone can find me. I also think it's not a good idea to have both me and Jill in the same location. Home can deal with the loss of me or Jill but not both."
"We'll let you go," Delores agreed cutting the connection. Delores looked around the cramped shelter. She wanted to see where her kids were and saw Rhonda quietly rocking her youngest. To see the short small girl, who was known as Lamile's whip quietly rocking the infant, holding a baby bottle surprised her. She figured that Rhonda would be in one of the other shelters or out with the cadets on watch.
"Hello Major," Rhonda said. She knew she should be out among the cadets, working with her unit getting them to safety; but the woman who normally looked after the Major's kids had left the night before to be with her family on Yonkers station where she had found a position as a nanny.
"Thank you Rhonda," Delores took the infant from the girl's arms, "See to your cadets."
"Yes Ma'am," Rhonda left the shelter.
"Colonel," A runner came into the shelter and addressed Jill, "Major Atom's compliments. She reports that the security team is on their posts, and the school's secure.
All the cadets are in the shelters, as are all the kids."
"Tell the major I'll relieve her or Mitch will in a couple of hours," Jill said as Millie came in.
"Major Hawthorne," the Sergeant said, "Your heard Major Atom's report?"
Delores nodded not saying a word as Billy her youngest was sound asleep. Jill saw her friend still holding the baby and turned to Mitch who was working quietly at the next desk taking reports from the dorms and other shelters, "Mitch get someone to the
Commandant's Quarters and bring Billy's crib." "I'll see that it's done," Mitch said.
Millie and Delores watched the cadets handle the emergency. She looked up at the Sergeant and nodded, "Millie pass the word to everyone good work! Jill, please tell your cadets that I am very pleased with what I am seeing."
"Thank you Major," Jill said her voice barely above a whisper. The gymnasium shelter was holding mostly little kids who were now sound asleep for their afternoon nap. Jill was astounded at that. She figured with the alert and the excitement that the kids would not be anywhere ready to settle down. But they were.
Later one of the outside cadets reported seeing a big explosion in the sky. Shortly thereafter Jill's father called to say that the emergency was over and that the Republican fleet had been destroyed. He didn't think they would rescue many survivors.
"Oh, Lady Hawthorne," Her father said, "We lost Jonesy. She was aboard the tug towing the weapons barges. She took the weapons barge to the middle of the Republican Fleet and directed fire from the Majestic onto herself. Oh that other issue, the traitor. He was on the barge fighting Jonesy. The same fire that killed Jonesy also destroyed the AI we've been searching for."
Delores was silent as she digested the information. Jonesy, the Artificial Intelligence was the Evacuation Command's Chief Logistics officer, had been one of the
officer's that Delores worked the closest with. "She'll be greatly missed."
"She will at that," The marshal said. "We're standing down. You can also."
"We'll stand down," Delores said. "School Mistress, get the word out."
"It's going out now Major," the school's AI replied. The AI who had become friends with Jonesy as she tried to get things for her kids was not her usual upbeat self. "Major, okay if the flags go to half staff?"
"Make it so School Mistress," Jill commanded. She had, had frequent contact with the AI herself. She got up from the cot where one of Lady Hawthorne's kids had curled up beside her. Most of the kids were asleep.
"We'll let the kids sleep here tonight," Delores said, "Jill, make sure there's a CQ here tonight."
"Yes ma'am," Jill said and as she left the shelter, she saw Mitch standing a post with Jenny her principle agent outside. Jenny had a laser riffed draped casually over her shoulder, and Mitch had a pistol belt around her waist. "I think you can return that to Jenny, Mitch!"
"Gladly," Mitch said removing the belt and handing it to the agent. "Tom had to go off duty and Jenny needed someone to stand post with her. I got picked."
"Aunt Mylea is not to know of that," Jill commanded wondering where the res t of the detail was.
"We're stretched," Jenny answered her unasked question. "We're actively patrolling the grounds."
"I see," Jill remarked then turned to Mitch, remembering he last time they had armed Mitch and Lamile, her Aunt had almost taken her scalp over the issue, "Thank you for looking out after us."
"You're welcomed," Mitch replied.
With that, Jill walked the grounds to see what her cadets had been up to and see how they were reacting to the alert and the stand down. She was pleased the way they had responded to the alert. They had practiced the alert a couple of times and had worked out some of the problems. As she walked the grounds Mitch walked with her, as did Jenny.
"Major Atomi's compliments," Gene came up to them.
"Go ahead Gene," Jill replied returning the cadet's salute.
"Major Atomi reports, that the cadets are back in their dorms and the CQ watch has been mounted." The boy reported, "Lieutenant Morgan is taking the CQ watch in the gym." "Pass the word Gene," Jill asked, "good work. Everyone did well." "Yes ma'am," Gene replied saluted and left.
"He's grown up bit hasn't he," Jenny commented, "But so have all of you."
The trio walked down to the amphitheater to see if there was anyone hanging out there. There was a burst of light and everyone looked to where it was and saw that McKay appeared to be on fire. As the fire died in intensity, School Mistress materialized beside them.
"Your majesty, Major, there's been reports of wide spread sabotage in the off world habitats. McKay's primary settlement had a nuclear bomb detonated in it as did a couple of the bigger settlements in the asteroids and space habitats. Only the orbital facilities around Trena were not impacted."
"My god," Jill commented, "all those people! Was it part of the attack?"
"Sarge at Fletcher thinks so," School Mistress replied, "They think some Theocracy agents took the opportunity to strike."
"Look at that!" Mitch pointed to the port. It looked like it was on fire.
"Dad is going to have his hands full," Jill remarked.
"Sergeant Green, I want us secured and arm the cadets!" Delores commanded from where she sat in the shadows with sergeant Green, "Until things settle down I want us secured!"
"Yes Ma'am," the sergeant said watching as Jill principle agent handed Mitch a pistol belt. "Sergeant Mitch you are to stay with Her Majesty."
"Aye Ma'am," Mitch said as she buckled the pistol belt on.
They watched as other fires erupted around the capital. Jill became worried as one of the fires appeared to be close to Serenity. She tried to get through to her mother; but secure communications link to Serenity had failed. Even using her emergency set up, the same one she had used when her mother had been kidnapped couldn't get through to her family at Serenity. She wanted to know how they were. Finally near mid night the School Mistress put through a call to her from her mother.
"We're okay Jill," she said, "we've been in the shelter with Aggie since the attack. We stayed there when the other stuff started. How are you?"
"We're okay," Jill answered, "Everyone's a little frightened. We've been watching the fires, especially the big one near the palace."
"They are getting them under control," Lisa reported, "The Trojack Fire Fighters have been deployed to the palace and they have the fire near us almost under control. Your dad and General Qoum have been hunting these people down and have been taking care of business."
"We heard they might be Theocracy agents." Jill remarked.
"They are. They are working with some republican agents," Lisa replied, "Chief Able is getting most of the fires under control. The fires were set for the invasion. Many have set in mostly in abandoned building. Distractions to keep us busy so we couldn't fight an invasion effectively."
"That figures," Jill commented, "we're safe here for the time being. I am going to stay here. Do you want to join us?"
"No! We'll be okay," Lisa replied, "Your father doesn't want us together until this is over. He wants you and Abby to be separated just in case. We don't want to lose either of you. So we need to make sure the succession is secured by keeping you and Abby apart!"
Jill didn't like it much; but she understood. She said her goodbye and decided to take a walk around the facility. It had always felt odd to be shadowed by Jenny, now doubly so with Mitch, who was quietly shadowing her. It surprised her how easily Mitch seemed to take to the duties of being one of her protective agents.
"Mitch," Jill spoke to the girl, "I don't want you to get too comfortable being my protective agent."
"Jill," the dark haired girl replied, "If this is what my life's work is to be; there are a lot of worse things I could be doing."
"And I thought you wanted to be chief of the Home Patrol!" Jenny quipped.
"Eventually," Mitch answered back as they once again were at the amphitheater. They looked across the bay to the capital and saw that many of the fires were out. A pall of smoke was hanging over the city. Jill shook her head wondering why now.
# ###
"We're less than a few weeks before the asteroids hit us," the Princess was reading the diary again in class. "Trena will be destroyed, if not destroyed, unlivable, and the Republic attacked us! No one has explained to me why the Republic hates us so much. They were going to invade Trena and occupy us. It makes no sense to me. It's like they didn't believe we were going to be destroyed. Yet they used the very instrument of our destruction to hide in as they snuck in to invade us.
"Ironically they were defeated by a simple act of heroism. I have read about marines, and others calling fire down on their position, sacrificing their lives to save others. Jonesy's sacrifice was not only heroic; but totally unexpected. Usually it is impossible for an AI to completely leave her host computer. But Jonesy had shifted to the space dock that she would make the trip to Home aboard, abandoning her old computer at Boeing. Then she went aboard the tug taking the weapons barge to the sun. Someone shut her down on the dock.
"We lost a great person when we lost Jonesy." The future queen of Home continued reading aloud, "I never thought I would mourn the loss of an AI. We treat them like so much furniture, take them for granted, yet they are there working all the time in the back ground making our lives easier. Jonesy was special. She was the Evacuation Commands logistics officer, she made things happen. Even for us. She was the one who helped me get Mitch's guitar. When we needed something for the little guys she made it happen. The delivery of all the stuffed animals and toys for the little guys came at the right time. Where she got the rocking chairs I was afraid to ask. Sergeant Hoi, General Langtree's Sergeant just showed up one day with two truckloads of them and said compliments of Jonesy. But she was part of us. She was as much one of the officers who volunteered at the academy as all the flesh and blood people who were helping us. She'll be sorely missed. We had a memorial at Boeing SpaceWorks yesterday to honor her passing.
"Trenaport looks like a ghost town. It's spooky sometimes riding through town." Princess Lisa read, "Especially as we pass through the burned out buildings that had been destroyed during the Republic's failed invasion. I like to sit at the amphitheater and watch the capital come to life as the sun set. The lights would come on in quiet majesty. We are far enough away that we can't hear the city noises. It was soothing to watch; but no longer. There is an angry looking scar where the buildings had been set afire. It is too painful to watch now. Now though as I sit here in the amphitheater writing this, I can see the asteroids. They are a splash or a stain across the night sky. They get bigger every night. It's getting to the point that I find it too disturbing to watch the night sky. Even though I know my guys and I will be evacuated, it's just too scary to comprehend, that if something goes wrong again, that we may not get off this soon to be dead world. The Republic's debacle just points out how fragile everything can be.
"That fragility of life became a terrible reality to me during the Republican's failed invasion," Jill's writing continued, "Duke Horton was on McKay when the bomb went off in McKay's main settlement. Most of the nobles who were meeting for the first time to form their parliament were killed. The Duke's heir, a young teenage boy barely thirteen is now the Duke of the protectorate. I wonder how this will affect the treaty that Aggie and I signed."
She closed the diary, as an officer walked into the room. She was of moderate height, dressed in the uniform of the Home Emergency Response Team. On her collar was a badge consisting of two sabers crossed under a crown with five stars surrounding everything. The young princess knew who the officer was immediately, Marshal Jonesy.
As the room came to attention the officer spoke softly, "as you were." The cadets took their seats.
"Good morning," the officer said, "I always like to stop in about this time when my daughter Alice gets to this point in her lecture. As you just read I was killed by calling fire down on the tug I had hopped to. I had no choice in the matter! I had to prevent the barges from being turned over to the Republic. I was trapped on the tug. Junior, the back up to DefConnie, had somehow managed to lock me out of the tugs controls, and I couldn't return to my new home as someone had turned me off on the space dock.
"I knew what I had to do.
"I didn't even think twice about becoming the target for the Majestic's guns. By doing that, I would accomplish two missions. By calling fire down on me I was ensuring the weapons barges destruction, and with its destruction, caused the invasion fleet to be destroyed. By calling down fire onto myself, I ensured the kingdom's safety. No one thought to bring me back until the HERT was founded. Then I was brought back from my back ups and put in this body. I became the operations coordinator of the Home Emergency Response Team working directly for Marshal Langtree and her lifemate. I served with them for another thirty years before they retired."
The cadets were quiet as one of the living legends of Home spoke. Only Princess Lisa and her cousins and aunt had ever met the Marshal.
Chapter 36: The Academy Is Evacuated.
The princess was sitting by herself in the archives, as she read the diary. It was the only place where she could get some privacy as she read. She really didn't mind sharing her reading with the cadets, but she was also using the diary to write her paper. It was time now to knuckle under and get it written. She couldn't read aloud and write the paper she was doing about Jill, Lamile, and Mitch. So she had captured a study carrel in the archives to read the diary, and to work on her paper in peace and quiet.
"Great news!" she read, "My aunt and General Langtree got married! The last couple of times Aunt Mylea was at the house for dinner and not on business General Langtree was her escort. Lamile told me about it last night.
"I heard that Dad made some sort of a wise crack that if either one of them thought they are going to be reassigned so that Aunt Mylea didn't supervise David directly they could think again.
"Now as I think about it I have noticed over the last few months that the haunted look that Aunt Mylea's face often had when I first got here has disappeared. Lamile had mentioned something about the aqaut slowly dissipating. Lamile tried to explain to me about the aqaut. Something about that when thonians make love for the first time the woman passes a virus that makes it impossible for them to make love to anyone else. I don't quite understand it. I think it has something to do with the couple being empathic and telepathic between only each other.
"But it is great news," Jill had written, "I guess they will wait until we get to Home before having an official ceremony. I have to say though that Aunt Mylea couldn't have chosen a better lifemate. General Langtree is not only a great guy; he has a special place in my heart for how he has helped me and my kids.
"Speaking of which," Jill had written "it is time to wrap this up as tomorrow we evacuate the kids from the academy. It is going to be a long day."
The princess concluded the passage and looked at the time and realized she had better hustle on to class. She arrived just as the General began speaking.
# ###
Lady Hawthorne was tired. She had been up for forty eight hours straight making sure things were ready for the school's evacuation. She was bone weary, and exhausted. But she wasn't alone, her staff had worked themselves to exhaustion as they made sure each kid, cadet or not was ready to be evacuated. They had made sure each and every kid was packed as well. Lady Hawthorne had spent extra time with the little ones, ensuring they were ready. Somewhere in the process she had made one more trip back to her estate making sure that her place had been packed by her girls. There had been only so much they could pack. So many of the fine furnishing that her mother in law and she had furnished the home with were going to have to be left behind. She had heard from her brother. He was safely on Home as were her mother and father. Her life on Trena was drawing to a close. Only the evacuation of the academy and few loose ends remained.
Now as she waited for the landing craft that would take everyone up to the school ship to land; she wondered if they were really ready for this? She was concerned that they had gotten everything that the kids owned packed. Normally she trusted her staff to make things happen. She had learned that from her missing husband, find good people and let them perform. But this time she was having trouble doing that; as the stakes were so high.
Sergeant Millie had gotten her aside and tried to cool her out when she was obsessing. It worked a bit.
Now as she stood with Jill and Lamile sipping coffee waiting for the first landing craft to land; she worried if there was anything they had forgotten. It would take fifteen lifts to get all the kids, their adult supervisors and their stuff to the special transport that had been built for them. Lady Hawthorne and Jill had been to orbit to check it out and meet the crew. They were all from the IRS, on loan to them by the IRS to get the ship to Home. They had been handpicked by Captain Stevens of the Majestic. The school ship would be their home for several weeks maybe moths, before their digs on Home were built. They had been impressed. The late Jonesy had done a good job. It was large enough to hold the entire school with room for athletic fields and other facilities to support the academy.
"You look tired Lady Hawthorne," Jill observed, though she was tired too. She had a full plate on her schedule today also. She with Lamile had to be at the Parliament to witness the parliament's abdication.
"We get this mob transported to the school ship and I'll be able to collapse in my stateroom and make friends with my long suffering kids." Lady Hawthorne stated. Although she had moved into the academy and brought her kids with her, and though she made time for them every day, sometimes it was only to tuck them into bed at night. She was planning to turn the running of the academy over to the School Mistress for a while as she took a few days. She had thought of turning it over to Millie for a couple of days; but that plan had been changed at the last minute because of Princess Carroll. As she thought about that, she smiled, Millie would indeed make a good School Mistress. She was just stern enough to get the kids to do what she wanted them to do, but soft enough to let them get away with kid type mischief.
The marine chief gunnery sergeant had explained to her one night over late coffee. "I usually get officers after they have been messed up by their parents, their colleges and the academy. Now I might get a chance to fix some problems before they get out into the fleet."
"Lady Hawthorne," the first marine to ever set foot on the academy came up to her, breaking her out of her reverie, "I've put this off as long as I can. If I don't get to the port and to the Majestic, I'll be AWOL." "Okay Sarge," she said.
"I will be back to check up on you two." He nodded to Jill, "Your highness. I don't know what to say to you. You are ..." The sergeant was at a loss for words. He had seen this young woman in action and had been impressed with her from the beginning. He didn't want to sound mushy; but he wanted the girl to know he was impressed with her.
"Sarge," Jill spoke to the sergeant as she walked to him and hugged him. "Thank you for everything you have done for my kids. I couldn't have done this without you and your buddies help. Pass the word sergeant, that I know each and every one of your guy's
names. If you get in trouble just yell for help, I will get help to you." "Thank you." The sergeant replied nodding to Sergeant Millie Green.
"Company Atten-hut!" Millie Green yelled.
Jill heard a commotion behind her and turned to see every adult, civilian and military person who had helped her kids and who were still on Trena standing at attention. Standing in the formation were Black Guardsmen, Imperial Marines, Imperial Naval Officers, retired Thonian Space Forcemen. Militia, police, and fire fighters from across the kingdom, and civilians who had made it possible for Delores to provide services to her kids. There were thonians, humans and biopeople. Some who were citizens of Trena and some who were from Trojack; all standing at attention waiting for what would come next.
"Ma'am," Sergeant Lucas turned first to Delores, then to Jill, "Your majesty. May we ask a favor?"
"You may," the Queen of Home replied.
"We request the honor and privilege to be known as Company A of the Queen's Own Royal Cadet Academy's Permanent Staff." The sergeant asked.
"Permission granted," Jill responded.
In unison the men and women of Company A called. "Thank You your majesty!"
Then as tired as she was she walked the line of a hundred of so officers, enlisted people, and civilians who had donated their off duty time to her kids. Lady Hawthorne followed discreetly behind her young monarch also thanking a couple of people. Millie was standing to one side of the assembled group. Deloris knew that they were going to do this but had kept quiet about it. She wanted Jill to take the honors. Jill had worked her butt off to help these kids. It was fitting that she accepted the honors being offered. The adults had seen her work and respected her to a man. Especially Millie who owed the Marines at least three weeks leave for all the time she had spent working at the academy. But Lady Hawthorne had two surprises for the Master Gunnery Sergeant.
"So sergeant you think you are going to go home and leave me all alone to handle this mob?" Lady Hawthorne asked the middle aged sergeant when she had gotten to the front of the formation again. "I think you should think again."
"Ma'am," the sergeant said bewildered, not knowing what was going on. Lady Hawthorne smiled. It was perfect! She wasn't sure she could keep this from the Sergeant, as her connections were good. Much too good!
"Attention to orders," She snapped, as Sergeant Lucas had drilled her and drilled her to do. It would always feel uncomfortable to sound like an officer, but in time she knew it would be second natured. The entire assembly of enlisted men and officers came to attention.
"Master Gunnery Sergeant Millicent Green, is here by detached from the Imperial Marines Corps and assigned at the request of their most royal highnesses, Queen Agatha of Trena, and Queen Jillian of Home, and General Alphine, Commandant of the Imperial Marines, to the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadets, as Command Sergeant Major of Company A.
"Furthermore, as this is not a hardship or hazardous duty station, you will be allowed to have your dependents on post." Lady Hawthorne spoke, "Your tour of duty is to be limited to not less than one year, nor more than five years, and at the pleasure of her royal highness, Queen Jillian and the school's commander."
She handed the parchment to Millie and said, "Sarge you are out of uniform!" and handed her a silver diamond for her collar tab. The insignia of the units top soldier. Millie looked over to where General Alphine was now standing. Standing with her, were two young boys. They were her boys. The Princess General nodded and released the two boys. The two boys who ran over to their mother and hugged her fiercely. It had been almost a year since she had last seen both boys. They both had grown like weeds. They had been being taken care of by her mother in law. Their father had been missing in action for nearly ten years. He had never seen Jimmy.
"Sergeant," Delores said, "You are dismissed!"
"Lady...Deloris thank you. I wouldn't have seen the boys for another six months." Millie said. She hugged Lady Hawthorne.
"Thank Princess Carroll. She made this all happen." Deloris said.
She nodded and walked to where Jill was standing, "Colonel Wilson, I mean Queen Jill, I will do you proud."
"Sergeant Millie," Jill said, "I'll remember what you told me when I became the commander of the corps. I hope I never let you down. I'll see you on Home after your leave."
"Jill you will never disappoint me. You may disappoint yourself but never me." the older woman replied, "By your leave?" Jill nodded.
"Thank you General," Millie said when she went and stood beside the general.
The future empress of the Terran Empire nodded saying, "Serve them well Millie. They are our future."
"As you command," She saluted and stood with the boys as Jill and Lady Hawthorne finished thanking the assembled staff of Company A for all they had done. As they finished the first of the landing craft landed. Jill turned to Lady Hawthorne and said, "Let's get back to work."
Deloris nodded as she saw Marshal Wilson step out of a jeep that had pulled up to where they were standing. He had driven across the capital to be here. She had no idea that he would be here.
He came up to her and asked, "Deloris, what can I do to help?"
Delores was dumbfounded. She hadn't expected that the Marshal would be on the grounds. She knew he had a lot stuff that needed his attention today. "Anything you can. We have to get all these kids and their stuff on to the landing craft. If you would go to dorm three and bring those kids down that would help."
"Aye-aye," Mike said nodded toward the dorm and was followed by Mac and Lamile who would soon become the cadet commander of the school. She would finish high school on board the school ship and later when the academy was completed enough for the kids to be on the ground she would be enrolled in the first cadet class of the Senior Academy of the Queens Own Royal Corps of Cadet Academy.
They found the kids milling around the halls excited about what was to come next. The senior cadet in the dorm, yelled for them to settle down. In seconds the kids settled down. He lined them up in the halls waiting for the word to be given. The Marshal turned to Lamile, "It is your show, what do you need done."
"They need to go to the dining hall where they will be final processed. Mitch here can get them there." She pointed to Mitch, "What we need to do is go to the top floor and sweep down. Some of these kids are not convinced we are taking them to safety. Other may try to play games with us. So we go into every room, and open every closet. The beds have been rolled back and the frames taken apart. When we get done we seal the room. It will take a laser blast to open the door from the outside."
Mike was glad for the easy work. It wasn't difficult. They would climb to the top floor of a dorm and sweep through the rooms. Several adults and cadets helped. There was a name plate on each door, when they closed and sealed the door they would pull the name plate. When they left a floor they would hand the name plates to a cadet or NCO or adult on the landing to the floor. There they were checked against a master list, and when all the rooms had been checked off the list they would close the doors on either end of the hall to the rooms and seal them. They would then as a group go on to the next floor.
In this fashion they swept through the academy grounds ensuring that all of the buildings had been evacuated. It took a few hours but every child was accounted for. Even a preschooler who thought it would be cool to play hide and seek with the adults. When Jill caught up to her she didn't scold the child, or anything; just picked her up and carried her to the dining hall where she turned the kid over to the cadet who had been told to watch over her. "Cadet Johnson. You almost cost us a life. You were told to make sure all your kids got to the dining hall. Five demerits and you'll walk an hour's punishment tour with riffle in the gym." She swept a withering look at the cadet NCO who was the girl's dorm officer and said, "Sarge your squad will do the punishment tours also, as will I!"
A few hours later as the last landing craft loaded with cadets lifted from the pad Jill marched up to Lady Hawthorne came to attention, and said, "Major Hawthorne, the grounds of the academy has been evacuated! With your permission I would like to stand down and turn things over to Major Atomi."
"You are relieved Colonel Wilson," Lady Hawthorne turned to the few adults that were left waiting to go up to the ship then back to Jill. "Jill I want to thank you for the effort you have been giving us. We couldn't have done it without you."
"Delores," Jill said, "I will cherish and try to follow the example that you and Sergeant Millie have shown me. I will be around."
The noble woman nodded and turned to Marshal Wilson, "Sir, I would like to report that all the children you have entrusted me with have been evacuated."
"Thank you Deloris, You may close this facility," Wilson accepted the noble woman's report, "I'll see you at the parliament in a little while."
"Ladies, and Gentlemen, I will see you on the ship. We are closed!" Deloris turned to her staff, and dismissed them. When they were gone Deloris walked quietly to the main gates where Millie was waiting for her. She had never felt as lonely as she did as she walked the drive to the entrance. The grounds were empty of children and cadets, as well the adults that looked after them. It was hard to believe that less than twenty four hours before the grounds had been chocked full of people. She took one last look at the academy. She marveled at the changes that she had witnessed in the last few months. The academy had gone from a near trash pit to a clean and nearly serene campus. She had gone to school here when it was a boarding school. It now looked like the school she had attended. She turned and finally walked through the gates.
With Millie's help she closed and locked the gates for the final time. As they closed the gates the news media quietly recorded the event. It was nearly the last crown facility to be closed and the news media was recording it for posterity. The two women piled into lady Hawthorne's sedan that was almost too crowded for them. It was filled with Lady Hawthorne's five kids and Millie's two boys. Deloris' oldest climbed into the lap of
Millie's oldest and Millie drove them to the parliament. Where Lady Hawthorne had one more official act to perform, as did all the remaining nobles of Trena. Though her nobility was tied to her missing husband, she had been asked to take his seat in the parliament.
# ###
"So the evacuation of the academy went without a hitch," General Jones started to wrap up her class for the day. "There was a lot of behind the scenes work to get these kids ready. It not only included making sure the ship was kid safe, but making sure that School Mistress had a computer to transfer herself into and then had to be in two places at once while the school was evacuated. The school ship had been special built by Jonesy.
"Several people had voiced very vocal opposition of the cadets being given that ship," The general continued. "But most of the people left on Trena, who knew about the academy and how the cadets came to it, were just as adamant that it was proper. It was settled when the Marshal, and his Family as well as Queen Agatha said they would travel to Home on it. There had been a large liner that was going to take them to Home now it would be used for others.
"Of the nearly two thousand young people who first sought refuge at the academy, fourteen hundred were left, the others had either been reunited with parents, or family, or had been adopted by others. The remaining fourteen hundred children were evacuated to the school ship." She concluded by saying, "The School Ship house our academy for nearly three months until our new academy had been built. The School Ship has been towed to the Nameless Moon where she waits to be dismantled with several other ships."
The bell rang and the general said, "Your papers are due in two weeks. They are a full seventy five percent of your final grade for this course."
# Chapter 37: The Last Session of the Trena Parliament
"The last session of parliament was very somber," the General started the next class. "I was not there as I and my sergeant were at Fletcher helping General Langtree get the base shut down.
"The thing that has amazed scholars and others was that the parliament behaved so well during the final days." The General continued, "Even the incident with Duke Horton had not been much of an incident. We hadn't known at the time; but Lord Mercer had worked behind the scenes to get the real trouble makers off world without appearing to. Making sure that those who had gone to Home were dumped in areas where their energies would not harm the people of Home. This would be found out on his death bed. Although he violated several of the evacuation rules by doing this, Queen Jill pardon him for his actions. He had the best interests of the kingdom at heart.
"So now it is late afternoon and the parliament was assembling for the last time. They had to wait until the last citizen of Trena were evacuated and that was the academy before they could abdicate."
# ###
It was the last session of parliament. The immense chamber was nearly empty. Jill now dressed in a simple business suit with Lamile, who was now in her full dress uniform sat together on the floor of the House of Lords. She was the invited quest of Lamile. It would be the first and the last session that Lamile would attend as Lady Atomi. Lamile was there for the one final act that the parliament had to do. This act had to be done in the presence of interstellar witnesses. It had been researched and there was no precedence for dissolving parliament, and abandoning a planet's government. Usually when a government left a planet it was after they had been removed during a rebellion. No one had given up power willingly in the way that the Parliament of Trena was going to dissolve itself.
As Jill waited for events to begin she looked around the ornate room with its lofty arches, and statuary. The old stone work with stained glass windows piercing the walls made the building feel almost like some of the ancient cathedrals she had toured on Earth instead of a house of the people. As she thought that, she felt it appropriate that the house of the people had near church like appearance as the protection of the citizens of Trena or any people should be a near religious endeavor.
The gallery was nearly empty. The family members of the members of parliament were aboard the liner that would take them to Home. The gallery was populated by only a few of the remaining news media people. The members of parliament were in a somber mood. No one was in the raucous mood that the assembly could be. No one was in their robes, or in their usual finery. The Queen waited outside the hall with Jill's father. They would wait there until the speaker lead the members of parliament to where they stood.
"Is there any business before Parliament," The speaker of the House of Lords spoke breaking into Jill's quiet observation of the chamber.
"Your lord ship," Larry Mercer the oldest serving noble of the House of Lords, who rarely took his seat, drew himself up to his five foot eight height, "I have business before our august body."
"Lord Mercer is recognized." The speaker called.
"With our people now fully evacuated, save those of us in this chamber, our purpose to support, defend and govern the people of Trena no longer exists. Therefore I move that the government be dissolved along with parliament. With parliament dissolved that we leave the world of Trena."
"Is there a second?" the speaker asked.
"I second the motion," Lamile spoke. It had been determined that Lamile as the newest and youngest noble woman of the Kingdom of Trena be the one to second the motion.
"Is there any debate?" The speaker asked.
He waited a few minutes and said, "Hearing none, I call the question. All in favor of dissolving the government of the Kingdom of Trena say aye!"
The one hundred remaining souls who made up the last session of parliament voted to dissolve the government. There was not even the solitary traditional, no vote to be heard in the chamber.
"In accordance with your vote I now declare that the government is dissolved and parliament disbanded." He banged the gavel one time and stepped down from the Speakers desk and inserted the printed copy of the motion into the old fashioned notebook book that was the ceremonial record of the parliament. He signed his name and closed the book and walked to the great ceremonial doors of the chambers. He stood at the doors and watched as the members filed past him. He shook each and every one of their hands. Lamile, being the most junior noble present was the last to leave. Together with her help, the speaker closed the great ornate ceremonial doors of parliament. A little over four centuries after they had been opened for the first time, the doors were sealed for the last time. Once the doors were sealed they assembled near a curtained alcove. There the Speaker revealed a marble obelisk. Carved were the names of the last sitting members of the parliament and their home regions. Below the names read the inscription,
"On this day, four hundred and eighteen years after the founding of the Kingdom of Trena, The Parliament dissolved and abdicated its responsibilities for the governance of the Kingdom of Trena. This was a peaceful act, there was no rebellion, no discourse with our citizens or with our monarch, Queen Agatha the First. A cosmic disaster befell our kingdom, one that destroyed our world. We wish that the discoverer of this obelisk; peace!
If you wish to know of our people we are here."
Engraved on the obelisk was a star chart showing the location of Home in relation to Trena and the distance to their world of refuge.
"We will not be forgotten as long as one of our descendants are alive to carry on our traditions!"
The assembled members of parliament passed the obelisk, each touching the massive stone, leaving their DNA to be discovered maybe in centuries to come.
They left the main part of Parliament and found the Queen and her party waiting for them. The Speaker handed the book to the Queen, an identical to one that was buried in the obelisk. He went to one knee and said softly, "My Queen, It is my sad and sacred duty to humbly inform you that we, the government of the Kingdom of Trena have abdicated and return the ruling of this planet to you."
"Arise," Agatha said softly. "The crown thanks you for your service, and that of all of the members of parliament. There is a landing craft waiting to take you to your families.
Thank you."
"Your majesty," the Speaker spoke softly, "The people of Trena owe you a great debt of gratitude. For without your efforts and that of your marshal many of us would not now be safe. By your leave, my Queen?"
"Granted," the young queen nodded standing by herself as the remaining members of parliament filed past her saying their farewells. Until now she had no idea how many of these people felt about her. Some she knew would have fought against anything she did. Others wouldn't, and still others would do what their party told them to do. But all of them were near tears as they bid her farewell and left the parliament building. As per her station, the last Lady to be so named, Lamile was the last one to present herself before Queen Agatha. With tears flowing down the young woman's cheeks as she bowed before her monarch and then hugged her fiercely. The Queen turned to Jill who was with Lamile and handed Jill the book that had just been given her.
"Queen Jill." The Queen said turning to Jill, "This is the book of the last session of parliament. I give it you as a sacred trust so that the universe knows that the parliament abdicated gracefully their responsibilities."
"It is a great honor to receive this book from your hands." Jill said solemnly holding back some tears herself, "When the Home parliament assembles for the first time I will ask that this book be forever displayed in the lobby of parliament to show that the people of Home have their roots as Trenan citizens. That Trena is the foundation for the future of our home!"
"It is all I can ask," Agatha said trying not to cry as the few remaining news people and the Galactic Counsel recorded the event. She was determined not to breakdown and cry until all her duties were over. The palace surgeon had given her a pill to help her get through the day; but she didn't think it was working.
# ###
"The parliament," The General began to wrap up the class for the day, "the beautiful ornate building that housed the House of Lords and the House of Commons, the legislative body of Trena, lasted until a rock the size of a house bursts through its roof and destroyed the building eighteen hours after the parliament abdicated."
The General was playing a holograph of the parliament's destruction. The room darken as a hologram lit up to display a rock the size of a house as it came screaming in past the elegant convention center, glowing cherry as it seemed to zero in on the building. The last image was that of the beautiful stained glass windows showing the early days of the Kingdom of Trena being shattered as the rock destroyed parliament.
"We do not know at this time if the obelisk with the record of the last session of the Trena Parliament has survived or not" The general finished her class for the day.
"It is still waiting to be found," The general remarked, "No one has ever mounted an expedition to find it. The Queen and the Duke have never authorized such an expedition and currently laws in place on Home and in the Duchy of the Trena Off World Habitats prohibiting anyone from even trying to determine if it survived."
# Chapter 38: Abdication
"The Marshal had said that he would make sure that every last mother's child who wanted to leave Trena could." General Jones was teaching her next to last class for this session. Today she would begin to wrap everything up. "Try as we might we couldn't get everyone evacuated. Some people just couldn't leave Trena or wouldn't. So while the last session of parliament was in session, General Langtree was at Fletcher getting the last bit of work done.
"We were securing the last bit of supplies that we could. We had hardened ten landing craft hangars burying the hangars ten feet underground. They were loaded with supplies. He and a few of his engineers had dug pits under them and had made them as survivable as possible. We loaded them with everything we could. Hoping the spares and supplies left in them might survive. The supplies had included trucks, heavy earth moving equipment, medical supplies communications gear, food, militia survival shelters. But no weapons; we didn't want people to have the means to kill each other over the supplies. In deeper hard shelters were landing craft. His team was sealing everything in.
"Earlier they had taken what else they could out to the space habitats. There were not many people left in orbit or on the habitats. The ones around Trena were thought to be in extreme danger. They would be in the path of the asteroids for forty-eight hours. We believed that the ones in orbit about Trena would all be destroyed. Most of the supplies went to McKay or other settlements and habitats that were in no danger of being hit by the asteroids.
"What was left, the evacuation command had hoped that any of the survivors who we couldn't convince to evacuate might wander onto the remains of the base and several other dumps in the years after the rest of us evacuated and find the equipment usable.
"They had done this all over Trena. To this day we don't know if they survived or not! We believe not; as no one has escaped from Trena using the catches.
"We finished closing General Langtree's command and left for the palace. "The Marshal and the Queen had one last duty to perform..."
# ###
Lisa had seen the last of her family's belongings packed and transported to the school ship. There was only one other thing she had to pack. If pack, was the right word? She was in Queen's Garden. The ancient American Beauty Rose bush that had been under cultivation since the first queen planted it over four hundred years before was the final item to be packed. She was having Georgia and Maggie carefully dig the rose up and place it in a bucket of soil so they could transport it to Home, where Lisa was hoping to baby it and keep it under cultivation. She wanted to bridge the soon to be destroyed Serenity and the soon to be created royal compound on Home. She took pictures of her two friends as they carefully dug the rose bush up and transplanted the centuries' old rose in the large bucket. With it safely in the bucket the women walked out of the garden Abby holding her mother's hand. They put the bucket on one of the electric carts where Maggie drove it to General Langtree's landing craft that had been moved from Fletcher to Serenity.
As they walked to the main building where they would witness the Queen's abdication, Lisa looked to her daughter realizing she would be the one to fulfill her husband's charter. Abby had no idea she would make history when she boarded the landing craft to leave Trena. She would literally be the last mother's child to leave Trena. When they got to the queen's residence they found that everyone but the Queen had joined the group standing before the landing craft.
Shortly after they arrived, the limo carrying the Queen pulled up in front of the landing craft. As the limo slowed to a stopped Mylea called, "Honors front!"
The assembled officers and enlisted men snapped a salute to the royal party as they stepped out of the vehicle. When they were at the foot of the landing craft's ramp Lisa, and Abby walked up the ramp to the cargo bay of the landing craft, symbolizing that every last mother's child had been evacuated from Trena. When her friends were safely aboard the landing craft Mylea turned and marched to where Marshal Wilson stood with Queen Agatha. She came to attention and requested, "Marshal Wilson, I request permission to report."
"The Executive Officer's request is granted." Wilson said more formally than he would have otherwise. The eyes of the universe were on them.
"Sir the citizens of the Kingdom of Trena have been evacuated or accounted for." Mylea said knowing that press of the galaxy was watching them. They were recording the formal abdication of Agatha, and their departure.
"Thank you XO." Wilson said "You may case the colors!"
"Aye sir," Mylea said, she turned to the command staff, "Attention to the colors"
All eyes turned to the flag post that held the flag of Trena. A starburst on a field of navy, the motto of the free world emblazoned on it "He who dares to succeed will never fail!"
"Lieutenant Jones!" Mylea called, "Case the Colors!"
With that Alice, Sergeant Anderson, Sergeant Hoi, Lamile, Mac, and Georgia all now dressed in their dress uniforms marched to the flag post in front of the Queen's residence. At the flag post, Alice lowered the flag to the national anthem of Trena. When the flag was lowered, the honor guard folded the flag. Alice then presented it to Mylea who saluted and received the flag and in turn handed the flag to Wilson. He received the flag and commanded, "The command staff is dismissed."
"Company," Mylea turned on her heel and called "Dismissed!"
With that the assembled officers and staff of the evacuation command team boarded the landing craft. As they passed the Marshal and the royal party they shock each of their hands. When the last one boarded, Mike turned towards Agatha and said, "Your majesty with the presentation of your colors, I declare to you and the people of Trena that every last mother's child has been accounted for and those who wanted to; have been evacuated from Trena."
"You may stand down Marshal." Agatha said she reached forward hugging him and whispered in his ear hoping that no one would hear her, but of course they did, "Thank you for the wonderful job you have done Michael."
"Agatha," Mike said hugging the young woman just as fiercely, "It has been an honor to serve you and our people."
"It has indeed," the young queen replied she released Michael and then walking with Jill to the assembled news people. She noticed that the Trena Primary was almost touching the horizon. She thought how fitting that the sun was setting on not only her world but on her monarchy.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the galaxy, Friends, and Enemies in about sixteen hours the beautiful planet of Trena will be destroyed. When I leave here in a few minutes my reign as ruler and monarch of this world, the world of my birth, the world that has kept me warm and safe for many years will be over. I am abdicating. There will be no Trena to rule. I have discharged my sacred and solemn duty to protect and serve the people of Trena.
As such I can stand down and join them on Home.
"I hereby abdicate my position and responsibilities." The young queen stood quietly trying not to cry openly, but having a difficult time of it. Lisa who was watching from the top of the landing craft's boarding ramp wanted to go to the young woman who had over the months she had become quite close to. But it would only make things worse for the young woman.
Lady Gray and the Galactic Council Representative now approached the Queen. The Council of Worlds had elected them to take the Queen's abdication and retire her charter. The Queen signed a simple piece of paper giving up all claim and title to Trena. In effect letting it become salvage for the taking. It was countersigned by the representative to the Galactic Council. It was also witnessed by the young boy who had succeeded his father as Duke Horton. He would be the ruler of the Trena Off World Habitats, his father having been killed in the Republican attack.
"Agatha McAlister," Lady Gray, the Ambassador from Earth, "With the imminent destruction of Trena it is with great sorrow that the Galactic Council accepts your abdication."
"Cousin Aggie," the young noble man spoke to the young queen, "I am sorry that you have given up your crown and that our kingdom is soon to be no more. I will try to rule the habitats as wisely as you have demonstrated. May the future bring peace to you and to the remains of the Trena System!"
"Thank you," Aggie said, she turned from the ambassadors and began to walk to the landing craft. Numbly Queen Agatha walked to the landing craft. She walked up the ramp never looking back. As the ramp closed she nearly slumped. Lisa and Jill quickly helped the now abdicated queen to a seat. As Lisa sat down she grimaced a bit and said, "My water just broke."
"What?" Michael asked, Lisa nodded and Michael looked to Langtree and said,
"David get this bus out of here now!"
"On the way sir," David said and went to talk with the pilot.
Sixteen hours later as the first rocks began falling on Trena; Lisa gave birth to her children. Mike Jr., and Joyce, the twins born to Lady Wilson would be officially the last children born on Trena. They would be the very last mother's children to leave the planet of Trena.
###
"We left Trena then," Jill had written, "we were the last ones off world. Well almost. The news media, the galactic council rep, Princess Carroll, and a couple of others would be last. Sergeant Hoi would actually be the last Trena citizen to leave Trena. He escorted the rock to Home. He and a group of cadets with Lieutenant Jones stood watch in the main docking port of our ship. It was probably the most sacred icon of the Kingdom of Trena.
"Some of us watched the asteroids fall on Trena through the remote sensors that Dad had set up. I couldn't; and neither could Aggie, it was just too painful," The young monarch had written. "But I was too busy to watch the bombardment anyways. Dad and Mom let stay me with Mom while my brother and sister were born. It was the first time I have ever seen birth. It makes me understand how precious every mother's child is. As the midwife gave me my little brother to hold while she gave little Joyce to Dad and Lisa to inspect, I too marveled both at my little brother and how far I had come in the last months.
"As Dad sat on the bed with Mom marveling at Joyce's small hands," Jill's writing went on, "and I held little Mike in my arms; I wondered if I was up to the task of being these guys' queen. Not just their queen but first their sister, then their friend. I wondered if I could keep them as safe as Aggie had tried to keep our people safe on Trena. Making if not the ultimate sacrifice, then a sacrifice a lesser woman wouldn't. I pray that I am up to her standard."
The future queen of Home closed the diary as she finished her reading.
The bell rang and the general spoke as the cadets left, "remember your papers are due next week."
# Epilogue
It was the very last class of the general's course. The general started the lecture as the class room darkened and the whole front of the class was taken up by the image of the landing field outside of Ellis, and a small landing craft landing. The cadets had seen this several times on the anniversary of Landing Day. That day over two centuries ago when the last evacuee from Trena had first set foot on Home and Jill Wilson was formally enthroned as the Queen of Home.
# ###
The crowd had been growing for hours. The small space port outside of Ellis was crawling with people. Not just the new colonists of Home, but the interstellar news media. They were there to witness a rare event; the coronation of the very first monarch of a world. It wasn't just the news media; but dignitaries from around this portion of the galaxy. Diplomats, presidents, kings and queens from worlds near and far were present. The list included Maxwell, the Earth Emperor, and Qau'lin, the Ruler of the Thonian Realm. The two of them wanted to show their continued support for the people who had evacuated from Trena to Home. They sat with many other dignitaries awaiting the arrival of the abdicated queen of Trena and the soon to be inaugurated queen of Home.
Finally the landing craft came in low over the space port made one pass and landed. As soon as the engines were shut down and the line chief made sure the safeties were in place, the ramp of the LC 4 opened. As its ramp grounded a band made up of the former members of Trena's symphonies began playing ruffles and flourishes. While they played, a solitary young woman descended the boarding ramp. Queen Agatha. When the crowd saw her they burst out in applause. The sound was almost a physical wave, assaulting her. As she approached the podium that had been set up, the crowd got almost deathly quiet.
"Good day," she began speaking, "Many months ago I swore to you that I would get every last mother's child to safety. With the arrival of Abigail Wilson, the last mother's child to leave Trena and now the last child to be safely landed on Home I have completed the task that I set upon all those months ago." As she said Abigail Wilson, the daughter of her marshal, the last child to be officially evacuated from Trena came down the boarding ramp. She carried a now beaten up and disheveled stuffed teddy bear. She approached the former queen.
"Thank you Aunt Aggie," She said to the young woman who she had first met months ago in her mother's kitchen.
"You are very welcomed," The young woman took the child's hand in her own and walked with her to the foot of the ramp to await the arrival of Jill.
With the former queen and the princess of Home now in position the Galactic Representative, in the person of Amanda Gray, the former ambassador to Trena from Earth, now the Galactic Council Representative to Home began speaking.
"This world is called Home," Ambassador Gray spoke, "The very word home is charged with emotion. Such emotions of refuge, of shelter, of security and of peace come to mind when the word home is spoken. And while a home came be source of great turmoil, it can be place of tranquility, of joy! The people of Home have come together in an effort to end their turmoil and form a government. The people of Home through their newly installed government confirmed the owner of this world as their first monarch.
"It is with great pleasure then, that I introduce to the people of Home their initial monarch." Lady Gray spoke clearly.
With that, Jill dressed in a white business suite came down the ramp of the landing craft to step on a world, that she had up to a few months before had no idea that she owned. She came down on her own, with no escort. At the foot of the ramp Aggie and her sister fell in beside her and escorted her to where the ambassador stood at the podium. As she was escorted to the ambassador her father dressed in his splendid Trena Mounted Patrol uniform escorted two home patrolmen and two home guardsmen who were carrying the rock. The symbol of the fealty the monarchs of Trena had sworn to the people of Trena upon; that Jill would swear her own fealty to the people of Home upon. They placed it before the podium.
"I present to you Jillian Wilson," Amanda Gray continued when the party had reached the podium. Amanda waited a moment for the applause to settle. "With me are Agatha McAllister and Marshal Wilson who will be the Queen's regents."
Another round of applause erupted from the assembly. Jill looked out and saw a sea of faces including the entire corps of cadets, who were the most vocal. The sound was almost overwhelming.
When the applause subsided, Amanda continued, "Lady McAllister will witness the oath of office Jillian Wilson will take." Agatha nodded, "Miss Wilson, are you ready to take the oath?"
"I am," Jill said. Although she said she was ready she wasn't sure she was. The oath, which was mostly symbolic, was a method to unite the people of Home.
"Jill Wilson do you agree to become the first monarch of the Kingdom Home," Lady Gray asked.
"I do," Jill replied.
"Then repeat after me." Lady Gray said as the girl put her hand on the Rock, "I, Jillian Wilson do hereby swear this oath of fealty to the people of Home. Making this solemn oath with no reservations, and of my own free will!"
"I swear to protect the people of Home against all enemies foreign and domestic. To abide by the charter as presented to the Galactic Council that further protects all persons on or about the environs of Home."
"Then finally I swear to faithfully serve the people of Home, to provide for their defense, and their welfare, assisting the people of Home in the pursuit of a future that will bring prosperity for all of my people!" The oath concluded.
Then surprising Jill and all who were there, two cadets brought forward a crown. Mitch escorted Lamile, who Jill realized was carrying Aggie's crown. It was the crown that the young queen had last worn on her own coronation some ten years before. She looked to Aggie who nodded. Not knowing what to do, Jill knelt before her friend as the two cadets brought the crown forward and presented it to Aggie. Aggie took the crown off the scarlet satin pillow and placed it on Jill's head.
"Arise," Aggie said, then turning to the assembled citizens of Trena she continued, "It is with great pleasure that I present to the people of Home and the Universe at large, Queen Jillian I, the inaugural monarch of Home. Long may she reign in peace and tranquility!"
With that the assembled citizens of Home thundered "Long live Queen Jill!"
When it subsided, Lady Gray said, "Her majesty has a few words she wishes to say."
As the crowd settled a bit, Jill steeled herself for the words she would speak. Finally, as a near hush came over the crowd she began to speak, "Thank you for the great honor you have bestowed on me. I will honor you by being the best that I can be.
"I have given great thought to what I would say today," Jill continued, "But in the end it came down to a simple thing. I have seen how our people are living on Home, how some are living in the containers that brought their goods from Trena. How some are now living in the homes built for them from the precious resources of Trena, and some not even that. My father swore an oath that he would get every last mother's child to safety, he has done that. I will not dishonor his or Queen Agatha's effort to get us to safety. Because of this, until every last mother's child has a safe and secure place to sleep; my family and I will not live in the residence that my grandmother is building for us. I cannot live in a dry, secure place while so many of our people have no proper home to sleep in.
"I will be working tirelessly to help get every last mother's child under roof!" Jill spoke with passion. "I will be meeting with my regents, and those of you who can help to get this done in the next few days. We will get you under roof."
The assembled citizens of Home were quiet as their young monarch spoke. Everyone had seen the palace that the girl's grandmother was building. It had caused some dissention among the people who had no building to live in. Yet most had understood that, as the owner of the planet she could have a home built for her and occupy it before anyone else had a place for themselves.
"As you have requested that Queen Agatha be one of my regents, I am nominating her to be the first of Home's Nobility. It is fitting that the last monarch of Trena be the first noble woman of Home. I present to you Lady Agatha McAllister, my regent." Shocked the former queen nodded a tear slowly creeping down her face.
"We have a lot of work to do," Jill said, "and the sooner we get to it the sooner we'll be able to finish getting everyone under roof. Thank you for the great honor you have bestowed on me. Together we will work to make Home great!"
With that she concluded her remarks and walked to a reviewing stand and watched the parade that had been set in her honor.
# ###
"The last diary entry for this period, is simple," The descendant of the very first queen spoke softly to the assembled cadets and the general officer, "As I got into the limo to be taken to the containers that would be my home for a while I was overwhelmed seeing all the people, I couldn't help but wonder if I could be as good as Aggie.
"Yet as we drove to palace grounds, I couldn't help but know that with Aggie's help we would make Home great." The young queen had written, "Now it is up to me to be as good as Aggie, Dad, Lady Hawthorne, Grand Mom and of course Mom, I think I can be and learn from their example."
As she said example three images materialized near where the general usually taught the class from. Princess Lisa recognized them immediately. They were older maybe forty, but all three of them were easily recognizable.
"I greet the reader of my diary," Queen Jill seemed to look her granddaughter in the eye. "I hope that you have found it illuminating and it has helped you to understand the great disaster that brought us to Home. Mine is but one story of the Great Diaspora."
"As you study the story of our people," the image of Lamile Atomi spoke, "remember that you will be asked to step up and be counted. Many of you will go on to greatness, some of you won't. Whatever you do, remember you are a future filled with promise!"
Finally Mitch who was wearing the insignia of the Home Patrol spoke up, "Learn well my friends. You future is filled not only with promise, but all of you are the future of Home. All of you great and small will continue to set the customs and standards that will become the traditions of our academy's future generations."
With that the three women came to attention saluted, and said in unison, "Go forth and serve our people and always remember it's people dummy!"
The entire class came to their feet and returned the salute of the long dead queen and the officers who set the traditions of their academy.
The bell rang and the class left. They had sent their papers to the general the night before. As the cadets filed out the general turned to her three long dead friends and said to their frozen images, while the images of Lady Hawthorne, and Sergeant Millie Green both in their later years ghosted in. Their hair gray, but their eyes still shinning with life, Alice
Jones said quietly, "It starts again ladies. Another generation is in the forge."
# ###
Hi! I hope you enjoy reading To Forge a Queen, as much as I did writing it! It was a labor of love that has taken man years to finish. But finish it is!
The question I am pondering what to work on next! I have one nearly complete story that is the sequel to this one. I also have a couple of stories that are basic seeds. One of them is how the thonians got the aqaut. Another is the story of the first joint administration of a human-thonian space station. And of course the evacuation story has several more stories. Such as how Mylea Atomi deals with being her sergeant's deputy?
Or how Queen Aggie deals with losing her kingdom.
Hopefully once I start writing on these it won't take years to finish the next one.
I would enjoy hearing from any reader who wishes to discuss To Forge a Queen, or my previous story Every Last Mother's Child.
You can write me at: [email protected]
I look forward to your comments good, bad, and otherwise.
Bill Carty
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | BookCorpus2 |
A few months ago, Ruthless Records and Priority re-issued the seminal gangsta rap
classic "Eazy-Duz-It" by Eazy-E. At the
time I applauded this move for three significant reasons:
(1.) The album was re-mastered for highest quality digital audio.
(2.) The re-release included bonus tracks from his "5150" EP.
(3.) Eazy-E's legacy to hip-hop was preserved for a new generation.
Obviously both labels were happy with the sales of this release, because they
decided to dip into the vault again and re-issue another Eazy-E album. This time
though they've re-mastered and dropped "Eternal E," a compilation album of E's
work that appeared late in 1995 after his untimely demise in March of that year.
At the time of his death E had been working on a new album entitled
"Str8 off Tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton" but none of the tracks from
it were included on this "Best Of" release; arguably because nobody would buy
the release of the (reportedly unfinished) album if they did.
This is corrected to a small degree on the re-issued version by including "Ole
School Shit," but the much better single that was actually released "Just Tah
Let U Know" is not on the album. Instead, the other bonus track that was
added is E's signature Dr. Dre diss song "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" from the
"187 It's On" EP. It's one of his best songs and it's hard to argue with
the choice, but there are some others that certainly could have been dropped
to make room for it. In fact, SEVEN of the original 14 tracks on
this album are FROM "Eazy-Duz-It." Even though we can arguably all
agree it was his greatest triumph as a solo artist, the move smacks as a
lack of creativity on their part especially given there are only three N.W.A.
inclusions and two (albiet hilarious) songs are ones that Eazy-E SUNG on:
"Automobile" and "I'd Rather Fuck You." If you have to give a little time on the
mic to Dre, Ren or Cube it's STILL worth it to use more of his material
with the group to better diversify this alleged "greatest hits" CD. What about
"Fuck the Police" or "Benedict Arnold"? I cram to understand them not being
on this release. And it's really confusing that they couldn't drop the three
songs from "5150" on this album, since all of them just appeared on the
re-released "Eazy-Duz-It." What's the logic?
The problem ultimately is that hardcore Eazy-E fans probably have all of
the albums these tracks are culled from, with the possible exception of
"Eazy Street" from the "Return of Superfly" soundtrack. More obscure songs
like this would have enhanced this album, which ultimately despite being
newly digitally re-mastered and improved with a couple more tracks still
has the same problem it did in 1995: it's just not comprehensive enough.
Don't misinterpret the low scores here - it's not because the songs that
are included are whack, it's just because if you bought "Eternal E" or
"Eazy-Duz-It" the first time around (or even the re-issue of the latter)
it's ultimately a waste of your money. Even if you didn't, a true Eazy-E
fan could probably homebrew a better "greatest hits" for you than this. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
[Incidence of new HIV diagnoses in Spain, 2004-2009].
To describe the incidence of new HIV diagnoses and its trend in Spain. All new HIV diagnoses notified to the case-registries of 15 autonomous regions (64% of the total Spanish population) in 2009 were analyzed. To evaluate trends from 2004 to 2009, data from only nine regions were available. Clinical-epidemiological data were obtained from the notification forms. Distributions of new HIV diagnoses and late diagnoses according to several variables were performed. The Poisson distribution was used to evaluate trends. In 2009, 2264 new HIV diagnoses were notified, mostly in men (80%). The median age at diagnosis was 36 years (interquartile range 29-43) and 37.6% of affected individuals were immigrants, mostly from Latin-America and sub-Saharan Africa. The most common transmission category (42.5%) was men who have sex with men (MSM) followed by the heterosexual and parenteral modes of transmission (34.5% and 8.1%, respectively). The median CD4 count at diagnosis was 347 (interquartile range: 152-555), and CD4 count was <350 in 50.2% of patients. From 2004 to 2009, the mean incidence rate of new HIV diagnoses was 91.14 per million inhabitants; an increasing trend for rates in MSM, as well as a decreasing trend for the parenteral mode of transmission, were observed. In Spain, the epidemiology of HIV infection has changed since the mid-1990s. Currently, the most frequent transmission category is sexual transmission, particularly among MSM, and immigrants are an important part of the epidemic. Heterogeneous trends for the three main transmission categories were observed from 2004 to 2009. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
Immunoglobulin therapy in bone marrow transplantation.
Following ablative treatment with supralethal doses of chemotherapy and total body irradiation, patients demonstrate multiple immunologic deficiencies after bone marrow transplantation. Immune function usually recovers and the risk of infection decreases within six to 12 months. However, patients in whom chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) develops have persisting B and T cell abnormalities, and in vivo and in vitro studies show impaired immunoglobulin regulation and function despite normal levels of serum immunoglobulin G. This review summarizes 12 published clinical trials of immunoglobulin therapy to correct immunodeficiency and prevent infection after marrow grafting. In five controlled studies, cytomegalovirus infection developed in a total of 52 of 172 (30 percent) immunoglobulin recipients and 71 of 165 (43 percent) control patients not given globulin. In four controlled trials, interstitial pneumonia developed in a total of 21 of 127 (17 percent) immunoglobulin recipients and 40 of 94 (43 percent) control patients. Three randomized trials reported a reduced rate of GVHD or post-engraftment septicemia in immunoglobulin recipients. However, methods of immunoglobulin preparation, antibody titer, and dose and schedule of prophylaxis varied widely in these studies, as did other critical patient, transplant regimen, and supportive care factors. Accordingly, data should be interpreted with caution. Ongoing controlled clinical trials will further define the proper role of immunoglobulin therapy in bone marrow transplantation. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
>
>
> If you are a George Carlin fan, this will start your morning.
>
> Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 apiece on those little
> bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards: NAIVE
>
> Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing
section
> in a swimming pool?
>
> OK...so if the Jacksonville Jaguars are known as the "Jags" and the Tampa
> Bay Buccaneers are known as the "Bucs," what does that make the Tennessee
> Titans?
>
> If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea... Does that mean that one
enjoys
> it?
>
> There are three religious truths:
> 1. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
> 2. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian
> faith.
> 3. Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store or at Hooters.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> George Carlin Imponderables:
>
> 1. If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does
he
> become disoriented?
>
> 2. If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland
> called Holes?
>
> 3. Why do we say something is out of whack? What's a whack?
>
> 4. Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
>
> 5. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
>
> 6. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
>
> 7. When someone asks you, "A penny for your thoughts" and you put your two
> cents in . . . what happens to the other penny?
>
> 8. Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
>
> 9. Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale
bread
> to begin with?
>
> 10. When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
>
> 11. Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who
> drives a race car not called a racist?
>
> 12. Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?
>
> 13. Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
>
> 14. Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?
>
> 15. "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language.
> Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
>
> 16. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow
that
> electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models
> deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?
>
> 17. If FedEx and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?
>
> 18. Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?
>
> 19. What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
>
> 20. I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot
more
> as they get older; then it dawned on me. They're cramming for their final
> exam.
>
> 21. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons
> and forks so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use? Toothpicks?
>
> 22. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are
> we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures
on
> the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they
> deliver the mail?
>
> 23. If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are
the
> others here for?
>
> 24. You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.
>
> 25. No one ever says, "It's only a game" when their team is winning.
>
> 26. Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?
>
> 27. Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door
went
> nuts.
>
> 28. If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?
>
> 29. Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Enron Emails |
VOL. 146, MAY 20, 1914***
E-text prepared by Neville Allen, Malcolm Farmer, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)
Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
file which includes the original illustrations.
See 24720-h.htm or 24720-h.zip:
(http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/4/7/2/24720/24720-h/24720-h.htm)
or
(http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/4/7/2/24720/24720-h.zip)
Transcribers note:
Stage directions are enclosed by equal signs (example: =Enter=).
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI
VOL. 146
MAY 20, 1914
CHARIVARIA.
It is comforting to know that we need not yet despair of human nature.
Even the most abandoned politician may have one redeeming quality. For
example, _The Express_ tells us that Mr. WINSTON CHURCHILL is a reader
of _The Express._
* * *
It is reported to be the intention of General BOTHA to visit this
country in June or July, and the Labour Party here are said to be
already taking steps with a view to having him deported as an
undesirable.
* * *
If Mr. HENRY CHAPLIN has been correctly reported he is even more of a
reactionary than most of his opponents imagined. In the course of the
debate on the Sunday Closing Bill he is said to have delivered himself
as follows:--"Drunkenness is diminishing, and I say Thank God; long may
it continue." The pious ejaculation would seem to be an expression of
gratitude for the joys of inebriety.
* * *
"Does the nightingale really boycott the land of Llewelyn and Mr. Lloyd
George--and why?" asks an anxious inquirer in a contemporary. If it is
so we suspect the reason is a fear on the part of the bird that the
CHANCELLOR may get to know of the rich quality of his notes and tax him
out of existence.
* * *
Mr. GEORGE STOREY has been elected a Royal Academician. This will
surprise no one. Burlington House has always favoured the Storey
picture. And as regards Mr. H. S. TUKE, who was promoted at the same
time, his serial tale, "Three Boys and a Boat," has now been running for
quite a number of years.
* * *
"English," says Mr. BALFOUR, "is abominably difficult." But Erse is
worse.
* * *
Despatched at Teddington twenty-three years ago a postcard has just been
delivered at Walton-on-Thames. The postal authorities trust that the
publication of this fact will induce people to exercise a little
patience when they do not receive correspondence which they expect,
instead of at once jumping to the conclusion that it has been lost.
* * *
As a consequence of recent outrages at the Royal Academy the Council is
reported to be testing "unbreakable glass." No doubt the Indestructible
Paint Company is also circularising artists.
* * *
A man walking across St. Paul's Churchyard gave a remarkable exhibition
of presence of mind one day last week. He was knocked down under a
motor-omnibus, but managed so to arrange himself that the wheels passed
clear of him. Cinema operators will be obliged if he will give them due
notice of any intention to repeat the turn.
* * *
"The London General Omnibus Company advertises itself, so why shouldn't
we?" said the L.C.C. Tramways--so they had a nice little collision on
the Embankment last week.
* * *
At the second annual celebration of "Mothers' Day" at the London Central
Y.M.C.A., an eloquent address was delivered by the secretary of the
association, Mr. VIRGO. The thought that, in spite of his name, this
gentleman, try as he might, could never become a mother is said to have
raised a lump in the throat of many a member of the audience.
* * *
We are glad to hear that "Hospital Egg Week" has been a success. We find
it difficult, however, to believe one account, which states that
sufficient new-laid eggs have been contributed to last the whole year.
* * *
"If Adam had lived till now," says Mr. SNOWDEN, "and had worked hard at
honest labour the whole time, and had been a thrifty man withal, he
would not have had an income like some of those enjoyed to-day." Mr.
SNOWDEN is apparently presuming that ADAM'S wife would have lived as
long as her husband.
* * *
At his examination in bankruptcy a Clacton monumental mason attributed
his failure to the healthfulness of the neighbourhood. Suggested motto
for Clacton funeral artists: "_ Si monumentum requiris_--go elsewhere."
* * *
Among probable forthcoming improvements at the Zoological Gardens is the
provision of a band on Sunday. But one great difficulty, we imagine,
will be to persuade the laughing hyena and certain other rowdy animals
not to take part in the performances.
* * *
The didactic drama is with us again, and this time we are to be taught
to feel affection for the unpopular. _Love Cheats_ is the hortatory
title of a play to be produced by Miss HORNIMAN'S company next month.
* * *
Mr. MARGAM JONES has written a volume entitled _Angels in Wales._
Nonconformists, we presume.
* * * * *
Illustration: THE NEW DRESS.
"Going along Oxford Street, are you? I should love to come with you, but
it would be a little hard on Bond Street. You see, I haven't shown it to
Bond Street yet."
* * * * *
"BAD LANGUAGE.
FROM SIR HERBERT TREE.
To the Editor of _The Daily Mail._"
We hope the Editor replied suitably.
* * * * *
"WHO FEARS TO SPEAK OF"--NINETEEN-SIX?
[_Thoughts on "a Bill for the Better_ (sic) _Government of Ireland."_]
There was an Isle all green and fair
Where milk and whisky used to flow,
Where, thanks to lavish legislators,
The pious cult of pigs and taters
Filled with content the balmy air--
Eight little years ago!
Distressful she had been, a land
Of kine curtailed and burning ricks,
Until we others oped our purses
To rectify her feudal curses
And freed the soil with generous hand--
Prior to nineteen-six.
Though still the casual moonlight raid
Occurred at seasons, just for joy,
New brands of owners, fat and thriving,
Had lost their use for cattle-driving,
And agitation's artful aid
Pined for its old employ.
Then came the Liberals in and eyed
This land where Peace had poised her wings;
And "O!" said they, "how sad a smutch on
Our clean United Kingdom's 'scutcheon!
It is our duty to provide
A Better State of Things."
Eight years ago! And now we see
The dogs of war about to bay;
The Bill for Ruling Ireland Better
(Strangely enough) has so upset her
That pretty soon there ought to be
The DEVLIN'S self to pay.
So, when the general atmosphere
Becomes opaque with flying bricks,
And those who ran the Home Rule movement
Bid me applaud this marked improvement,
From pure politeness I shall fear
To speak of nineteen-six.
O. S.
* * * * *
BUSINESSFRIENDSHIP.
Have you heard from ---- this year? Mine came last night. Of course (to
keep it among ourselves) I am not going to say who ---- is beyond
mentioning (for the purpose of handy reference) that he appears to have
been christened Josef and that the capital from which he writes (or
alleges that he writes) is associable with a high standard of musical
comedy. His communication is very much underlined, very profuse of the
mark of exclamation in quite unnecessary places (until, indeed, the sign
begins to assume an absolutely satirical value), and very ornate with
little amputated hands, all pointing out the short cut to illimitable
wealth. Now you understand.
The envelope was addressed, as Josef himself assures me that his future
communications will be, "in the most discreet manner," and yet....
"Put it into the waste-paper basket, my dear," I said to Philippa, who
had brought it in with some curiosity. "We need not open it. It is only
Josef offering us another fortune." Need I say that she at once opened
it?
My address, according to Josef, had been given to him "by a mutual
businessfriend." This threw me into a contemplation. Who could it be?
Spraggs had certainly toured the capitals of Central Europe last autumn,
but he never mentioned Josef on his return. Harris? Well, one would
scarcely call Harris a _business_friend. Filmer? No, Filmer is too
selfish, I fear, to do me so good a turn. Ah, of course! Kelly, dear old
burly rubicund Kelly, with his unfailing memory for an address and his
delightfully abbreviated style. And he goes everywhere too: the very
man. I can almost hear him saying it: "Then there's Johnson, my staunch
old businessfriend Johnson, whom I can trace right back as far as my
impressions of 1912; mustn't leave him out. I think I can--yes, I have
it: John Fdk. Johnson, 72, Chestnut Av., Mayfield Pk., S.W. You've got
that?" Josef has it.
Josef, it appears, possesses a few tickets, and I gather that for some
reason he does not require all of them himself. Naturally he turns to
the friend of our mutual businessfriend. Will I participate in the
distribution of "many, many million within five months?" The first prize
is one--but perhaps I had better express it as Josef loves to do. The
first prize is
--->ONE MILLION CRS.<---
The chance, he goes on to say, is "without any risk worth mentioning."
Still, he does mention it. He mentions it quite explicitly so that there
shall be no mistake. The risk is as follows:--
1/4 Ticket sh 8/6.
1/2 Ticket sh 17/.
1/1 Ticket sh 34/.
"All tickets forwarded (paid for) belong to the customer," I am assured,
"from the moment of dispatch and play, of course, on his account."
I fancy I see what Josef means, but I don't think that the expression,
"play, of course, on his account," is altogether well chosen. I think it
might have been phrased more felicitously.
You will not be surprised to know that Josef's interest, stimulated by
our mutual businessfriend, goes beyond my mere personality. He reminds
me--Philippa is quite affected by this--that there are others. "The
astonishing advantages ... must induce to serious consideration anyone
who is looking after his own welfare, and that of those near and dear to
him as well."--Yet Josef can be almost stern when there is occasion, and
he tersely warns me that it is a chance which "probably NEVER WILL BE
OFFERED to you AGAIN!"
Ah, well.
I suppose that I shall give a miss as usual. It isn't that I doubt a
single word of Josef's splendid optimism on my behalf. It isn't that I
really mind the always, to me, inexplicable fact that every second
ticket is guaranteed to draw a prize, while the _lowest_ prize is double
the amount charged for the ticket. It isn't (altogether) that I distrust
Philippa's rosy presentiment. I think it is the concluding paragraph
that settles it. I read:--
Will you become
A MILLIONAIRE?
Fill out this Order-Form and send it to me by return of post with
the necessary remittance!
That last and entirely superfluous note of exclamation seems only to be
adequately vocalised as a chuckle. And as I listen it does not seem to
be myself that is laughing.
* * * * *
Mr. LLOYD GEORGE is already using his influence with the new WAR
MINISTER. In the Army Orders for March, 1914, we read:--
"Paragraph 555, line 4. _For '4d.' substitute '9d.'_"
* * * * *
Illustration: THE CONCERT OF SOUTH AMERICA.
THE MEDIATORS. "PARDON, MADAM, BUT YOU HAVE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE OF
THIS KIND OF THING. HOW DO YOU DO IT?"
EUROPA. "OH, WE JUST TALK AND TALK--AND THEN TALK!"
* * * * *
Illustration: _First Player (encouragingly)._ "Bad luck! Well tried!"
_Second Player (petulantly)._ "I didn't try for anything."
* * * * *
THE PIERCING OF THE VEIL.
"I think," says Dr. LYNCH in _The Daily Chronicle,_ "that a man leaves
some trace of himself in every sentence that he writes. What then of
works so extensive as Shakspeare's? Certainly we should see him through
and through if we only knew how to look."
_We_ do know how to look, and we have done so with results that can
hardly fail to astonish the reader. It has long been known, for
instance, that SHAKSPEARE was a good man of business, but until our
researches no one had realised quite how good. His theatre had to pay,
and he knew as well as any modern manager how to make it do so. That he
realised, for instance, the attractions of American dance tunes is
evident from his reference to "rags to split the ears of the
groundlings" (_Hamlet_, Act III., Scene 2).
Apart from his business SHAKSPEARE had private ambitions. We all know
that he applied for a grant of arms, but few are aware that he also
stood for Parliament, and, like many another, regretted the expense
after it was incurred. "Almost all," he says feelingly, "repent in their
election" (_Coriolanus_, Act II., Scene 3). His exact political views
are still uncertain, but, at any rate, we may be sure that he
disapproved of the Lords, for he boldly announced the fact in the _Two
Gentlemen of Verona,_ Act V., Scene 4, where he says, "One house, one
mutual happiness."
But these are serious matters. What of his hours of ease? That he golfed
there can now be no manner of doubt. In _The Tempest,_ Act IV., Scene 1,
he refers to the "short grassed green," and in _Hamlet_, Act II., Scene
2, he earns our respect by the simple statement, "I went round," without
any tedious details. Possibly the "thousand marks in links" in the first
part of _Henry IV._, Act III., Scene 3, explains this reticence, but, at
any rate, he occasionally found one whom he fancied he could beat;
witness his remark in _Twelfth Night,_ Act II., Scene 3, "Sir Toby, I
must be round with you."
And, golf over, he liked his pipe and his glass. The "smoke and lukewarm
water" mentioned in _Timon of Athens,_ Act III., Scene 6, only needs the
addition of a dash of whisky to make an evening any of us might enjoy;
and his words in _Anthony and Cleopatra,_ Act I., Scene 2, "We bring
forth weeds when our quick minds are still," will find an echo in many a
chest. In this connection it might be noted that he took an occasional
holiday in France. That at least seems a reasonable assumption when so
keen a smoker cries, as he does in _The Merchant of Venice,_ Act III.,
Scene 1, "I have another bad match."
* * * * *
A VAGRANT.
The humble bee
No skep has he,
No twisted, straw-thatched dome,
A ferny crest
Provides his nest,
The mowing-grass his home.
The crook-beaked shrike
His back may spike
And pierce him with a thorn;
The humble bee
A tramp is he
And there is none to mourn.
O'er bank and brook,
In wooded nook,
He wanders at his whim,
Lives as he can,
Owes naught to man,
And man owes naught to him.
No hive receives
The sweets he gives,
No flowers for him are sown,
Yet wild and gay
He hums his way,
A nomad on his own.
* * * * *
THE SUFFERER.
Having engaged a sleeping-berth I naturally hurried, coin in hand, to
the conductor, as all wise travellers do (usually to their
discomfiture), to see if I could be accommodated with a compartment to
myself and be guaranteed against invasion.
The carriage was full.
I then sought my compartment, to learn the worst as to my position,
whether above or below the necessarily offensive person who was to be my
companion.
He was already there, and we exchanged the hard implacable glare that is
reserved among the English for the other fellow in a wagon-lit
compartment.
When I discovered that to him had fallen the dreaded upper berth I
relaxed a little, and later we were full of courtesies to each
other--renunciations of hat-pegs, racks and so forth, and charming
mutual concessions as to the light, which I controlled from below--so
that by morning we were so friendly that he deemed me a fit recipient of
his Great Paris Grievance.
This grievance, which he considered that everyone should know about,
bears upon the prevalence of spurious coins in the so-called Gay City
and the tendency of Parisians to work them off on foreigners. As he
says, a more inhospitable course one cannot conceive. Foreigners in
Paris should be treated as guests, and just now, with all this Entente
talk, the English especially. But no. It is the English who are the
first victims of the possessor of obsolete francs, two-franc and
five-franc pieces guiltless of their country's silver and ten-franc
pieces into whose composition no gold has entered.
He had been in Paris but an hour or so when--but let me tell the story
as my travelling companion told it to me.
"I don't know what your experience in Paris has been," he said, "but I
have been victimised right and left."
He was now getting up while I lay at comparative ease in my berth and
watched his difficulties in the congested room and thought what horrid
vests he wore.
"I had been in Paris but a few hours," he continued, "when it was
necessary to pay a cabman. I handed him a franc. He examined it, laughed
and returned it. I handed him another. He went through the same
performance. Having found some good money to get rid of him, I sat down
outside a cafe to try and remember where I had received the change in
which these useless coins had been inserted. During a week in Paris much
of my time was spent in that way."
He sighed and drew on his trousers. His braces were red.
"I showed the bad francs to a waiter," he went on, "and he, like the
cabman, laughed. In fact, next to an undressed woman, there is no stroke
of wit so certain of Parisian mirth as a bad coin. The first thought of
everyone to whom I showed my collection was to be amused." His face
blackened with rage. "This cheerful callousness in a matter involving a
total want of principle and straight-dealing as between man and man," he
said, "denotes to what a point of cynicism the Parisians have attained."
I agreed with him.
"The waiter," he continued, "went through my money and pointed out what
was good and what either bad or out of currency. He called other waiters
to enjoy the joke. It seemed that in about four hours I had acquired
three bad francs, one bad two-franc piece and two bad five-franc pieces.
I put them away in another pocket and got fresh change from him, which,
as I subsequently discovered, contained one obsolete five-franc piece
and two discredited francs. And so it went on. I was a continual target
for them."
Here he began to wash, and the story was interrupted.
When he re-emerged I asked him why he didn't always examine his change.
"It's very difficult to remember to do so," he said, "and, besides, I am
not an expert. Anyway, it got worse and worse, and when a bad gold piece
came along I realised that I must do something so I wrote to the Chief
of the Police."
"In French?" I asked.
"No, in English--the language of honesty. I told him my own experiences.
I said that other English people whom I had met had testified to similar
trouble; and I put it to him that as a matter of civic pride--_esprit de
pays_--he should do his utmost to cleanse Paris of this evil. I added
that in my opinion the waiters were the worst offenders."
"Have you had a reply?" I asked.
"Not yet," he said, and having completed his toilet he made room for me.
I thought about him a good deal and sympathised not a little, for he
seemed a good sort of fellow and might possibly have had his
calculations as to expenditure considerably upset by his adventures. It
certainly was a shame!
Later, meeting him in the restaurant-car I asked him to show me his
store of bad money. I wanted to see for myself what those coins were
like.
"I haven't got them," he said.
"You sent them to the Chief of the Police with your letter, I suppose?"
I said.
"No, I didn't," he replied. "The fact is--well--as a matter of fact I
managed to work them all off again."
* * * * *
Illustration: "Curfew _shall not_ ring to-night."
* * * * *
"At the beginning of the season good bowling performances are not
unusual--batsmen get themselves out so easily--but Barratt's
bowling yesterday was better than his figures.... Five times
yesterday he broke right across the wicket from leg, but none of
those magnificent balls got wickets, perhaps because it was too
early in the season."--_Times._
The beginning of the season seems rather a tricky time.
* * * * *
"Death of Collar: Cobham Stud's severe loss."--_Yorkshire Post._
The converse of this accident occurred to us the other day, when our
Whitefriars collar lost its stud.
* * * * *
"Richard I.... at once began to prepare the third crusade. In 1190
he started, and reached Acre in June, 1911."
_"Everyman" Encyclopaedia._
Thus missing KING GEORGE Vth's Coronation.
* * * * *
Illustration: _Customer._ "This is a beautiful chop, waiter, the best
you've ever----"
_Waiter._ "Yes, an' I won't 'arf cop nothing. That was the boss's chop
what I've giv you in mistake."
* * * * *
VANDALISM.
The new proposals with regard to the water supply of the City of Glasgow
are causing, we are not surprised to learn, the utmost fury and
consternation throughout Scotland. Criticism has concentrated especially
upon two points: the imminent risk of submerging ROBERT THE BRUCE'S
Stone and, of course, the danger of tampering in however slight a degree
with the birthplace of ROB ROY. The passive resistance movement has
already assumed such proportions that one enterprising publisher feels
justified in announcing a new cheap edition of the "Waverley Novels,"
illustrated from local photographs.
There is, of course, another side to the question. As far as the stone
goes it is contended:--
(1) That no one knows why it should have belonged to ROBERT THE BRUCE,
where he got it or what he did with it when he had it.
(2) That the fact of its being under water would not impair its value in
any way and at the same time would give an historical flavour to every
glass of mitigated whisky thereafter drunk in the City of Glasgow.
(3) That it could very easily be shifted a bit up the hill if it is
desired to keep it dry, and a small permanent umbrella erected over it.
With regard to ROB ROY'S birthplace the contention is that it is
practically impossible to construct a new reservoir in these days
anywhere north of the Tweed which will not interfere in some way with
one or other of the places where ROB ROY was born.
It is not only Scotchmen, however, who have been touched to the quick by
this irreverent and thoughtless proposal. The whole literary profession
is up in arms. A memorial is being prepared to be presented to the PRIME
MINISTER, under the heading, "Hands off ROB ROY!" _Mr. Punch_ himself
has not been idle in the matter. He has spent the last week in eliciting
the opinions of some of our leading writers on this vital question.
Mr. WILLIAM DE MORGAN (in a charming, if rather discursive, letter of
32,000 words) demands legislation. "Who knows," he asks, "to what
lengths this modern craze for water supplies may go? It is even possible
that, within a century, attempts may be made to submerge that delightful
little cottage in the county of Essex where Ghost met Ghost."
Mr. BERNARD SHAW, interviewed on his doorstep, derided the action of the
Glasgow Corporation. No amount of water, he told our representative,
could have the least effect in making our modern cities less beastly
than they were. For his part, however, he was taking no risks. He had
that morning arranged for the erection of a spiked iron fence twenty
feet high round the (supposed) birthplace of _Eliza Doolittle._
Mr. ARNOLD BENNETT writes:--"I have every sympathy with the widespread
indignation of my fellow-authors, but personally I am not very closely
concerned. My position is secure: no one is likely to tamper with the
Five Towns in an attempt to improve their washing facilities."
"Might I suggest to the learned pundits of the House of Lords, if it is
not too late," writes Mrs. FLORENCE BARCLAY, "that a writer who, in his
day, enjoyed such a circulation as that of Sir WALTER SCOTT--this is, of
course, fundamentally a question of circulation--is not to be treated in
this cavalier fashion? For oneself, whatever fate may be in store for
the precious local associations of one's past work, it is fortunately
possible to make the future secure. I am laying the scene of my new
romance, of which the fifth chapter is almost completed, on the top of
an inaccessible hill."
Mr. H. G. WELLS points out that there is no particular need in his case
to take action. He hopes that by the day when the conditions in time and
space of his latest novel come into being every household in the country
will be supplied with its own water by a process of filtered absorption
from the atmosphere.
It is anticipated that something definite will be done by the special
committee of the Authors Society which has been appointed with the view
of extending the law of copyright so as to secure the author's undoubted
property in his local associations.
* * * * *
BILLET DOUX.
Monday's breakfast is never a jovial affair. One always has the feeling
that something dreadful has happened or is going to happen. Thus, three
days ago I had with a light heart handed over my practice to a locum and
my books to an accountant, telling the one to look up my bad patients
and the other to look up my bad debts, while I went away to end the week
with the Wrefords. Twelve hours ago it had seemed that I should never
know such happiness in this world again as I had found with them, and
here we all were on Monday morning with everything changed, Mrs. Wreford
sulking in bed and Wreford displaying a polite but firm hatred of me and
all the world. In this case my feeling was that something dreadful _was_
happening.
"Mornin', Wreford," said I, as I took my place at table.
"Mornin', Everall," he grunted, barely looking up from his letters, and
that seemed to end the dialogue. When, however, one's host is also one's
most valuable patient, there is call for a special effort. He had all
the correspondence, I had none; in an emergency this suggested itself as
a matter of comment.
"To me," I said chattily, "things seem to be just as badly managed at
the Post Office as they were in SAMUEL'S time."
"Was there a post office in those days?" he asked, without noticeable
enthusiasm.
"_The_ SAMUEL HERBERT," I explained, and that again seemed to end it.
After a pause, "However," I said kindly, "you enjoy your letters and I
will find what consolation and company I can in a poached egg."
"Enjoy?" asked Wreford. "But you are being sarcastic, no doubt."
"Only panel doctors can afford to be that," I murmured.
Wreford's first letter appeared to pain him, and he looked at me
sternly, as if the evils of this life were all my fault. Then he unbent
a little.
"Tell me, Everall," said he, "have you enjoyed your little visit to us?"
The question took me by surprise but it was, at any rate, one to be
answered in the affirmative.
"And you are proportionately grateful?" he pursued.
I protested, somewhat lamely, that I most certainly was.
"Gratitude, it seems," said he, "may express itself in the most odd
manner."
"Mine," I replied stiffly, "will express itself in the customary
letter."
"What, another?" he asked, adding, after a pause, "Do you refer to the
note which your solicitors will write me forthwith and charge me
three-and-sixpence for?"
I thought deeply but was baffled. "It is full early in the morning for
the cryptic and abstruse," I said.
Wreford sighed as he slowly folded up his letter and put it in its
envelope. "It is the one moment in the week," he explained, "when the
very worst must be expected."
I begged him to elucidate the position.
"Suppose," said he, "you had invited a man to stay with you for the
week-end, had motored him down from town on the Friday night and given
him dinner and a nice big bed, and on Saturday more meals and more bed,
and on Sunday still more meals and still more bed, and on the Monday
morning a nice yellow-and-white poached egg all to himself."
"I quite appreciate all that," said I.
"And suppose, while he was still sitting at your table and working his
way through the bit of toast where the egg once sat, you received a
letter from him."
"A letter from me?" I cried.
"You said your thanks would be expressed in a letter, but the
promptitude of it has surprised even yourself, hasn't it? I should have
received it yesterday, but that there is no Sunday post, happily."
"You remember I said I was very grateful," said I, still not
understanding.
"And I said that gratitude had a queer way of expressing itself
sometimes," said he, handing over the letter at last. "Read it aloud,"
he added; "I find the style original."
"Harley Street, W. 25th April, 1914," I read. "Thomas Wreford, Esquire,
debtor to John Everall. For professional services, 1912 to 1913,
thirty-eight guineas."
"Go on," he said. "The postscript is where your gratitude becomes the
most exuberant."
"Your attention will oblige," I finished.
"Well, what do you think of it?" he asked with a smile.
"I prefer not to," said I, also smiling tentatively.
There was a silence. "However," said Wreford eventually, "let us say no
more about it." At this my smile became firmer and more expansive. "Let
us agree," he said significantly, "to let bygones be bygones."
My smile died out suddenly, as smiles do on a Monday morning.
* * * * *
"In practice yesterday Mr. Hilton did 72 in a three-hole match."
_Liverpool Daily Post._
We must challenge him at once.
* * * * *
HIGHWAY LOOT.
Ah! the lapse of courtly manners,
Ah! the change from knighthood's code
Since the day when oil and spanners
Ousted horseflesh from the road!
This I realised most fully
Last week-end at Potter's Bar
When a beetle-flattening bully
Held me up in Laura's car.
"Where," I shouted, "are the graces,
Officer, of days long dead?
Never mind how hot our pace is,
Conjure up the past instead;
Dream of chaises and postilions,
Turnpike bars that ope and shut;
Try to get some more resilience
Into your confounded nut.
"Blooms are bursting in the covers
Even as they burst to-day
(Not to mention tyres); two lovers
Post to Scotland, let us say;
Sudden from the hedge comes TURPIN,
Pistols cocked and debonair;
Both the horses stand up perpen-
dicularly in the air.
"What occurs? The gallant caitiff,
Noticing the swain is poor
(Courtesy with him is native,
Not like you, suburban boor),
Bows, and says in accents sunny,
'Pass along, Sir--make good speed;
I'm convinced you've got no money
And I do not want your bleed.
"'Sweet be Maytime to your noses;
Short is life, but love is sweet,
There's a city man named Moses
Whom I've simply got to meet;
On you go, you two young larkers;'
Then he bids his Jew disgorge
Or reserves his brace of barkers
For the coach of D. LLOYD GEORGE.
"Such the good high Toby fashion;
Surely in your bosom stirs,
Constable, a like compassion
For our two poor cylinders;
All we have is vile and shoddy;
See that low-hung touring brute--
There's a bonnet! there's a body
Worthy of a road-knight's loot!"
Thus I spake; but, still phlegmatic,
Imperturbable and stout,
Rendering Doric for my Attic,
Robert pulled his note-book out;
Said, "Me dooty is me dooty,"
And retiring to his trench
Pondered further schemes of booty
For the footpads on the Bench.
EVOE.
* * * * *
"The enthusiasm of the people was so great that it was not damped
by a real Scotch milk."--_Liverpool Courier._
When did whisky ever damp the enthusiasm of a Scotch crowd?
* * * * *
ROYAL ACADEMY--SECOND DEPRESSIONS.
Illustration: _Harlequin._ "Never Mind, My Dear; I'll Have A Few Words
To Say To The Limelight Man About This!"
* * * * *
Illustration: THE CARD-SHARPERS.
_Near Female._ "Stop Cheating For A Minute While I Get My Portrait
Taken."
* * * * *
Illustration: A PHANTASY IN THE CENTRAL HALL.--"CAUGHT."
* * * * *
Illustration: A DEADLOCK.
"IF WE GO FORWARD WE'LL GET SUNSTROKE, AND IF WE GO BACK THERE'S A
BLIZZARD; SO WE MAY AS WELL STOP WHERE WE ARE AND HAVE OUR PICTURE
PAINTED."
* * * * *
Illustration: FLOODS IN THE THAMES VALLEY.
The family of a well-known stockbroker takes advantage of the situation
to practise a little first-aid, and incidentally get on with the week's
washing.
* * * * *
Illustration: SINGULAR APATHY OF AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS DURING AN INVASION.
* * * * *
Illustration: _The Sea-Maiden._ "Catch me!"
_The Shrimp-Hunter (regretfully)._ "I'D LIKE TO, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THIS
IS THE CLOSE SEASON FOR MERMAIDS."
* * * * *
Illustration: THE ART OF ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE--A CUBIST PICTURE GETS
A PLACE ON THE LINE.
* * * * *
Illustration: YOUTHFUL ATHLETES, WHILE TRAINING FOR THE NEXT OLYMPIC GAMES
(THREE-LEGGED RACE), ARE HAMPERED BY THE PRESENCE OF LARGE, FIERCE
BIRDS.
* * * * *
Illustration: _First Territorial._ "WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OUR
MANOEUVRES, BILL?"
_Second Territorial (hitherto unacquainted with field-days)._ "THANK
'EVIN WE'VE GOT A NIVY!"
* * * * *
BELOW THE WEIR.
Beyond the punt the swallows go
Like blue-black arrows to and fro,
Now stooping where the rushes grow,
Now flashing o'er a shallow;
And overhead in blue and white
High Spring and Summer hold delight;
"All right!" the black-cap calls, "All right!"
His mate says from the sallow.
O dancing stream, O diamond day,
O charm of lilac-time and May.
O whispering meadows green and gay,
O fair things past believing!
Could but the world stand still, stand still
When over wood and stream and hill
This morn's eternal miracle
The rosy Hours are weaving!
Eternal, for I like to think
That mayflowers, crimson, white and pink,
When I am dust the boughs shall prink,
On days to live and die for;
That sun and cloud, as now, shall veer,
And streams run tumbling off the weir,
Where still the mottled trout rolls clear
For other men to try for.
I like to think, when I shall go
To this essential dust, that so
I yet may share in flowers that blow,
And with such brave sights mingle,
If tossed by summer breeze on high
I'm carried where the cuckoos cry
And dropped beside old Thames to lie
A sand-grain on a shingle.
Meanwhile the swallows flash and skim
Like blue-black arrows notched and trim,
And splendid kingcups lift a brim
Of gold to king or peasant,
And 'neath a sky of blue and white
High Spring with Summer weaves delight;
"All right!" the black-cap calls, "all right!"
And life is very pleasant.
* * * * *
THE LANGUAGE OF COLOUR.
"My dear Clarice," I said, "I may say, in the circumstances, my very
dear Clarice, I like being engaged--to you, that is; no, I've never been
engaged before--but I don't see the sense of getting married. Even the
State seems to deride the idea of our union."
"What do you mean?" said Clarice. "I'm almost alarmed. Have they
discovered that you suffered from toothache as a boy?"
"It isn't," I said, "a question of eugenics. I was at Somerset House
to-day getting a copy of my birth certificate, and----"
"They surely didn't say anything about our engagement at Somerset House.
I didn't suppose they even knew of it," said Clarice.
"Ill news travels apace," I said. "But that by the way. I was about to
say that red is a noble colour. It is a bold, a striking colour. A day
on which a great event occurs is called 'a red letter day.' Black, on
the other hand, may mean nothing, or it may denote sadness."
"Why this going off at a tangent?" said Clarice. "Why this dissertation
on colours?"
"I say, that's a good word--I mean that long one just near the end. Did
you really learn it, or did you merely come by it? But, as I was saying,
red is a colour used for indicating notable events. The State considers
a birth is a notable event. Birth certificates are printed in red."
"And death certificates," said Clarice, "in black, I suppose?"
"Yes," I said, "a delicate hint that the State feels sad."
"And marriage certificates?" asked Clarice.
"Ah!" I said, "that's the strange thing. Nothing may be implied really,
but it is significant that they print them in----"
"Purple?" said Clarice eagerly.
"Verdant green," I said.
* * * * *
Illustration: THE NEW SHYLOCK.
MR. REDMOND. "LOOK HERE, I UNDERSTOOD YOU WERE TO GET ME MY FULL POUND
OF FLESH!"
MR. ASQUITH (_his counsel_). "YES, YES, I KNOW: BUT IT RATHER LOOKS NOW
AS IF WE MIGHT HAVE TO SETTLE FOR THREE-QUARTERS."
* * * * *
Illustration: MR. LLOYD GEORGE Regards MR. BALFOUR'S Attitude as
Bellicose.
"If every conciliatory offer put forward by the Government is to be
treated in the spirit displayed by the right hon. gentleman, that is the
way to promote civil war."
_Mr. LLOYD GEORGE._
* * * * *
Illustration: THE BILL AND THE AMENDING BILL.
_Nurse ASQUITH._ "Now, take the powder like a good boy."
_Master BONAR LAW._ "Where's the jam?"
_Nurse ASQUITH._ "Oh, that comes later."
_Master BONAR LAW._ "Well, I want to see it now. What's it made of?"
_Nurse ASQUITH._ "I must have notice of that question."
* * * * *
ESSENCE OF PARLIAMENT.
(EXTRACTED FROM THE DIARY OF TOBY, M.P.)
_House of Commons, Monday, May 11._--For a while PRIME MINISTER'S
protest against inordinate questioning, his announcement of
determination not to take part in further shorter catechism more or less
distantly related to the "plot" and the "coup," had wholesome effect. As
he stated, since the plot was discovered he had made seven hundred
replies to friendly inquiries. A Member below Gangway to his right added
the seven hundred and first. Wanted to know whether it is true that the
argumentative questions crowding the notice paper are the product of a
factory in the neighbourhood of Parliament Street, presided over by an
official whose name suggests that he has been "made in Germany."
Expeditiously turned out, as from a sausage machine, is it true that
they are nicely sorted and distributed among Members of the Opposition,
who in turn pelt the PREMIER with them?
After brief lull epidemic breaks out afresh. Twenty-three Questions
addressed to PRIME MINISTER to-day appear on printed paper. As each,
with the aid of semi-colons, represents two, three, occasionally five
distinct queries they reach aggregate of half a hundred. This not
counting Supplementaries.
Happily the PREMIER is incomparable master of the rare art of brief
reply, wherein he presents pleasing contrast to the manner of his old
master, GLADSTONE. Had he chanced to be Premier when the Fourth Party
were struggling into notoriety their task would have been more
difficult, their triumph delayed if not unattainable.
When GRANDOLPH, WOLFF and GORST, with PRINCE ARTHUR looking on, set
themselves to "draw GLADSTONE," as was their custom of an afternoon,
that astute personage became as a child in their hands. GRANDOLPH led
off with a question, to which long reply was made. WOLFF, profusely
grateful for the right hon. gentleman's courtesy, shunted the PREMIER on
to another track, along which he cheerfully sprinted. Then came JOHN O'
GORST. With the subtlety of a trained but not practising barrister he
put a third question, drawing a third speech. Thus merrily sped a
quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, deferring by so much the progress
of public business.
ASQUITH'S share in the conversation at the Question hour is based on a
familiar Biblical injunction. It is largely composed of "Yea, yea," and
"Nay, nay." In the case alluded to, wherein the Fourth Party gave play
to their insatiable desire for information, he would have replied to
GRANDOLPH, "Yes, Sir;" to WOLFF, "No, Sir." Had he been exceptionally
lured into verbosity he might have gone as far as to say, "The answer is
in the negative," or "in the affirmative," as the case might be. As for
JOHN O' GORST, he would have referred him to a speech made on a
particular preceding date, "to which I have nothing to add."
_Business done._--LLOYD GEORGE further explains his Budget. Resolutions
founded thereupon agreed to.
_Tuesday._--What at outset promised to be businesslike debate verging on
dulness suddenly leapt into flame and fury, signifying angry passion
stirred by Home Rule Bill. In studiously moderate speech PREMIER moved
resolution identical with that adopted last year, whereby Committee
stage of Home Rule Bill, Welsh Church Disestablishment and Plural Voting
will be forgone. Pointed out that Committee stage is designed for
purpose of providing opportunity of amending Bills. Since under
Parliament Act none of these measures can be amended in the Commons,
what use to go into Committee on them?
Being in increasingly businesslike mood PREMIER went a step further.
Abandoned proposal to submit and discuss "suggestions" to Home Rule
Bill. Authoritatively announced by WALTER LONG and others that the Lords
are predetermined to throw it out on second reading. What use then to
formulate and discuss suggestions that could be dealt with by the Lords
only in subsequent Committee? Finally announced intention of getting
Bill through all Parliamentary stages before Whitsuntide, placing it on
Statute Book by automatic process of Parliament Act. Will then bring in
Amending Bill dealing with Ulster.
It was PRINCE ARTHUR who roused crowded House from chilled condition
following upon douche of this application of ordinary business
principles to legislative procedure. In best fighting form. Stirred to
profoundest depths of scorn for actual working of that detested statute,
the Parliament Act.
"We are," he said, amid strident cheers from Opposition, welcoming their
old captain back to the fighting line, "asked to force through under the
Parliament Act a Bill which by hypothesis requires amendment. What is
worse than that is that we are to be compelled to read it a third time
and to part with it while we know that it is to be amended, but while we
have not the smallest conception in what respects or in what way."
Insisted that before Home Rule Bill is added to Statute Book Parliament
should know in what points it would be amended. "Let us have the
Amending Bill first."
PRINCE ARTHUR having stirred the embers of slumbering fire, CHANCELLOR
OF EXCHEQUER vigorously fanned them.
"If," he said, "every conciliatory offer put forward by the Government
is to be treated in the spirit displayed by the right hon. gentleman,
that is the way to promote civil war."
Hereupon storm burst over Opposition quarters. Shouts of "Shame!" and
"Liar" hurtled through the suddenly heated atmosphere. The CHANCELLOR'S
attempt to proceed with his speech baffled by continuous
cry,--"Withdraw! Withdraw!" At length SPEAKER interposed with suggestion
that the CHANCELLOR had been misunderstood. Claimed for him the right of
explanation. This conceded, LLOYD GEORGE pointed out that what he had
meant to say was that argument such as that forthcoming from Front
Opposition Bench, making it difficult for the Government to submit
proposals of peace, would have effect of promoting civil war.
PRINCE ARTHUR naturally falling into "old style" of House of Commons
debate, not only frankly accepted explanation but chivalrously took upon
himself blame of the outbreak, which he said "apparently arose from an
unfortunate expression of mine." Ended with pretty turn of grave satire
that greatly pleased the House.
After this, debate quietly proceeded to appointed end, everyone mutely
invoking
Blessings on the falling out
That all the more endears,
When we fall out with those we love
And kiss again with tears.
_Business done._--PREMIER'S resolution carried by 276 votes against 194.
Majority 82. House of Lords by common consent passed second reading of
useful little Bill for protection of grey seals threatened with
extinction by mercenary sportsmen.
_Thursday._--Remarkable how SHAKSPEARE (or was it BACON?) wrote not only
for all time but for all circumstance. The marvel came to light again in
scene in House yesterday.
Writing of the time of _Romeo and Juliet_ SHAKSPEARE reports dialogue
between two fighting men of the houses of _Capulet_ and _Montague._
Meeting _Sampson_ in a public place in Verona, _Abram_ truculently asks,
"Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir?
_Sam._ I do bite my thumb, Sir.
_Abr._ Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir?
_Sam. (aside, to his comrade _Gregory). Is the law on our side if I say
ay?
_Greg._ No.
_Sam._ No, Sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, Sir; but I bite my
thumb."
KINLOCH-COOKE, having put question to WEDGWOOD BENN, following it up by
two supplementary inquiries, put a third when the SPEAKER interposed.
Shrugging his shoulders in silent protest against this tyranny
KINLOCH-COOKE resumed his seat.
Said the SPEAKER sternly, "It is no good shrugging your shoulders at
me."
This is prosaic account of incident given in this morning's papers.
Refer to _Hansard_ and see how it runs.
_SPEAKER._ Do you shrug your shoulders at me, Sir?
_KINLOCH-COOKE._ I do shrug my shoulders, Sir.
_SPEAKER._ Do you shrug your shoulders at me, Sir?
_KINLOCH-COOKE (aside to WINTERTON)._ Is there anything in the Standing
Orders that forbids my shrugging my shoulders at the SPEAKER?
_WINTERTON (who is training for Speakership and has them all by heart)._
Yes.
_KINLOCH-COOKE._ No, Sir, I do not shrug my shoulders at you, Sir; but I
shrug my shoulders.
_SPEAKER._ Order! Order!
_Business done._--Another plot that failed. For some weeks Opposition
have not attempted to snap a division. Ministerialists, lulled into
sense of security, off guard. Secret preparations sedulously made for
trapping them this afternoon. Questions over, division challenged on
formal motion. Ministerial Whips awake in good time to emergency. Urgent
messages had been sent out to their men by telephone and special
messengers. Arrivals watched with feverish interest. Ministerialists
hurriedly drop in by twos and threes, presently by tens. ILLINGWORTH'S
massive brow, temporarily seared with wrinkles, smooths out. When, after
division, Clerk hands paper to him indicating that ambush has been
baffled, hilarious cheer rises from Ministerial benches. Renewed when
figures read by the SPEAKER show that the motion is carried by 255 votes
against 234.
"Not a high-class game in imperial politics," says SARK. "Rather akin to
the humour of making a butter slide on the pavement for the discomfiture
of unsuspecting passers-by. But boys will be boys."
* * * * *
Illustration: Mr. ROWLAND HUNT IN HIS BEST FORM.
"I don't know [laughter] what honourable Members [renewed laughter] are
laughing about [loud and prolonged laughter.]"
* * * * *
A NATIONAL CALAMITY.
GREAT PERFORMER CONTEMPLATES RETIREMENT.
Once more the Atlantic liner has delivered Mr. Bamborough (_ne_
Bamberger) back to us, and once more British concert-goers should in
consequence rejoice. But their natural jubilations are unfortunately
tempered by a momentous announcement which the great violinist made to
our representative at Plymouth last week, on the arrival of the _Julius
Caesar,_ to the effect that he has decided to retire from the active
pursuit of his profession. On receiving the news of this national
calamity our representative fell into a heavy swoon, and was revived
with some difficulty. The thought of the permanent withdrawal from
public life in his golden prime of the great virtuoso, with his opulent
physique, his superbly Mosaic features and his luxuriant chevelure, was
altogether too poignantly overwhelming. Let us hasten then to reassure
our readers that the blow, though it must inevitably descend one day, is
mercifully deferred for a considerable period. To begin with, Mr.
Bamborough is under contract to give five farewell tours in the United
States at intervals of four years before entering upon the penultimate
stage of his severance from the British concert platform. This, which
will begin in the autumn of 1934, is likely to continue until the year
1948, when he is booked for an extended tour in Polynesia, Japan, New
Guinea and Java. On his return to England in 1950 he proposes to give
sixty farewell recitals at intervals of three months, culminating in a
grand concert at the Albert Hall.
"And then," mused the illustrious artist, "farewell to the platform for
ever! I find it hard indeed to realise that the concert-going public and
I by that time will have been intimate friends for more than seventy
years, but so it will be, for I was only nine when I made my first
appearance in London, in a velvet knickerbocker suit with pearl buttons
and a Fauntleroy collar. Still, it will all make a lovely retrospect for
me, and when I finally retire it will be with a heart very full of
gratitude to my generous friends in all four hemispheres of the globe."
"And after that?" suggested our representative, now partially restored
by these reassuring tidings.
"After that--literature," was the emphatic reply. "I have already signed
a contract with Messrs. Goodleigh and Champ to write my Reminiscences in
the form of a Musical Encyclopaedia. My father-in-law, Sir Pompey
Boldero, is giving me valuable assistance in preparing the material, but
as he is already sixty-five I cannot, unhappily, count with absolute
confidence on his being spared to witness the completion of the work.
Still, he is so full of vigour that M. METCHNIKOFF considers his chances
of becoming a centenarian decidedly promising. In any case the
collaboration of my children, whose filial devotion is only equalled by
their talent, is secured, and Mrs. Bamborough, as you know, wields a
vivid and trenchant pen. But literature will not occupy all my time. My
estancia in the Argentine will need supervision, and I hope to spend an
occasional summer in the Solomon Islands, where the natives are
strangely attached to us."
Mr. Bamborough pointed out that Sir JOHNSTON FORBES-ROBERTSON, who also
returned by the _Julius Caesar,_ had only drawn receipts amounting to
L107,000 in a tour of thirty weeks' duration, while he (Mr. Bamborough)
had netted no less than L150,000 in a tour lasting twenty-seven weeks
and three days. In addition to the receipts in specie, Mr. Bamborough
had received several nuggets from the gold miners in Colorado, and a
bull moose from Mr. KERMIT ROOSEVELT, while Mrs. Bamborough had been the
recipient of a highly-trained bobolink, and a charming young
alligator from the cedar swamps of Louisiana.
Other notable passengers on the _Julius Caesar_ were Miss Topsy Cooney,
the famous coloured pianist, who plays only on the black keys and
entirely by ear; Little Dinky, the marvellous calculating boy, who does
not know the names of the numbers; and Elaine Runnymede, the child
contralto, who can only sing the whole tone scale.
* * * * *
Illustration: _Small Brother (whose sisters are working for their girl
guides' ambulance badge)._ "Come on, here's A bit of luck for you. I've
made Rupert's nose bleed."
* * * * *
Commercial Candour.
From a catalogue:--
"Also made in cheaper and better quality models."
* * * * *
Illustration: _Grumpy._ "Better put the diamond in the safe, my boy.
You'll be ruined if anybody steals it."
_Ernest._ "Yes, but the play will be ruined if nobody does."
_Grumpy_ Mr. CYRIL MAUDE.
_Ernest Heron._ Mr. EDWARD COMBEMERE.
* * * * *
"GRUMPY."
(_As it might as well have been._)
ACT I.--THE CRIME.
=Scene--_Mr. "Grumpy" Bullivant's_ library. Enter his grand-daughter
_Virginia_ and _Mrs. Maclaren._=
_Mrs. Maclaren._ What a remarkable man Mr. Jarvis seems to be, dear--so
amusing at dinner! And he writes for _Tiddly Bits,_ he tells me. Where
_did_ you meet him?
_Virginia._ Quite accidentally in Hyde Park. He told grandfather a long
story about a gold brick, and grandfather was so charmed with him he
asked him down at once for the week-end.
_Mrs. Maclaren._ Such a knowledge of character your grandfather has,
love.
_Virginia._ Yes, but you must remember he used to be the cleverest
criminal lawyer of his time. He saw directly that Mr. Jarvis was a nice
man.
[=Exeunt.=
=Enter _Ernest Heron_ and _"Grumpy"_ by opposite doors.=
_Grumpy_ _(when the audiences delight at seeing _Mr. CYRIL MAUDE_ again
has at last been got under)._ Wow-wow-wow-wow-wow; tut-tut-tut-tut-tut
(_and other old-gentleman noises_). Ah, Ernest, my boy, what are you
doing here?
_Ernest._ Just back from Africa, uncle, with a diamond weighing--I mean
costing--ninety thousand pounds in my belt, which I'm taking up to the
firm in London. May I sleep here?
_Grumpy._ Do, my boy. (=Enter _Mr. Jarvis._=) Ah, Mr. Jarvis, let me
introduce my nephew, Mr. Heron. He's just back from Africa with a----
(_To himself_) No, perhaps better not. Well, good night to you both.
Wow-wow-wow, tut-tut-tut-tut.
[=Exit, followed, by _Mr. Jarvis._=
=_Ernest_ is left alone with his diamond. Seeing a suspicious shadow at
the window he rushes to it and leans out, so as to give anybody a chance
of sand-bagging him. The chance going begging, he takes his diamond from
his belt to see if it is still there. The only other precaution he can
think of is to draw the curtains. At this moment a hand steals through
the door and turns out the lights. A terrible struggle in the dark
ensues; there is a noise of somebody's larynx going; and then the
curtain goes down and up ... to disclose, the body of poor _Ernest_ on
the floor. Is he dead? Certainly not; he's got to marry _Virginia_; but
the diamond is gone.=
Act II.--THE SLEUTH-HOUND.
=Time--Next morning.=
_Grumpy._ Tut-tut. Is everything just as it was last night? Very well,
then. You say that when you discovered Mr. Ernest he was lying on his
back, and in his right hand he was clutching this--what did you call it?
_Ruddock (the valet)._ A dicky, Sir. A detachable shirt-front.
_Grumpy._ Excellent. Then the first question is--to whom did
this--er--richard belong?
_Ruddock._ Yes, Sir.
_Grumpy (musing)._ Could it have been his own? In the fierceness of the
struggle might he have torn it off in order to give himself greater
freedom? Was he offering it to his assailant as a bribe? Was he--but
first we must find if he was wearing one at all. Call Susan.
=Enter _Susan,_ the lady's-maid.=
_Grumpy._ Susan, you were the first to see Mr. Ernest when he came in
last night. Did you happen to notice if he was wearing a detachable
shirt-front, a--h'm--dicky?
_Susan._ Yes, Sir.
_Grumpy._ Ah! (=He hands her the all-important clue.=) Was this it?
_Susan (=examining it=)._ No, Sir.
_Grumpy._ Tut-tut, are you sure?
_Susan._ Yes, Sir; Mr. Ernest's was an india-rubber one. I know, because
he said he'd been travelling all day, and he asked me to sponge it for
him.
_Grumpy._ Thank you, Susan. Ruddock, we must find that india-rubber
richard. If Ernest has his assailant's shirt-front, what more likely
than that his assailant has Ernest's? Probably they exchanged them
before the battle, as, you may remember, Glaucus and Diomed did at the
siege of Troy.
_Ruddock._ Yes, Sir.
_Grumpy._ Every shirt-front we see we must suspect. Let us go and look
for some. [=Exeunt.=
=Enter _Jarvis_ and _Virginia._=
_Virginia._ Still in evening dress, Mr. Jarvis?
_Jarvis._ Yes, I was so busy fetching the doctor last night that I had
no time to change. I am going back to London now. (=Tenderly=) I should
like to think you had some little memento of me. (=He removes his shirt
front.=) Keep this and think of me sometimes when you look at it.
_Virginia._ Oh, Mr. Jarvis! But I must give _you_ something too. (=She
goes out and returns with one of her grandfather's shirt-fronts.=) Wear
this in place of the one you have given me--always. [=Exit.=
=Re-enter _Grumpy._=
_Grumpy._ Now, Mr. Jarvis, I wonder if you would help me. You were the
first to find the body last night. Would you mind lying down in the
position in which it lay? It may give me an important clue.
_Jarvis._ Certainly. (=He prepares to lie down.=)
_Grumpy._ Take care, you mustn't crumple your shirt-front. Perhaps it
removes? Ah, allow me. (=He detaches it and hastily substitutes the
other one for it.=) Ah, thank you so much. Here is your shirt-front
again.
[=Exit _Jarvis._=
_Ruddock (=eagerly=)._ Is that it, Sir?
_Grumpy_ (=examining Jarvis's shirt-front carefully=). No, linen,
confound it. Ruddock, we _must_ find that india-rubber richard. Who has
it? Ah!
CURTAIN.
ACT III.--TRAPPED.
=Scene--_Jarvis's_ rooms in London.=
_Keble (his man)._ Terrible thing that assault on Mr. Heron, Sir.
_Jarvis._ Yes, terrible.
_Keble._ I hope they don't suspect me of it, Sir.
_Jarvis._ Why on earth should they suspect _you_?
_Keble._ Well, I was known to be jealous of Mr. Heron, Sir. I found
Susan sponging his shirt-front, and Susan and I are as good as engaged.
_Jarvis (=mildly interested=)._ How _can_ you sponge a shirt-front?
_Keble._ It was an india-rubber one, Sir; they sponge off quite clean,
and save the laundry bill, Sir. My----
_Jarvis._ Good Heavens, I'm ruined!
=Enter _Isaac Wolfe,_ his partner. Exit _Keble._=
_Wolfe._ Got the diamond, my boy?
_Jarvis (moodily)._ Yes ... I'm done for; I must leave the country.
_Wolfe._ What d'you mean? You've got the diamond?
_Jarvis (rapidly)._ I throttled him in the dark and got the diamond. My
shirt-front fell off in the struggle. I noticed one on the floor and
picked it up. I thought it was mine. It was his; his had fallen off too;
and he was found with mine in his hand.
_Wolfe._ Well, why did you leave it there?
_Jarvis._ I thought it was his own--and that, anyhow, as long as we each
had one, no one would notice. But his was an india-rubber one!
_Wolfe._ And that's the one you've got now? Well, burn it.
_Jarvis (=burying his face in his hands=)._ It isn't! I cannot! I gave it
to Miss Bullivant. (=Grimly=) But I shall get it back again.
CURTAIN.
ACT IV.--THE SLEUTH-HOUND'S TRIUMPH.
=The Library again.=
_Grumpy._ Well, Virginia, and how's Ernest? Better, hey! He ought----
Good heavens, child, what's that you've got in your hand?
_Virginia._ Just a dicky, grandfather.
_Grumpy (excitedly)._ Let me look ... Virginia, it's an india-rubber
one! (_Sternly_) Where did you get this?
_Virginia._ Mr. Jarvis gave it to me.
_Grumpy._ Mr. Jarvis! Aha! (=He hides behind the sofa.=)
=Enter _Mr. Jarvis._=
_Jarvis (-to _Virginia_=)._ I'm afraid my conduct must seem very strange,
but I had to come back to see you. I--er--lost the shirt-front you gave
me. Could you let me have my own back again? You see, I'm going abroad
and I must have _one._
_Grumpy (=popping his head up=)._ Ah, Mr. Jarvis, did I hear you asking
for a shirt-front? Allow me to offer you one--an india-rubber one, Mr.
Jarvis! (=_Jarvis blenches._=) And the price, Mr. Jarvis, is the diamond
in your waistcoat-pocket!
CURTAIN--=except that _Ernest_ gets engaged to _Virginia_ first.=
* * * * *
_Postscript._--On reading this through I feel that it hardly does
justice to the clever acting of Mr. MAUDE as an always delightful old
gentleman, the excellent support given him by the rest of the company,
and the pleasantly exciting melodrama provided for them by Messrs.
HORACE HODGES and T. W. PERCYVAL. To all of them my thanks for an
entertaining evening.
A. A. M.
* * * * *
Illustration: _Pat (having hung up an ostrich's egg on the hen-house
door)._ "There, ye deginerate little spalpeens, look at that and thry
what ye can do!"
* * * * *
From a letter to _The Scotsman_:--
"It goes without saying that when recognising a friend in the
street one raises one's hat by the hand removed from that friend."
Of course. But it is proper to return the hand immediately after the
little ceremony with a few words of thanks.
* * * * *
"For the latter an excuse must be offered in that he was badly hit
on the left hip by the previous ball--a yorker--to that which
bowled him."--_Evening News._
In the over before he had been stunned by a sneak.
* * * * *
_The Yorkshire Daily Observer_ on the income tax:--
"A Bradford widow has been left with five children under 15 years
of age. Her income is L300 a ear."
Or L3,600 in all. We refuse to be moved by her hard case.
* * * * *
"Miscellaneous Volumes. 10s. per cwt. (No theology.)
Theology. 5s. 6d. per cwt."--_Catalogue._
Money being tight, we are ordering 8 stone 7 lbs. of theology for the
drawing-room.
* * * * *
"The Government has introduced another Bill to regulate the sale of
milk and the inspection of dairies. This disgracefully dilutory
Parliament of ours has been playing with similar Bills for five
years."--_Daily Herald._
The dilutory milkman is really more to blame.
* * * * *
MEDIATION.
[SCENE--_A room at Niagara Falls. The Argentine, the Brazilian and the
Chilian mediators are mediating; that is to say, they are sitting on
rocking chairs not very close to a large table covered with papers,
pens, ink, etc. A deep noise of falling water pervades the air. Out of
compliment to Canada the conversation is carried on in English._]
_Argentine Mediator._ Cold, isn't it?
_Brazilian Mediator._ Yes, there's a great deal of cold in the
atmosphere.
_Chilian Mediator._ We often get it colder than this in Chili.
(_A pause._)
_A. M._ There's a lot of water coming down.
_B. M._ Yes, and it keeps coming, too, doesn't it?
_C. M._ It isn't as noisy as I thought it would be, though.
_A. M._ Oh, I don't know. It's quite noisy enough.
_B. M._ Yes, it's very difficult to concentrate one's mind. We've got a
waterfall in Brazil which has the same effect. You can't do any work
near it. People go there for a rest-cure.
_C. M._ There are a good many waterfalls in Chili, too, and they make
more noise than this one.
(_A pause._)
_A. M._ How long do you think we shall be here?
_B. M._ A week, or a month, or a year--I don't know.
_C. M._ It's a dull place, isn't it?
_A. M._ Yes, it is, dull as ditchwater.
_B. M._ Dull as a ditchwaterfall. Ha, ha.
_C. M. and A. M. (together)._ Ha, ha. That's capital.
_B. M._ You fellows must remind me to telegraph that home to Brazil.
_A. M._ By the way, I see ROOSEVELT has been in Brazil.
_B. M._ Yes; isn't it awful?
_G. M._ Discovered a river, hasn't he?
_B. M._ Something of that sort. He'll discover the world next.
_A. M._ Anyhow, I'm glad he's not here.
_B. M._ By Jove, yes. Wouldn't it be dreadful if he were?
_C. M._ Don't. You make my flesh creep.
_B. M._ After all, I'm not sure he's worse than WILSON. They're all
alike, these Yankees. I've no use for them and their MONROE Doctrine;
have you?
_A. M._ Not the slightest. If they think we're children they'll soon
find out their mistake.
_C. M._ Hear, hear!
(_A pause._)
_A. M._ Anything new from Mexico?
_B. M._ No. Same old game.
_C. M._ What's HUERTA up to?
_B. M._ Sitting tight.
_A. M._ And what's VILLA doing?
_B. M._ Oh, he's been capturing Tampico a good deal lately.
_C. M._ Isn't a fellow called ZAPATA chipping in somewhere?
_B. M._ Yes, he's having a go too.
(_A pause._)
_A. M._ I say, you men, I've got an idea.
_B. M._ Out with it, then.
_C. M._ Yes, let's have it.
_A. M._ Well, then, suppose we start by saying that HUERTA and WILSON
must _both_ be eliminated. That'll please both sides. HUERTA will be
tickled to death if WILSON has to go, and WILSON will be delighted at
our backing up his policy. What do you think?
_B. M._ I can't think at all in this noise.
_C. M._ Nor can I, but I daresay it's all right.
_A. M._ I'm glad you like the idea. It's fair to both sides, you see.
That's what mediation's for.
(_Left mediating._)
* * * * *
THE BATH UNREST.
My bath awaits me! It contains to-night,
Besides the customary water--stay:
Before I name ingredients, let me say
Exactly who and what I am who write.
(My bath awaits me!) I am known to fame,
First, as a rising music-hall artiste;
But, secondly and chiefly, I'm the beast
Who Puts Things in his Bath. You've met my name.
(My bath awaits me!) People come, you see,
With sample packets of the Lord knows what,
And want me to "endorse" the silly rot.
Well, I "endorse"; receiving L. _s._ _d._
(My bath awaits me!) But I specialise
In baths. I will not "like it in my soup,"
Nor "take five drops before I loop the loop";
Nor will I "find it helps to keep off flies."
(My bath awaits me!) Am I over-nice?
I cannot "thank you for the lovely sox,"
Nor shall "my children quarrel for the box."
I Put It In My Bath. Let that suffice.
(My bath awaits me!) Now, to take the list:
Mustard, by thirteen makers; salt, by six;
Saponica; Shampoona; Sozothrix;
Eau-de-Cologne (nine samples); Bathex; Vrist.
(My bath awaits me!) These and more than these
(I drop the catalogue) in pungent strife,
Stench hard at grips with stench for loathly life,
Yon seething cauldron holds. Excuse a sneeze.
(My bath awaits me!) Why the cauldron? Why
Not desecrate the dustbin? Here's the rub:
All the endorsements specify my tub;
The dustbin is not mentioned. Can I lie?
(My bath awaits me!) So I made a vow,
Soon as the groaning shelf could bear no more,
In one doomed bath to mix 'em. What I swore
I've done. The night of reckoning is now.
My bath awaits me! True. But then I said
Not "use" but "put." Why have my beastly bath?
Bed, too, awaits me; be the bedward path
My choice. I do not Put Things in my Bed.
* * * * *
"The following are good dishes for a small luncheon, not a complete
menu, but suggestions for filling one out with those light and
tempting dishes which the jaded modern palate so greatly prefers to
the solid English cookery of our forefathers."--_Truth._
That is all very well, but if one really wants filling out these little
kickshaws are no good; roast beef and Yorkshire pudding is the thing.
* * * * *
"Folds of net and thick white face lighten the effect of the
corsage."--_Westminster Gazette._
The writer seems keen, but we are not.
* * * * *
Illustration: THE SCRUTINEER.
_Eliza Jane._ "'Ere, that last one didn't seem like a full sack to me."
* * * * *
OUR BOOKING-OFFICE.
(_By Mr. Punch's Staff of Learned Clerks._)
Not the least attractive feature in Madame WADDINGTON'S new book, _My
First Years as a Frenchwoman_ (SMITH, ELDER), is the revelation,
undesignedly made, of a keen-sighted, vivacious, exceedingly womanly
woman. During her residence in France as the wife of a highly placed
Minister she had rare opportunity of watching the progress of historic
events from a favoured standpoint behind the scenes. When she married M.
WADDINGTON, in later years known to this country as French Ambassador,
the National Assembly was sitting at Versailles. THIERS, first President
of the Republic, had been overthrown and MACMAHON reigned in his stead.
Madame WADDINGTON was brought into personal touch with these statesmen,
with their successors, JULES GREVY, DE FREYCINET, CARNOT and with their
varied _entourage._ Of each she has something shrewd, sprightly and
informing to say. While immersed in international politics, perhaps not
wholly free from anxious conviction that she was in some measure
responsible for their direction, she had a seeing eye for frocks.
Frequently, when describing social gatherings at the height of political
crises, she stops to tell you how some lady was dressed and how the
apparel suited her. Amongst other men of the epoch she has something to
say about BLOWITZ, the famous Paris correspondent of _The Times._ It is
evident that, without premeditation, he managed to offend the lady. She
reports how Prince HOHENLOHE expressed a high opinion of the journalist,
remarking, "He is marvellously well-informed of all that is going on."
"It was curious," writes Madame, "how a keen clever man like the Prince
attached so much importance to anything Blowitz said." For the
side-lights which it flashes on high life in Paris at a critical period
of the Republic the volume possesses exceptional value.
* * * * *
The subtleties of human motives, the fine problems of temperament, the
delicate interplay of masculine logic and feminine intuition, what are
these compared to blood, thunder, plots, counter-plots, earthquakes and,
from the final chaos, the salvage of the "sweetest woman on earth"
effected in the nick of time by a herculean and always imperturbable
hero? Mr. FRANK SAVILE is not out to analyse souls. The opening chapter
of _The Red Wall_ (NELSON) plunges us into a fray, irrelevant to the
narrative save in so far as it introduces _Dick Blake_ and _Eileen
O'Creagh_ and removes any possible doubt that might ever have been felt
as to their respective merits and their mutual suitability. That
preliminary complete, we proceed to the real business of the agenda, and
momentous, passionate, nefarious, diabolical, mysterious and incessantly
exciting business it is, covering the gamut of private emotions and
international complications. In such narratives I demand three things:
the first, that my author should combine a graphic (and grammatical)
style with the professional knack of imparting an air of probability to
his tale; the second, that things should go all wrong in the beginning
and come all right in the end; the third, that if any German schemers
are involved these should be eventually outwitted. Mr. SAVILE has
abundantly satisfied me in all particulars; although I incline to carp
at the opportuneness with which nature is made to erupt from time to
time, and I venture to suggest that men and women never were and are
probably never going to be like _Dick_ and _Eileen._ The book is,
however, of the sort which is to be read and enjoyed but not considered
further.
* * * * *
_Joe Quinney,_ the curiosity shop man in Mr. HORACE ANNESLEY VACHELL'S
_Quinneys'_ (MURRAY), is undoubtedly a "card," not unrelated, I should
say, to Mr. BENNETT'S _Machen._ He is an entertaining fellow with his
enthusiasms, his truculences, his fluctuating standards of honesty. Mr.
VACHELL didn't quite get me to believe in _Joe's_ expert knowledge,
which indeed seemed to be turned on and off in rather an arbitrary way
as the exigencies of the story rather than the development and
experience of the character dictated; but he did make me see and like
the fellow. _Mrs. Quinney,_ that faithful timid soul, is admirably
drawn, both in her courtship and her matronly days. But I found
_Quinney_ a little hypocritical in his denunciation of _Miggott_, the
chair-faker, who was not really sailing half so close to the wind or so
profitably as _Quinney_ and his bibulous friend of a dealer, _Tamlin._
There are some interesting side-lights upon the astonishing tricks of
the furniture trade, which are reflected by the authentic experience of
the bitten wise. An entertaining and clever book; but why, why should H.
A. V. drop from his Hill into the discreditable fellowship of those who
have misquoted "honoured in the breach"?
* * * * *
Anybody can understand how extremely annoying and inconvenient the
complete disappearance of a husband would be to a wife after a mere
fortnight or so of married existence, before he had even begun to
complain of the--well, anyhow that is what happens in Mrs. BELLOC
LOWNDES'S latest novel, _The End of Her Honeymoon_ (METHUEN). The
_Dampiers_ arrive in Paris, a Paris _en fete_ and crowded beyond all
custom because of the state visit of the TSAR, and are obliged to occupy
rooms on different floors of the _Poulains'_ hotel. Next morning _Mrs.
Dampier_ awakes to find herself in the awkward predicament of Ariadne on
the beach of Naxos, with the aggravation (spared to Theseus' bride) that
the hotel people absolutely deny that she came with a husband at all. A
punctilious if sceptical American senator (refreshingly guiltless of
accent) and his enthusiastic son and daughter take pity on her, and the
rest of the book resolves itself into a detective story, saved from
conventionality by the pleasantly distinguished style in which the
author writes and the intimate knowledge which she appears to possess of
the Paris _prefecture de police._ _Gerald Burton,_ the young American,
not entirely platonic in his solicitude, is baffled; _Salgas_, a famous
enquiry agent, is baffled; and I am ready to take very long odds against
the reader's unravelling the mystery, unless he happens to be familiar
with a certain legend of the plague (though no plague comes in here).
Indeed, it is only a chance conversation in the last chapter that throws
light, my dear Watson, on this particularly _bizarre_ affair. And what
then, you ask, had happened to _Jack Dampier_ after all? Ah!
* * * * *
I wonder why it is that so many books about walking tours should be
written in much the same style. At least I don't really wonder at all,
since it is quite apparent that R. L. S. and _Modestine_ are the models
responsible for this state of things. And, since the style in itself is
pleasant enough, I don't know that any one need complain. What put me
upon this reflection was _Vagabonds in Perigord_ (CONSTABLE), which, for
the modulation of its prose, might almost have been an unacknowledged
work of the Master, but is actually written by Mr. H. H. BASHFORD. It
concerns the wanderings on foot of certain pleasure pilgrims along the
course of the river Dordogne; and is, for those that like such things,
one of the most attractive volumes I have met this great while. I liked
especially the author's happy gift of filling his pages with a holiday
atmosphere; there is, indeed, so much fresh air and sunshine in them
that the sympathetic reader will emerge feeling mentally bronzed. Nor
does Mr. BASHFORD lack an agreeable humour of phrase. "Those wonderful
three-franc dinners that seem to fall like manna upon France at seven
o'clock every evening" is an example that lingers in my memory.
Moreover, running through the whole is a hidden joke, and very cunningly
hidden too, only to be revealed in the last paragraphs. Not for worlds
would I reveal it here; I content myself with admitting that I for one
was entirely fooled. I am less sure whether as a record of travel the
book tempts to emulation. The drawbacks are perhaps too vividly rendered
for this--heat and thirst through the flaming June days, and by night
not wholly unbroken repose. But I am delighted to read about it all.
* * * * *
BRAM STOKER, whose too early cutting off saddened a wide circle of
friends, was the Fat Boy of modern writers of fiction. He knew how to
provide opportunity in fullest measure for making your flesh creep. A
series of stories named after the first, _Dracula's Guest_ (ROUTLEDGE),
is a marvellous collection of weird fancies wrought with ingenuity,
related with graphic power, that come as near EDGAR ALLAN POE as
anything I am acquainted with. There are nine, widely varying in subject
and plot. I have read them all, and am not ashamed to confess that,
finishing one before commencing another of the fascinating series, I
found it convenient and agreeable to turn aside for a while and glance
over less exciting pages. Not the least marvellous thing about the
banquet is that it is provided at the modest charge of a shilling.
* * * * *
Illustration: (_A nervous individual, having been advised by a
specialist that he must undergo an operation, calls upon his own doctor
to ask him to administer the anaesthetic._)
_The Doctor (a conscientious practitioner)._ "Well! I will administer
the anaesthetic, but--you know, I never like doing it. _The jury are
always down on the anaesthetist._"
*** | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Gutenberg (PG-19) |
Google Inc., joined by broadcasters and free speech advocates, beat back an actress’ bid to block her appearance in a controversial online video and avoided a ruling it warned would make “Swiss cheese” of copyright law.
Cindy Lee Garcia was “bamboozled” into appearing in an anti-Muslim film which stoked violent protests when it was made public in 2012, a federal appeals court ruled. Nevertheless, the court declined to block the video while her lawsuit proceeds.
Garcia said she should be granted an injunction because of her independent copyright interest in her performance in “Innocence of Muslims.” Google warned that such a ruling would upend the entertainment industry. The court agreed.
“Garcia’s theory can be likened to ‘copyright cherry-picking,’ which would enable any contributor from a costume designer down to an extra or best boy to claim copyright in random bits and pieces of a unitary motion picture,” U.S. Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown wrote for the majority.
The decision by the San Francisco-based court reversed an earlier decision in Garcia’s favor. That ruling triggered an outcry by Internet companies including Netflix Inc. and Twitter Inc., who joined in Google’s case.
Minor players
They complained such a ruling would be unworkable for online service providers, and would give minor players the power to shut down distribution of a movie.
Garcia had sued Google after the Mountain View, California-based company refused to take down the 14-minute YouTube clip showing a fictional attack by Muslims on a Christian family. The video sparked riots in the Middle East and caused an Egyptian cleric to call for everyone involved in the movie to be killed.
Garcia said that she’d been hired to participate in a movie called “Desert Warrior” and that in the subsequent YouTube clip her part had been dubbed.
“The decision today in Google v. Garcia is a resounding victory for Google that will also be viewed very favorably by film and television studios, as well as many copyright practitioners,” Bruce Ewing, a lawyer with Dorsey & Whitney LLP who specializes in intellectual property, said in a prepared statement.
‘No remedy’
“While recognizing the offensive nature of the film and the damage” suffered by Garcia, “the court held clearly that she has no remedy under U.S. copyright law,” he wrote.
Cris Armenta, an attorney for Garcia, said she probably won’t appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, given her limited financial resources and a desire to put the matter to rest.
“The decision short changes the threats on the life of Cindy Lee Garcia who did not voluntarily participate in the hateful message that the controversial trailer about the Prophet Mohammed espoused around the world,” Armenta said in a prepared statement. “The court’s decision today allows one person to subjugate another person for nefarious and hateful purposes using the First Amendment as both a sword and a shield.”
YouTube said it’s pleased with the ruling.
“We have long believed that the previous ruling was a misapplication of copyright law,” YouTube said in an e-mailed statement. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
The Windows Distributed interNet Applications Architecture is a Microsoft blueprint for robust, scalable, distributed business software. Windows DNA was not preplanned architecture and it was developed in between. It have all combined advantages of Centralized mainframe, application servers, internet technologies and Personal computers. Windows DNA is was started from mainframes in which all logic was centralized.
Windows DNA has been largely superseded by the Microsoft .NET Framework, and Microsoft no longer uses the term.
A master page is a template for other pages, which shares design and functionality with other pages. The master page provide a content place holder for other pages.
Web user control is a unit of functionality, which incorporate into parent page. it does not give a template design and functionality as master page gives. .NET provide .ascx extension for user control. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
The Steve Allen Theater
The Steve Allen Theater at the Center for Inquiry in Hollywood, California, was a 99-seat theater which was developed by founding artistic director Amit Itelman. Moved to The Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan Theater.
The Center for Inquiry is a nonprofit group founded by Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov to promote science and secular humanism. When paranormal investigator James Underdown became the Executive Director of CFI West in 2003, he named the theater after Center for Inquiry supporter and television personality Steve Allen and offered Itelman an opportunity to define an artistic vision for the space.
According to the LA Weekly cover story Why Theater Matters - “Itelman has booked interdisciplinary acts (music, comedy and theater) that strike a particularly brainy and idiosyncratic chord." "A kind of theater that bounces off the walls." As described by the Los Angeles Times "Theater of the Absurd, Itelman's artistic credo reflects CFI's mission of 'not accepting things as they are' an unlikely lab for some of the freshest, strangest work in town…The bar for eccentricity may be pretty high in Hollywood, but the Steve Allen Theater clears it easily".
Selected shows premiered and developed at the Steve Allen Theater
In an interview with director Jon Schnepp he states that Metalocalypse began with small sketches "like 'George Fisher (Cannibal Corpse vocalist) Goes to the Hospital' developed at The Steve Allen Theater.
Aye Jay Carny Trash - An exploration of the carnival underworld by carny Aye Jay. Directed by Amit Itelman.
The Beastly Bombing - Award winning controversial Edwardian musical about fundamentalism. Book, lyrics and direction by Julien Nitzberg. Music by Roger Neil. Produced with Rorry Daniels. Toured to New York and Amsterdam.
Borcht Belt Babies - Vaudeville revival show featuring descendants of actual vaudeville stars. Hosted by Janet Klein. Directed by Amit Itelman
The Church of Satan’s Black Mass - The first ever public Satanic ritual on the 40th anniversary of Anton Lavey’s church. Directed by Amit Itelman
Cartoon Dump - Mystery Science Theater’s Frank Connif and film historian Jerry Beck’s variety show featuring the worst of animation history. Co-Hosted by Erica Doering.
Claire and Josh Hate Themselves but Love Each Other - written and starring Josh Fadem and Claire Tittleman.
Clown Town City Limits - The dark side of the clowns. Avante Guard Vaudeville. Written and performed by Jim Turner, Mark Fite and David Allen Gruber, Craig Anton. Written by Joel Madison, Dale Goodson and Bob Rucker. Directed by John Ferrara
Dueling Harps with Adam Dugas - Veteran performance artist Ann Magnuson shows featuring two classical harpists.
Hollywood Hellhouse - A two story haunted house which was the first time a Hell house was presented to a secular audience. Produced with Becky Thyre, Maggie Rowe and Jill Soloway. Directed by Maggie Rowe and Jill Soloway, haunted house directed by Amit Itelman. Inspired New York production a year later.
Mary Lynn Spreads Her Legs - Mary Lynn Rajskub dark comedy about postpartum depression. Directed by Amit Itelman.
Max Maven Thinking in Person, an Evening of Knowing and not Knowing - Mentalist Max Maven’s first full length show. Directed by Amit Itelman. Toured to Japan, and Europe.
Nevermore - Jeffrey Combs portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe. Written by Dennis Paoli. Directed by Stuart Gordon
Playing with Micucci - Kate Micucci in a one woman show featuring music, comedy and guest. Directed by Ron Lynch.
Re Animator the Musical - Cult hit based on Lovecraft lore featuring audience blood "splash zone". Directed by Stuart Gordon. Music lyrics by Mark Nutter. Book by Dennis Paoli, Stuart Gordon & William J. Morris. Produced by Dean Shramm
Resbox - Experimental music showcase curated by Hans Fjellestad.
The Secret World of Human Science - Multi-media variety show written and hosted by avante garde filmmaker ZZalgern0n about odd science. Directed by Ron Lynch.
The Shredder - Comedian Emo Philips shreds jokes that don’t get a laugh, never to perform them again.
Things We Don't Understand and Are Definitely Not Going To Talk About - Miranda July’s multi-media performance piece.
Tomorrow Show - Cult Midnight Comedy show originally hosted by Craig Anton, Ron Lynch and Brendon Small, then helmed by Ron Lynch. This staple of Los Angeles comedy launched Kate Micucci's career and features vignettes by the Doorknockers.
Other notable performances
The Idiots - A Comedy about Watson and Crick launched the theater’s first season. Written and Starring Ron Lynch and Craig Anton.
The Art of Bleeding – A night of experimental theater in which the audience experienced the sights and sounds of an actual medical emergency. Created and Produced by Al Ridenour. Special guests included Margaret Cho, Danny Shorago, Satanica, Los Ninos De La Tierra.
The Vampira Show – A Tribute Show and Fund Rasier hosted by Dana Gould for actress Maila Nurmi (Aka Vampira). Proceeds from the show went to a Fund to get Nurmi interred in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Eban Schletter’s Witching Hour – Eban Schletter, composer for the show SpongeBob SquarePants, put on a live version of his debut Halloween album Witching Hour. Starring Dave Foley, Paul F. Tompkins, Tom Kinney, Samm Levine, Grant Lee Phillips, Kris McGaha, Scott Aukerman and many more.
Girly Magazine Party – 1970s late night cable access show à la Playboy After Dark starring a plethora of rotating performers including Jim Turner, Mark Fite, Craig Anton, Music by Andy Paley, and many more.
The Rudy Casoni Variety Show – Rat Pack review hosted by Toby Huss. Music by Andy Paley & The Dago 5. Performers include Tom Lennon and Ben Garant, Billy the Mime, The Lampshades, Pat Healy, and Mark Fite.
Maja Doust – The self-proclaimed White Witch of Los Angeles,from the Philosophical Research Society, performed as an Oracle and answered various, deep audience questions about life, death, love, and the universe.
Supersmall – A benefit for "The 21st ChromosHome" project to help create a special needs community for people with Down Syndrome. Performers included Peter Hayes (of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), The Lampshades, Two-Headed Dog, Erin Quigly, and many other contributors.
The Whitest Kids U' Know – The NY based Sketch Comedy group debuted their first feature film, The Civil War on Drugs.
Robochrist Industries - Christian Ristow and his maniacal misfits of metal and mayhem presented actual live Robotic warfare (actual giant mobile robots destroying stuff) in the parking lot at the Steve Allen.
For the Glory of Steel - The Society for Creative Anachronism brought a night of contact Medieval battle in full-on armor. With guest metal band, Crom.
The Car Plays – Moving Arts Theater Company presented fifteen ten-minute pieces in actual cars. Multiple directors included Moving Arts artistic producer Paul Nicolai Stein.
The Unholy Three - Magic cabaret trio featuring David Lovering, Rob Zabrecky, and Fitzgerald performed their exclusive Magic Castle mystery revue with live piano accompaniment by Brad Kay.
2 Headed Dog - a four-man comedy troupe based in Los Angeles, composed of comedians Jim Turner, Mark Fite, Craig Anton, and Dave Allen.
The Kids in the Hall
The Steve Allen Theater is the Los Angeles home for The Kids in the Hall Canadian sketch comedy group. Multiple performances include their Reunion,
Reading of Pilot Episode,
Premier of Death comes to Town 6,
Premiere of Grand Guignol short,
the Final Kiss starring Dave Foley and Scott Thompson and Directed by Amit Itelman.
Solo shows by Bruce McCulloch,
Kevin Mcdonald
and Scott Thompson.
The Tribute, a musical directed by Dave Foley.
Selected screenings
Cronenberg Retrospective, featuring the Los Angeles premier of At the Suicide of the Last Jew in the World in the Last Cinema in the World. Horror Drive In Movie Series (Drive in technology by MobMov) - Human Are Such Easy Prey drive-in, Masters of Horror drive-in, curated by Mick Garris.
Lost screenings
Tobe Hooper’s lost first feature, Eggshells, An American Hippie in Israel, Grindhouse release of lost hippie film featured performance by Nashville garage band The Ettes.
Selected music performances
Janet Klein - Naughty, lovely and obscure musical gems. Film historian Jerry Beck presents rare vintage 16mm short films to open the show. John Doe & Rancid – Founder of Legendary band X, John Doe, featuring an acoustic set with Rancid. Salty Songs and Gilded Gab – Rockabilly Legend, Phil Alvin (of The Blasters) & Marquis Howell (of Hobo Jazz & Janet Klein's Parlor Boys) present a night of acoustic roots music. Hollywood Hotshots – An evening of hot upstairs Jazz special guests have included Victoria Jackson and Seth MacFarlane. Soriah Tuvan throat singing and Indonesian Shadow Puppet Theater. The Bilgewater Brothers – Jug band Jazz performed by David Barlia and John Reynolds. Headless Hearsemen - Surf band black light performance of headless musicians.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn - with Dave Lovering, Amit Itelman and Oscar Rey. Tulsa Skull Swingers – Stomp Surf band featuring Craig Anton, Blaine Capatch, Amit Itelman, Ron Lynch, and the Poubelle Twins. Faun Fables – Faun Fables is a psychedelic, folk band and performance art trio including Dawn McCarthy and Nils Frykdahl. Becky Stark – Lavender Diamond front woman variety show featured Miranda July, Josh Fadem, Ron Regé Jr., and more.
Closure
In March 2017, the Center for Inquiry board announced it accepted an offer to sell the theater and surrounding property. The new owner announced its plan to demolish the current structures on the site and construct a housing complex. The last performance was a gala on November 3 called The Last Night of the Steve Allen Theater that featured approximately 20 performers who recreated scenes from previous productions.
References
Category:2003 establishments in California
Category:Theatres in Los Angeles | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Wikipedia (en) |
The purpose of this K01 proposal is to gain training and experience using online social networks to increase HIV prevention communication and behavior change. This proposal seeks to determine the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of using online social networks to scale peer community leader models to increase HIV prevention within African-American and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM). Community-based behavior change models such as the peer community leader model have been proven to increase HIV prevention behaviors. Social networks such as Facebook.com may be a cost-effective platform for scaling community-based models. Although primarily upper middle-class White populations used the Internet in its early years, Internet use within African-American and Latino households has recently increased dramatically, especially on online social networks such as Facebook.com. People using the Internet may be at the highest risk for contracting HIV and are using novel Internet approaches to find sex partners, such as through online social networks. No published studies have looked at whether community-based HIV prevention models can be scaled using online social networks, making this an important feasibility study. We propose the following specific aims to address this research: Specific Aim 1: Use qualitative methods to explore whether and how online social networks can be used for HIV prevention in African American and Latino MSM. Specific Aim 2: Assess the best communication methods for using online social networks for HIV prevention and use this knowledge to create 2 structured guides (one guide for African American MSM and one guide for Latino MSM) for peer leaders to disseminate HIV prevention behavior change information to African American and Latino MSM. Specific Aim 3: Design a pilot study to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of using online social networks to increase testing and HIV prevention behaviors in African American and Latino MSM. The pilot data collected from this study will be used to develop an R01 proposal for a larger randomized trial designed to assess whether online social networks can be used to scale community-based prevention interventions to increase testing and decrease HIV transmission within communities at disproportionately high-risk for HIV. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The effectiveness of community-based HIV prevention methods may by hindered by the stigma associated with face-to-face conversations about HIV (e.g., talking about HIV might may lead to stigmatization by implying that one is infected;showing up to get tested may lead to stigmatization by implying possible infection;joining a public group of other people at high-risk may lead to stigmatization by association with others). Online social networks, such as Facebook.com, have the potential to overcome these barriers by removing the potential discomfort of face-to-face contact while quickly reaching large populations of at-risk individuals. Although studies suggest that the Internet has promise for delivering primary prevention, the present proposal has the potential to be the first published NIH-funded study suggesting that online social networking sites can be used to increase HIV prevention and HIV testing behavior. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | NIH ExPorter |
---
abstract: 'We study the asymptotic expansion for the Landau constants $G_n$, $$\pi G_{n}\sim \ln(16N)+\gamma+\sum^{\infty}_{k=1}\frac{\alpha_k}{N^k} ~~\mbox{as} ~ n\rightarrow\infty,$$ where $N=n+1$, and $\gamma$ is Euler’s constant. We show that the signs of the coefficients $\alpha_{k}$ demonstrate a periodic behavior such that $(-1)^{\frac {l(l+1)} 2} \alpha_{l+1}< 0$ for all $l$. We further prove a conjecture of Granath which states that $(-1)^{\frac {l(l+1)} 2} \varepsilon_l(N)<0$ for $l=0,1,2,\cdots$ and $n=0,1,2,\cdots$, $\varepsilon_l(N)$ being the error due to truncation at the $l$-th order term. Consequently, we also obtain the sharp bounds up to arbitrary orders of the form $$\ln(16N)+\gamma+\sum_{k=1}^{p}\frac{\alpha_{k}}{N^{k}}<\pi G_{n}<\ln(16N)+\gamma+\sum_{k=1}^{q}\frac{\alpha_{k}}{N^{k}}$$ for all $n=0,1,2\cdots$, all $p=4s+1,\; 4s+2$ and $q=4m,\; 4m+3$, with $s=0,1,2,\cdots$ and $m=0, 1, 2,\cdots$.'
author:
- 'Chun-Ru Zhao, Wen-Gao Long and Yu-Qiu Zhao[^1]'
date: ' [*[Department of Mathematics, Sun Yat-sen University, GuangZhou 510275, China]{}*]{} '
title: Proof of a conjecture of Granath on optimal bounds of the Landau constants
---
[*[MSC2010:]{}*]{} 39A60; 41A60; 41A17; 33C05
.3cm [*[Keywords: ]{}*]{} Landau constants; second-order linear difference equation; sharper bound; asymptotic expansion; hypergeometric function .3cm
Introduction and Statement of Results
=====================================
In 1913, Landau [@Landau] proved that if $f(z)$ is analytic in the unit disc, and $\left|f(z)\right| <1$ for $|z|<1$, with the Maclaurin expansion $$f(z)=a_0+a_1 z+a_2 z^2+\cdots+a_n z^n+\cdots,~~ \left|z\right|<1,$$ then there exist constants $G_n$ such that $$\left| a_0+a_1+\cdots+a_n \right|\leq G_n,~~n=0,1,2,\cdots,$$ and the bound is optimal for each $n$, where $G_0=1$, and $$\label{Landau-constants}
G_{n}=1+\left (\frac{1}{2}\right )^{2}+\left (\frac{1\cdot3}{2\cdot4}\right )^{2}+\cdots
+\left (\frac{1\cdot3\cdot\cdots(2n-1)}{2\cdot4\cdot\cdots(2n)}\right )^{2}~~\mbox{for}~~n=1,2,\cdots.$$
The constants $G_n$ are termed the Landau constants. The large-$n$ behavior is known from the very beginning. Landau [@Landau] derived that $$G_n\sim \frac{1}{\pi}\ln n ~~\mbox{as}~n\rightarrow\infty;$$see also Watson [@Watson]. It is worth mentioning that there exist generating functions for these constants; cf. [@Cvijovic-Srivastava], possible $q$-versions of the constants; cf. [@ismail-li-rahman2015], and an observation made by Ramannujan (cf. [@Cvijovic-Srivastava]) that relates the Landau constants to the generalized hypergeometric functions. Useful integral representations for $G_n$ have been obtained from such relations; cf., e.g., Watson [@Watson]; see also Cvijović and Srivastava [@Cvijovic-Srivastava].
The approximation of $G_n$ has gone in two related directions. One is to obtain large-$n$ asymptotic approximations for the constants, in a time period spanning from the early twentieth century [@Landau; @Watson] to very recently [@Cvijovic-Srivastava; @li-liu-xu-zhao1]. The other direction is to find sharper bounds of $G_n$ for all nonnegative integers $n$. Authors working on the sharper bounds includes Brutman [@Brutmam] and Falaleev [@Falaleev] (in terms of elementary functions), Alzer [@Alzer] and Cvijović and Klinowski [@Cvijovic-Klinowski] (using the digamma function), Zhao [@zhao], Mortici [@Mortici] and Granath [@Granath] (involving higher order terms), and Chen and Choi [@chen-choi2014] and Chen [@chen2014] (digamma function and higher order terms). The list is by no means complete. The reader is referred to [@Cvijovic-Srivastava; @li-liu-xu-zhao1; @li-liu-xu-zhao2] for a historic account.
Optimal bounds up to all orders
-------------------------------
Attempts have been made to seek bounds in a sense optimal, and up to arbitrary accuracy.
In 2012, Nemes [@nemes] derived full asymptotic expansions. For $0 <h < 3/2$, he shows that the Landau constants $G_n$ have the asymptotic expansion $$\label{nemes-expansion}
G_n\sim \frac 1 \pi \ln (n+h) +\frac 1 \pi (\gamma+4\ln 2 ) - \sum_{k\geq 1}\frac {g_k(h)}{(n+h)^k}~~\mbox{as}~~n\rightarrow +\infty,$$ where $\gamma=0.577215\cdots$ is Euler’s constant. Earlier in 2011, the special cases $h=\frac 12$ and $h=1$ were established by Nemes and Nemes [@nemes-nemes] using a formula in [@Cvijovic-Klinowski]. They also conjecture in [@nemes-nemes] a symmetry property of the computable constant coefficients such that $g_k(h)=(-1)^k g_k(3/2-h)$ for every $k\geq 1$. The conjecture has been proved by G. Nemes himself in [@nemes]. A natural consequence is that for $h=3/4$, all odd terms in the expansion vanish. In this important special case, Nemes [@nemes] has further proved that
(Nemes) The following asymptotic approximation holds: $$\label{beta-alternative}
\pi G_n\sim \ln (n+3/4) + \gamma+4\ln 2 + \sum_{s=1}^\infty \frac { \beta_{2s}}{ (n+3/4)^{2s}},~~n\rightarrow \infty,$$ where the coefficients $(-1)^{s+1}\beta_{2s}$ are positive rational numbers.
The derivation of Nemes [@nemes] is based on an integral representation of $G_n$ involving a Gauss hypergeometric function in the integrand. An entirely different difference equation approach is applied in Li [*et al.*]{} [@li-liu-xu-zhao1] to obtain full asymptotic expansions with coefficients iteratively given. What is more, in a follow-up paper [@li-liu-xu-zhao2], it is shown that the error due to truncation of is bounded in absolutely value by, and of the same sign as, the first neglected term for all $n=0,1,2,\cdots$. An immediate corollary is
(Li, Liu, Xu and Zhao) For $N=n+3/4$, it holds $$\label{beta-bounds}
\ln N+\gamma+4\ln 2+\sum_{s=1}^{2m}\frac{\beta_{2s}}{N^{2s}}< \pi G_n < \ln N+\gamma+4\ln 2+\sum_{s=1}^{2k-1}\frac{\beta_{2s}}{N^{2s}}$$ for all $n=0,1,2,\cdots$, $m=0,1,2,\cdots$, and $k=1,2,\cdots$.
In a sense, the formulas and in the above propositions seem to have ended a journey since one has thus obtained optimal bounds up to arbitrary orders. Yet there is an interesting observation worth mentioning, as presented in the 2012 paper [@Granath] of Granath; see also [@li-liu-xu-zhao2].
Granath derives an asymptotic expansion $$\label{Granath-expansion}
\pi G_{n}\sim \ln(16N)+\gamma +\sum_{k=1} ^\infty \frac{\alpha_k}{N^k}, ~~n\rightarrow\infty,$$ where $\alpha_k$ are effectively computable constants but not explicitly given, except for the first few. Here and hereafter we use the notation $N=n+1$.
Denoting the truncation of $$\label{Granath-truncated}
A_l(N)=\ln(16N)+\gamma +\sum_{k=1} ^l \frac{\alpha_k}{N^k},$$ then one of the main results in Zhao [@zhao] reads $A_2(N) < \pi G_n< A_3(N)$ for $n=0,1,2,\cdots$. Mortici [@Mortici] have actually proved that $
A_5(N)<\pi G_{n}<A_4(N)$ for all non-negative $n$.
In [@Granath], Granath proves that $A_5(N) <\pi G_{n} < A_7(N)$ and states that $A_9(N) <\pi G_{n} < A_{11}(N)$, for all non-negative $n$. Based on these formulas and numerical evidences, Granath proposes a conjecture.
(Granath) It holds $$\label{Granath-conjecture}
(-1)^{\frac {l(l+1)} 2} \left ( \pi G_{n}-A_l(N)\right ) <0$$for all $n=0, 1,2,\cdots$ and $l=0,1,2,\cdots$.
Statement of results
--------------------
We will show that the conjecture is true. To do so, we will make use of the second order difference equation for $G_n$ employed in [@li-liu-xu-zhao1], and some estimating techniques used in [@li-liu-xu-zhao2].
First we denote the error term $$\label{remainder}
\varepsilon_l(N)=\pi G_n -A_l(N)=\pi G_n -\left\{ \ln(16N)+\gamma +\sum_{k=1} ^l \frac{\alpha_k}{N^k} \right\};$$cf. , where $N=n+1$. It is readily seen that $\varepsilon_l(N)\sim {\alpha_{l+1}}/{N^{l+1}}$ as $N\to\infty$. Hence we may start by showing that holds for large $n$. To this aim, we have
\[coefficient\] The coefficients of the asymptotic expansion satisfy $$\label{the-coefficient-sgn}
(-1)^{\frac {l(l+1)} 2} \alpha_{l+1}< 0,~~l=0,1,2,\cdots.$$
Next, we will prove the conjecture for all non-negative $n$.
\[thm epsilon-N\] For $N=n+1$, it holds $$\label{the-remainder-sgn}
(-1)^{\frac {l(l+1)} 2} \varepsilon_l(N)<0$$ for $l=0, 1,2,\cdots$ and $n=0, 1,2,\cdots$.
As a straightforward application of Theorem \[thm epsilon-N\], we obtain the following sharp bounds up to arbitrary orders.
\[thm-inequalities\] For $N=n+1$, it holds $A_p(N) <\pi G_{n}<A_q(N)$, that is, $$\label{sharp-bounds}
\ln(16N)+\gamma+\sum_{k=1}^{p}\frac{\alpha_{k}}{N^{k}} <\pi G_{n}< \ln(16N)+\gamma+\sum_{k=1}^{q}\frac{\alpha_{k}}{N^{k}}$$ for all $n=0,1,2,\cdots$ and for all $p=4s+1,\;4s+2$ and $q=4m,\;4m+3$, with $s=0,1,2,\cdots$ and $m=0,1,2,\cdots$.
In view of Theorem \[coefficient\], we see that the bounds in are optimal as $n\to\infty$.
Theorem \[thm epsilon-N\] can actually be understood as an estimate of the error term, such that the error due to truncation is bounded in absolute value by, and of the same sign as, the first one or two neglected terms. Indeed, since $$\varepsilon_l(N)=\frac {\alpha_{l+1}}{N^{l+1}}+ \varepsilon_{l+1}(N)~~\mbox{and}~~\varepsilon_l(N)=\frac {\alpha_{l+1}} {N^{l+1}}+ \frac { \alpha_{l+2}}{N^{l+2}}+ \varepsilon_{l+2}(N),$$ taking into account the signs in Theorems \[coefficient\] and \[thm epsilon-N\], we have $$0< \varepsilon_{4k+1}(N)< \frac { \alpha_{4k+2}}{N^{4k+2}}+ \frac { \alpha_{4k+3}}{N^{4k+3}}~~\mbox{and}~~0< \varepsilon_{4k+2}(N)< \frac { \alpha_{4k+3}}{N^{4k+3}}$$for all non-negative integers $n$ and $k$, and $$\frac { \alpha_{4k+1}}{N^{4k+1}} < \varepsilon_{4k}(N)<0~~\mbox{and}~~ \frac { \alpha_{4k+4}}{N^{4k+4}} + \frac { \alpha_{4k+5}}{N^{4k+5}} < \varepsilon_{4k+3}(N)< 0$$for all non-negative integers $n$ and $k$.
As a by-product of the proof of Theorem \[thm epsilon-N\], we have approximations of the asymptotic coefficients, follows respectively from and :
\[cor-coefficient-approx\] Assume that $\alpha_k$ are the coefficients in the asymptotic expansion . Then we have $$\label{alpha-even-approx}
\alpha_{2k}=(-1)^{k+1} \frac { 2(2k-2)!} {(2\pi)^{2k}} \left (1+O\left (\frac 1 k\right )\right )$$and $$\label{alpha-odd-approx}
\alpha_{2k+1}=(-1)^{k+1} \frac {8 (2k)! \ln (2k+1)}{(2\pi)^{2k+2}} \left ( 1+ O \left (\frac 1 {\ln k}\right )\right )$$ as $k\to \infty$.
The asymptotic coefficients and the proof of Theorem \[coefficient\]
====================================================================
From the representation one obtains the recurrence relation $$G_{n+1}-G_n= \left (\frac {2n+1}{2n+2}\right )^2 \left (G_n-G_{n-1}\right ).$$ Set $N=n+1$, we may rewrite it as a standard second-order difference equation $$\label{difference-equation}
w(N+1)-\left (2-\frac 1 N+\frac 1{4N^2}\right ) w(N)+\left (1-\frac 1 {2N}\right )^2 w(N-1)=0,$$ where $w(N)=\pi G_n$. An interesting fact is that the formal solution to is an asymptotic solution; cf. Li and Wong [@Wong-Li1992a]; see also [@li-liu-xu-zhao1]. Hence the asymptotic series furnishes a formal solution of . Therefore, one way to determine the coefficients $\alpha_k$ is to substitute into and equalizing the coefficients of the same powers of $x=1/N$. We include some details as follows. $$\ln (1+x)+\sum^\infty_{k=1} \frac {\alpha_k x^k}{(1+x)^k}
-\left (2-x+\frac {x^2} 4\right ) \sum^\infty_{k=1} \alpha_k x^k
+\left (1-\frac x 2\right )^2 \left [ \ln (1-x)
+\sum^\infty_{k=1}\frac{\alpha_k x^k}{(1-x)^k}\right ]=0.$$ Using the Maclaurin series expansions, we have $$- \sum_{s=3}^\infty d_{0,s} x^s +\sum^\infty_{k=1} \alpha_k x^k \sum^\infty_{j=2} d_{k, j+k}x^j=
\sum^\infty_{s=3} \left ( \sum^{s-2}_{k=1} d_{k, s} \alpha_k - d_{0, s}\right ) x^s =0.$$ Accordingly, coefficients $\alpha_k$ are determined by $$\label{coefficient-alpha}
d_{s-2, s}\alpha_{s-2}+d_{s-3,s}\alpha_{s-3}+\cdots+d_{1, s}\alpha_1-d_{0,s}=0, ~~s=3,4, \cdots,$$ where the coefficients $d_{s-2, s}=(s-2)^2$ for $s=3,4,\cdots$, $$\begin{aligned}
& d_{0,s}=\frac {(-1)^{s} +1} s -\frac 1{s-1}+ \frac 1 {4(s-2)}~~\mbox{for}~s=3,4,\cdots,~~\mbox{and}\label{d-0-s} \\
& d_{k,s}=\frac {\left ( (-1)^{s-k} +1\right ) (k)_{s-k}} {(s-k)!} -\frac {(k)_{s-k-1}}{(s-k-1)!}+ \frac {(k)_{s-k-2}} {4(s-k-2)!} \label{d-k-s}
\end{aligned}$$ for $k=1,2,\cdots, s-3$ and $s=k+3, k+4,\cdots$.
Appealing to -, the first few coefficients $\alpha_k$ can be evaluated as $$\begin{array}{llll}
\alpha_1= -\frac 1 4 , &\alpha_2=\frac{5}{192} , &\alpha_3=\frac{3}{128} , &\alpha_4= -\frac{341}{122880}, \\[.1cm]
\alpha_5= -\frac{75}{8192}, &\alpha_6=\frac{7615}{8257536} , & \alpha_7=\frac{2079}{262144} , &\alpha_8= -\frac {679901}{1006632960} ,\\[.1cm]
\alpha_9=-\frac{409875}{33554432}, &\alpha_{10}=\frac{16210165}{17716740096} , & \alpha_{11}=\frac{31709469}{1073741824} , & \alpha_{12}=-\frac{568756771963}{281406257233920} .
\end{array}$$ One readily sees a periodic phenomenon of the signs of the coefficients, which agrees with Theorem \[coefficient\]. To give a full proof of the theorem, we may connect the coefficients with those in , and eventually with a certain hypergeometric function. Indeed, re-expanding the formula in descending powers of $N=n+1$ yields the expansion . Hence we have $$\label{alpha-beta}
\alpha_k=4^{-k} \left [ -\frac 1 k+\sum^k_{j=1} \frac {(k-1)! 4^j \beta_j} {(j-1)! (k-j)!}\right ],~~k=1,2,\cdots;$$ cf. [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 (4.4)], where $\beta_j$ vanish for odd integers $j$. We also note that the coefficients $\beta_{2k}$ possess a generating function, that is, $$\label{u-function}
u(x)= \sum^\infty_{k=0} \rho_k x^{2k} =\frac x {2\sin\frac x 2} F\left ( \frac 1 2, \frac 1 2; 1; \sin^2\frac x 4\right ):= \frac x {2\sin\frac x 2} F\left ( \sin^2\frac x 4\right ) ,$$ where $\rho_0=1$ and $\rho_s=\frac {(-1)^{s+1}\beta_{2s}}{(2s-1)!}$, $s=1,2,\cdots$ are the positive constants defined in [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 Sec. 3.1]. It is shown in [@li-liu-xu-zhao2] that the generating function $u$ solves a second-order differential equation, and consequently the hypergeometric function $F\left ( \frac 1 2, \frac 1 2; 1; t\right )$ is brought in. It is worth noting that the function also furnishes a generating relation for the Landau constants, namely $\frac {F(x)}{1-x}=\sum^\infty_{n=0} G_n x^n$ for small $x$; see [@nemes]. Here and hereafter we denote for short the hypergeometric function as $F(t)=F\left ( \frac 1 2, \frac 1 2; 1; t\right )$.
.4cm
[**[Proof of Theorem \[coefficient\]]{}**]{}. From we have $$\label{alpha-2k}
\frac {\alpha_{2k}}{(2k-1)!} =\sum^k_{s=0} \frac {(-1)^{s+1} \rho_s}{(2k-2s)!} \left (\frac 1 4\right )^{2k-2s}~~\mbox{for}~k=1,2,\cdots .$$Here use has been made of the fact that $\beta_{2s-1}=0$ for $s=1,2,\cdots$. From we further have $$\label{generating-function-2k1}
1+\sum^\infty_{k=1} \frac {(-1)^{k+1} \alpha_{2k}}{(2k-1)!}x^{2k} =\left\{\sum^\infty_{s=0} \rho_s x^{2s} \right\} \left\{
\sum^\infty_{s=0} \frac 1 {(2s)!} \left (-\frac {x^2} {16} \right )^{s}\right\} =u(x)\cos\frac x 4 .$$ Combining with , and applying a quadratic transformation formula, we have $$1+\sum^\infty_{k=1} \frac {(-1)^{k+1} \alpha_{2k}}{(2k-1)!}x^{2k} =\frac {\frac x 4}{\sin\frac x 4} F\left ( \sin^2\frac x 4\right )= \frac {\frac x 4}{\sin\frac x 4} \frac 1 {\cos^2\frac x 8} F\left ( \tan^4\frac x 8\right );$$see [@as (15.3.17)]. Each factor on the right-hand side possesses a Maclaurin expansion with positive coefficients; see Nemes [@nemes pp.842-843]. Hence we conclude that $$\label{alpha-even-sgn}
(-1)^{k+1} \alpha_{2k}>0~~\mbox{for}~k=1,2,\cdots.$$
Similarly, we may write $$\label{tlide a odd}
\sum^\infty_{k=0} \frac {(-1)^{k+1} \alpha_{2k+1}}{(2k)!}x^{2k}=\frac 1 4 \left\{\sum^\infty_{s=0} \rho_s x^{2s} \right\} \left\{
\sum^\infty_{s=0} \frac 1 {(2s+1)!} \left (-\frac {x^2} {16} \right )^{s}\right\} =u(x)\frac {\sin\frac x 4} x .$$Taking into account, we can write the right-hand side term as $$\frac 1 {4\cos\frac x 4} F\left ( \sin^2\frac x 4\right )= \frac 1 {4\cos\frac x 4} \frac 1 {\cos^2\frac x 8} F\left ( \tan^4\frac x 8\right ),$$which again has a Maclaurin expansion with all positive coefficients. Here we have used the formula $$\frac 1 {\cos t}=\sum^\infty_{k=0}\frac {(-1)^k E_{2k} }{(2k)!} t^{2k},$$where $E_{2k}$ are the Euler numbers such that $(-1)^k E_{2k}>0$ for $k=0,1,2,\cdots$; see [@nist (24.2.6)-(24.2.7)]. Accordingly we have $$\label{alpha-odd-sgn}
(-1)^{k+1} \alpha_{2k+1}>0~~\mbox{for}~k=0,1,2,\cdots.$$ A combination of and then gives . .5cm
Proof of Theorem \[thm epsilon-N\]
==================================
To give a rigorous proof of Theorem \[thm epsilon-N\], we introduce $$\label{R-l}
R_l(N)=\varepsilon_l(N+1)-\left (2-\frac 1 N +\frac 1 {4N^2}\right ) \varepsilon_l(N)+ \left (1-\frac 1 {2N}\right )^2 \varepsilon_l(N-1)$$for $l=0,1,2\cdots$ and $N=n+1=1,2,3,\cdots$, where $\varepsilon_l$ is the remainder term given in . Similar to the derivation of , substituting into , and again denoting $x=1/N$, we see that $R_l(N)$ is an analytic function of $x$ at the origin, with the Maclaurin expansion $$\label{R-l-expansion}
R_l(N)= \sum_{k=3}^\infty d_{0,k} x^k -\sum^l_{k=1} \alpha_k x^k \sum^\infty_{j=2} d_{k, j+k}x^j =\sum^\infty_{s=l+3} r_{l,s} x^s,$$ where, for $s=l+3, l+4,\cdots$, and $l=0,1,2,\cdots$, the coefficients in are $$\label{R-l-coefficient}
r_{l,s}=-\left(d_{l, s}\alpha_{l}+d_{l-1, s}\alpha_{l-1}+\cdots+d_{1, s}\alpha_1-d_{0, s}\right).$$
To justify Theorem \[thm epsilon-N\], we state a lemma as follows, leaving the proof of it to later sections.
[\[lemma-R(N)\]]{}For $N=n+1$, it holds $$\label{R-even-sgn}
\tilde R_{2l}(N):=(-1)^{l+1} R_{2l}(N)>0,~~n=1,2,3,\cdots,~~l=0,1,2,\cdots .$$
Now we prove the theorem, assuming that Lemma \[lemma-R(N)\] holds true..5cm
[**[Proof of Theorem \[thm epsilon-N\]]{}**]{}. For fixed $l$, $l=0,1,2\cdots$, first we show that $$\label{remainder-even-sgn}
\tilde\varepsilon_{2l}(N):=(-1)^{l+1} \varepsilon_{2l}(N)>0$$ for all $n=1,2,\cdots$, where $N=n+1$. To this aim, we note that $$\label{tilde-varepsilon-2l}
\tilde\varepsilon_{2l}(N) = (-1)^{l+1} \varepsilon_{2l}(N)= \frac {(-1)^{l+1}\alpha_{2l+1}}{N^{2l+1}}\left\{ 1+O\left ( \frac 1 N\right )\right \}
= \frac {\left |\alpha_{2l+1}\right |}{N^{2l+1}}\left\{ 1+O\left ( \frac 1 N\right )\right \}
>0$$ for $N$ large enough; cf. , and . Now assume that $\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(N)>0$ is not true for some $N$. Then there exists a finite positive $M$ such that $$M=\max\{N=n+1: n\in \mathbb{N}~ \mbox{and}~ \tilde\varepsilon_{2l}(N)\leq 0\}.$$Thus for the positive integer $M$, we have $\tilde\varepsilon_{2l}(M)\leq 0$, while $\tilde\varepsilon_{2l}(M+1),~ \tilde\varepsilon_{2l}(M+2),~ \cdots > 0$.
Denoting $b(N)= \left (1-\frac 1 {2N}\right )^2$ for simplicity, from we have $$\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+2)=(1+b(M+1)) \tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+1)+b(M+1) ( -\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M)) +\tilde R_{2l}(M+1).$$The later terms on the right-hand side are nonnegative (where $M+1\geq 2$), hence we have $$\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+2)\geq (1+b(M+1)) \tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+1) >\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+1).$$ Moreover, from we further have $$\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+3)\geq (1+b(M+2)) \tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+2)+b(M+2) ( -\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+1))
> \tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+2) .$$ Repeating the process gives $$\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+k+1)
> \tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+k),~~k=1,2,\cdots .$$ By induction we conclude $$\label{inequality}
\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+1) < \tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+k)$$for $k\geq 2$. Recalling that $\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(N)=O\left ( N^{-2l-1}\right )$ for $N\to\infty$; cf. , letting $k\to\infty$ in gives $\tilde \varepsilon_{2l}(M+1)\leq 0$. This contradicts the fact that $\tilde\varepsilon_{2l}(M+1)>0$. Hence holds.
Now from , and , we have $$\label{remainder-odd-sgn}
(-1)^l \varepsilon_{2l-1}(N) = \frac { (-1)^{l} \alpha_{2l}} {N^{2l}} +(-1)^l \varepsilon_{2l}(N)<0~~\mbox{for}~~ l=1,2,3,\cdots,~~\mbox{and}~~ n=1,2,\cdots,$$ where $N=n+1$.
A combination of and gives . Thus completes the proof of the theorem.
Lemma \[lem-alpha-k-estimate\]: Estimating of the coefficients $\alpha_k$
=========================================================================
To prove Lemma \[lemma-R(N)\], first we estimate the coefficients $\alpha_k$, or, more precisely, the quantities $\tilde \alpha_{2k}= \frac {(-1)^{k+1} \alpha_{2k}} {(2k-1)!}$ and $\tilde \alpha_{2k+1}= \frac {(-1)^{k+1} \alpha_{2k+1}} {(2k)!}$ for $k=1,2,\cdots$. These are positive constants; cf. and . As a preparation, we give a brief account of the analytic continuation of the hypergeometric function. The reader is referred to [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 Sec. 3.2] for full details. We denote $$\label{varphi}
\varphi(z)=F\left(\sin^2 \frac{z}{4}\right )= F\left(\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2};1;\sin^2 \frac{z}{4}\right)~~\mbox{for}~~\Re z \in (-2\pi, 2\pi)\cup (2\pi, 6\pi).$$Then the piecewise-defined function $$\label{varphi-continuation}
v(z)=\left \{\begin{array}{ll}
\varphi(z), & 0\leq \Re z < 2\pi, \\
\varphi(z) \pm 2i \varphi(z-2\pi), & 2\pi< \Re z < 4\pi~\mbox{and}~\pm\Im z>0
\end{array}\right .$$furnishes an analytic continuation of $\varphi(z)$ in from the strip $\Re z \in [0, 2\pi)$ to the cut strip $0\leq \Re z<4\pi$ and $z\not\in [2\pi, +\infty)$. What is more, we have the connection formula (see [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 (3.17)]) $$\label{v-connection}
v(z)=v_A(z) -\frac 2 \pi \varphi (z-2\pi)\ln \left (2\pi -z \right )$$ for $0< \Re z <4\pi$, with $v_A(z)$ being analytic in the strip, and the branch of the logarithm being chosen as $\arg (2\pi -z)\in (-\pi, \pi)$. We proceed to show that
\[lem-alpha-k-estimate\] It holds $$\label{alpha-2k-estimate}
\frac{1.9621}{2k-1}\frac{1}{(2\pi)^{2k}}\leq \tilde \alpha_{2k}\leq\frac{2.2032}{2k-1}\frac{1}{(2\pi)^{2k}}
,~~ k=9, 10,11, \cdots$$ and $$\label{alpha-2k+1-estimate}
\frac{4\ln(2k+1)+0.6551}{\pi(2\pi)^{2k+1}}\leq \tilde \alpha_{2k+1}\leq\frac{4\ln(2k+1)+2.2048}{\pi(2\pi)^{2k+1}},~~k=9,10,11,\cdots .$$
![The deformed contour $\Gamma$: the oriented curve (see [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 Fig.2]).[]{data-label="contour-Gamma"}](figure2.eps){height="6cm"}
[**[Proof]{}**]{}. We understand as a generating relation for $\tilde \alpha_{2k}$. Using the Cauchy integral formula, and in view of , we have $$\tilde \alpha_{2k}=\frac{1}{2 \pi i}\oint\frac {u(z)\cos( {z}/{4})}{z^{2k+1}} dz=\frac{1}{8\pi i}\int_{\Gamma} \frac{v(z)}{\sin({z}/{4})}\frac {dz}{z^{2k}},$$ where initially the integration path $\Gamma$ is a loop encircling the origin anti-clockwise, and is then deformed to the oriented curve illustrated in Figure \[contour-Gamma\]; see also [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 Fig.2], and $v(z)$ is the function defined in . From , paying attention to the symmetric properties of $v(z)$ and $\Gamma$, we have $$\label{alpha-2k-tuta}
\tilde \alpha_{2k}=\frac{1}{4\pi i}\int_{\Gamma_v}\frac{v(z)}{\sin({z}/{4})}\frac { dz }{z^{2k}}
-\frac{1}{4\pi i}\int_{\Gamma_l}\frac{\frac{2}{\pi}\varphi(z-2\pi)\ln(2\pi-z)}{\sin({z}/{4})}\frac {dz}{ z^{2k}}:=I_v+I_l,$$where $\Gamma_v$ is the vertical part $\Re z=3\pi$, and $\Gamma_l$ is the remaining right-half part of $\Gamma$, consisting of a circular part around $z=2\pi$, and a pair of horizontal line segments, respectively along the upper and lower edges of $(2\pi, 3\pi)$, joining the circle with the vertical line; see Figure \[contour-Gamma\].
First, straightforward calculation gives $$\label{even-Iv}
\left|I_v\right|\leq \frac {M_v}{4\pi} \frac 1 {(3\pi)^{2k}} \int^\infty_{-\infty} \frac {dy}{\big | \sin \frac {3\pi+iy}4\big |}= \frac{M_v}{2\pi(3\pi)^{2k}}B\left (\frac{1}{4},\frac{1}{4}\right )\approx\frac{3.1153\cdots}{(3\pi)^{2k}},$$ where $|v(3\pi+iy)| \leq \sqrt 5 \max_{y\in \mathbb{R}} \left |\varphi(\pi+iy)\right |\leq M_v=2.6393\cdots$; cf. [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 p.297], and $B\left (\frac{1}{4},\frac{1}{4}\right )$ is the Beta function.
Now we turn to the dominant part $I_l$. It is readily seen that $$\label{even-Il}
I_l=\frac 1 \pi\int^{3\pi}_{2\pi} \frac {\varphi(x-2\pi)}{ \sin (x/4)}\frac {dx}{x^{2k}}= \frac{1}{\pi}\int_{2\pi}^{3\pi}\frac{dx}{x^{2k}} +\frac{1}{\pi}\int_{2\pi}^{3\pi}\left\{\frac{g(x)-1}{x-2\pi}\right\}\frac{(x-2\pi)}{x^{2k}}dx,$$ where $g(x)=\frac{\varphi(x-2\pi)}{\sin({x}/{4})}$ such that $g(2\pi)=1$. One can see that $\frac{g(x)-1}{x-2\pi}$ is positive and monotone increasing for $x\in (2\pi, 3\pi]$ since $$\frac{g(x)-1}{x-2\pi}=\left\{ \frac {\sin(t/4)}{t\cos(t/4)}\right \} \left\{ \frac {\varphi(t) -1}{\sin(t/4)}\right\} +\left\{ \frac 1 t \left (\frac 1 {\cos(t/4)}-1\right)\right\},~~t=x-2\pi,$$ and each right-hand side term in the curly braces is positive and monotone increasing for $t\in (0, \pi]$; see [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 p.299] for the monotonicity of $\frac {\varphi(t) -1}{\sin(t/4)}$. Therefore, we have for $x\in (2\pi, 3\pi]$, $$0\leq \frac{g(x)-1}{x-2\pi}\leq \frac{g(3\pi)-1}{\pi}:= M_g=\frac 1 \pi \left [\sqrt 2\; F\left (\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2};1;\frac{1}{2}\right )-1\right]= 0.2130\cdots.$$ Substituting it into , we have $$\label{even-I2}
I_l=\frac{2}{2k-1}\frac{1}{(2\pi)^{2k}}+\frac{\delta_{l,k}}{(2k-1)(2\pi)^{2k}}$$ with $-3\left (\frac{2}{3}\right )^{2k}<\delta_{l,k}\leq\frac{2\pi M_g}{k-1}$. Further substituting and into gives $$\label{alpha-2k-tuta-approx}
\tilde \alpha_{2k}=\frac{2}{2k-1}\frac{1}{(2\pi)^{2k}}+\frac{\delta_k}{(2k-1)(2\pi)^{2k}}$$ with $$ -\left \{ 3.1153\;(2k-1)+3\right \} \left (\frac 2 3\right )^{2k} <\delta_{k} < 3.1153\;(2k-1) \left (\frac 2 3\right )^{2k} +
\frac{2\pi M_g}{(k-1)}.$$Hence for $k\geq 9$, we obtain the inequalities in ..3cm
Now we turn to the inequality for the odd terms. From and we have $$\tilde \alpha_{2k+1}=\frac{1}{2\pi i}\oint \frac {u(z)\sin({z}/{4}) dz }{z^{2k+2}}=\frac{1}{8\pi i}\int_{\Gamma}\frac{v(z)dz}{\cos({z}/{4}) \; z^{2k+1}},$$where $\Gamma$ is the same path illustrated in Figure \[contour-Gamma\]. Then, in view of the connection formula , we may write $$\begin{aligned} \label{odd-coefficients-sum}
\tilde \alpha_{2k+1}=& \frac{1}{4 \pi i}\int_{\Gamma_v}\frac{v(z)}{\cos{\frac{z}{4}}}\frac {dz} { z^{2k+1} }+
\frac{1}{4\pi i}\int_{\Gamma_l}\frac{v_{A}(z)}{\cos{\frac{z}{4}}}\frac {dz}{z^{2k+1}} \\
& -\frac{1}{4\pi i}\int_{\Gamma_l}\frac{\frac{2}{\pi}\varphi(z-2\pi)\ln(2\pi-z)}{\cos{\frac{z}{4}}}\frac {dz}{z^{2k+1}}
:=J_v+J_a+J_l, \end{aligned}$$ where the integration paths $\Gamma_v$ and $\Gamma_l$ are the same as in ; see Figure \[contour-Gamma\]. We note that the procedure in [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 Sec.3.3] applies here, with minor modifications. Case by case estimating gives $$\label{tlide-iv}
\left|J_v\right|\leq \left \{ \frac{M_v}{2 \pi} B\left (\frac{1}{4},\frac{1}{4}\right )\right\} \frac 1 {(3\pi)^{2k+1}}\approx\frac{3.1153\cdots}{(3\pi)^{2k+1}};$$see . Also, picking up the residue at $z=2\pi$ yields $$\label{tlide-ia}
J_a=\frac{2v_A(2\pi)}{(2\pi)^{2k+1}}=\frac{16\ln{2}}{\pi(2\pi)^{2k+1}},$$where $v_A(2\pi)=\frac {8 \ln 2} \pi$; see [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 (3.21)]. The dominant contribution comes from the last integral $J_l$. We follow the steps in [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 pp.299-301], and eventually obtain $$\label{tlide-il}
J_l=\frac{4\ln(2k+1) - (4\gamma+4\ln(2\pi))+\delta_{l,k} }{\pi(2\pi)^{2k+1}},$$where $\left|\delta_{l,k}\right|<2M_\varphi +\frac \pi k \tilde M_f +\frac 4 {k+\frac 1 2} e^{-k-\frac 1 2} $ for positive integers $k$ with $M_\varphi=\frac {e-1}{2e}$; see [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 (3.23)], and such that $$0< \frac {\varphi(x-2\pi)}{\sin\frac {x-2\pi} 4} -\frac 1 {\frac {x-2\pi} 4} =\left \{ \frac {\varphi(t)-1}{\sin\frac {t} 4} \right\} +\left\{ \frac 1 {\sin\frac {t} 4} -\frac 1 {\frac {t} 4}\right\}
\leq \tilde M_f=\sqrt 2 F\left (\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2};1;\frac{1}{2}\right ) -\frac 4\pi$$ for $x\in (2\pi, 3\pi]$, or, $t\in (0, \pi]$ for $t=x-2\pi$. Here use has been made of the fact that both terms in the curly braces are monotone increasing positive functions for $t\in (0, \pi]$; cf. the derivation of . Now substituting , and into yields $$\label{alpha-tidle-2k+1}
\tilde \alpha_{2k+1}=\frac{4\ln(2k+1)
+ ( 16\ln 2- 4\gamma-4\ln(2\pi))+\delta_{k}
}{\pi(2\pi)^{2k+1}},$$ where $\left|\delta_{k}\right|\leq 3.1153 \pi \left (\frac 2 3\right )^{2k+1}+ 2M_\varphi +\frac \pi k \tilde M_f +\frac 4 {k+\frac 1 2} e^{-k-\frac 1 2}$ for positive integers $k$, which is monotone decreasing in $k$. Straightforward calculation from yields for $k\geq 9$.
Thus, we complete the proof of Lemma \[lem-alpha-k-estimate\]. .3cm
For later use, we need the following corollary:
\[cor-ratio\] Assume that $\tilde \alpha_k$ are the positive constants in Lemma \[lem-alpha-k-estimate\]. Then we have $$\label{ratio-even-even}
\frac {\tilde\alpha_{2k}}{\tilde\alpha_{2k+2}} < \frac {254} 5=50.8~~\mbox{for}~~ k=5,6,\cdots,$$ $$\label{ratio-odd-odd}
\frac {\tilde\alpha_{2k+1}}{\tilde\alpha_{2k+3}} < 43~~\mbox{for}~~ k=0,1,2,\cdots,$$and $$\label{ratio-even-odd}
(2k+1) \frac {\tilde\alpha_{2k+2}}{\tilde\alpha_{2k+1}} < 0.12~~\mbox{and}~~(2k+1) \frac {\tilde\alpha_{2k+2}}{\tilde\alpha_{2k+3}} <3.7~~ \mbox{for}~~ k=0,1,2,\cdots.$$
The results follow accordingly from Lemma \[lem-alpha-k-estimate\] and Table \[tabel-little-k\]. To obtain one may have to evaluate the ratio $\frac {\tilde\alpha_{2k+1}}{\tilde\alpha_{2k+3}}$ up to $k=13$, such that $\frac {\tilde\alpha_{2k+1}}{\tilde\alpha_{2k+3}}= 38.578, 38.679, 38.762, 38.829, 38.886$ for $k=9, 10, 11, 12, 13$.
$k$ $1$ $2$ $3$ $4$ $5$ $6$ $7$ $8$ $9$
---------------------------------------------------------- ---------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
$\frac {\tilde\alpha_{2k}}{\tilde\alpha_{2k+2}} $ $56.305$ $60.184$ $57.345$ $53.150$ $49.797 $ $47.533 $ $46.044 $ $45.031 $ $44.303$
$\frac {\tilde\alpha_{2k-1}}{\tilde\alpha_{2k+1}} $ $21.333$ $30.720 $ $34.632 $ $36.358 $ $37.227 $ $37.730 $ $38.055 $ $38.282 $ $38.450 $
$ \frac { (2k-1)\tilde\alpha_{2k}}{\tilde\alpha_{2k-1}}$ $0.1041$ $0.1184$ $ 0.1007$ $0.0851$ $0.0749$ $0.0684$ $0.0642$ $0.0612$ $0.0590$
$ \frac { (2k-1)\tilde\alpha_{2k}}{\tilde\alpha_{2k+1}}$ $2.2222$ $3.6373 $ $3.4884 $ $3.0964 $ $2.7884 $ $2.5822 $ $2.4432 $ $2.3438 $ $2.2681 $
: The first few ratios. Calculation conducted using Maple, based on -.[]{data-label="tabel-little-k"}
Proof of Lemma \[lemma-R(N)\]
=============================
Now that we have proved Lemma \[lem-alpha-k-estimate\], we turn to the proof of Lemma \[lemma-R(N)\]..3cm
[**[Proof of Lemma \[lemma-R(N)\]]{}**]{}. To prove , the idea is as follows: First we show that $$\label{r-2l-2j}
(-1)^l r_{2l, 2j+2} >0~~\mbox{for}~~j=l+1,l+2,\cdots,~~l=0,1,2,\cdots,$$ and $$\label{r-2l-difference}
(-1)^{l+1} \left ( r_{2l, 2j+1} +\frac 1 2 r_{2l, 2j+2}\right ) >0~~\mbox{for}~~j=l+1,l+2,\cdots,~~l=0,1,2,\cdots.$$ Then follows immediately from and since $x=1/N\in (0, 1/2]$ for $N\geq 2$, and $$\begin{aligned}
\tilde R_{2l}(N) &= \sum^\infty_{j=l+1} (-1)^{l+1} \left (r_{2l, 2j+1}+ r_{2l, 2j+2}\; x \right ) x^{2j+1}\\
&\geq \sum^\infty_{j=l+1} (-1)^{l+1} \left (r_{2l, 2j+1}+ \frac 1 2 r_{2l, 2j+2} \right ) x^{2j+1}\\
& >0
\end{aligned}$$ for $N=n+1=2, 3, \cdots$, and $l=0,1,2,\cdots$..3cm
The above idea is simple, yet the verification of and is quite complicated. We begin with . First, a combination of and gives $$(-1)^{l} r_{2l, 2l+4}=d_{2l+2, 2l+4} \left \{(-1)^{l} \alpha_{2l+2} \right \}+ \left\{ -d_{2l+1, 2l+4}\right\} \left\{ (-1)^{l+1} \alpha_{2l+1}\right\} >0$$for $l=0,1,2,\cdots$. Here use has been made of , , and the facts that $d_{2l+2, 2l+4}>0$ and $d_{2l+1, 2l+4}<0$. Hence is true for $j=l+1$. Therefore, we need only to prove for $j=l+2, l+3, \cdots$. In view of , it suffices to show, by an induction argument, that $$\label{r-2l-2j-even-odd}
r_{l,j}^E:= (-1)^{l+1} \sum^l_{k=0} d_{2k, 2j+2} \alpha_{2k} >0~~\mbox{and}~~ r_{l,j}^O:=(-1)^{l+1} \sum^{l-1}_{k=0} d_{2k+1, 2j+2} \alpha_{2k+1} \geq 0$$for $j=l+2,l+3,\cdots$ and $l=0,1,2,\cdots$, where $\alpha_0=-1$. .3cm
Straightforward verification shows that the first inequality in holds for $l=0$: We see from and that $$r_{0,j}^E=r_{0, 2j+2}=\left ( \frac 1 {j+1}-\frac 1 {2j+1}\right ) +\frac 1 {8j} >0~~\mbox{for}~~j=2,3,\cdots.$$ Similarly, from and we have $r_{1,j}^E= \alpha_2 d_{2,2j+2}+\alpha_0 d_{0, 2j+2}$. Hence $$r_{1,j}^E= \frac 5 {192} \left [ 2j+2+\frac {2j-1} 4\right ] - \left [ \frac 1 {j+1}-\frac 1 {2j+1}+\frac 1 {8j}\right ]> \frac {5(j+1)}{96}-\frac 2 {3(j+1)} >0$$for $j=3,4,\cdots$. Thus the first inequality in is true for $l=1$.
Now assume for a non-negative integer $l$, then, replacing $l$ with $l+2$, we have $$\label{r-2l-2j-induction}
r_{l+2,j}^E = r_{l,j}^E + \tilde \alpha_{2l+4} \left [ (2l+3)! d_{2l+4, 2j+2} - \frac { \tilde \alpha_{2l+2}}{ \tilde \alpha_{2l+4} } (2l+1)! d_{2l+2, 2j+2}\right ] >0$$for $j=l+4,l+5,l+6,\cdots$. Indeed, if we write $$(2l+1)! d_{2l+2, 2j+2}= \frac {(2j+2l+2) (2j)! } {(2j-2l)!} + \frac { (2j-1)! } {4(2j-2l-2)!}:=A_{l}+B_{l},$$ Then, noting that for $l\geq 0$ and $j-l\geq 5$, in view of and Table \[tabel-little-k\], we have $$\begin{aligned}
& A_{l+1}+B_{l+1}-\frac{\tilde \alpha_{2l+2}}{ \tilde \alpha_{2l+4}}\left(A_{l}+B_{l}\right)\\
&\geq (2j-2l-1)(2j-2l) A_l + (2j-2l-3) (2j-2l-2)B_l- 61 \left( A_{l}+B_{l}\right)\\
&\geq 90A_l+56 B_l- 61 \left(A_{l}+B_{l}\right)\\
&>0,\end{aligned}$$ since $A_l> 4 B_l$ by straightforward verification. Alternatively, applying , for $l\geq 4$ and $j-l\geq 4$, we can modify the above inequalities to give $$A_{l+1}+B_{l+1}-\frac{\tilde \alpha_{2l+2}}{ \tilde \alpha_{2l+4}}\left(A_{l}+B_{l}\right)
\geq 56A_l+30 B_l- \frac {254} 5 \left(A_{l}+B_{l}\right)>0$$ The remaining cases, namely $j=l+4$ with $l=0,1,2,3$, can be justified by direct calculation: The values of $$(2l+3)! d_{2l+4, 2l+10} - \frac { \tilde \alpha_{2l+2}}{ \tilde \alpha_{2l+4} } (2l+1)! d_{2l+2, 2l+10}=
62.9,\; 1004.5,\; 0.66\times 10^6,\; 0.33\times 10^9,$$respectively for $l=0,1,2,3$. Summarizing all above, we see the validity of . Therefore, the first inequality in is true for $j=l+2,l+3,\cdots$ and $l=0,1,2,\cdots$. .3cm
The analysis of $r_{l,j}^O$ is similar to, and simpler than, that of the even terms $r_{l,j}^E$. First, for $l=0$, the sum in is empty and thus we understand that $r_{0,j}^O=0$ for all $j$. Also, it is readily seen that $r_{1,j}^O=d_{1, 2j+2} \alpha_1\equiv \frac 3 {16}$ for $j=3,4,\cdots$; cf. . Hence, the equality for $r_{l,j}^O$ in also holds for $l=1$.
Now assume that $r_{l,j}^O\geq 0$ for a non-negative integer $l$ and $j=l+2, l+3,\cdots$. From we may write $$\label{r-2l-2j-odd-induction}
r_{l+2,j}^O = r_{l,j}^O-\tilde \alpha_{2l+3}(2l+2)!\;d_{2l+3, 2j+2}
+\tilde\alpha_{2l+1}(2l)!\;d_{2l+1, 2j+2}:= r_{l,j}^O+c_+\Delta_{l,j}$$with a positive constant $c_+= \tilde \alpha_{2l+3} (2l)!\left | d_{2l+1, 2j+2}\right |$, and try to prove that $$\Delta_{l,j}:=\frac{(2l+2)!\;d_{2l+3, 2j+2}} {(2l)!\;d_{2l+1, 2j+2}} -\frac{\tilde\alpha_{2l+1}}{\tilde \alpha_{2l+3}}= \frac { 6j+2l+2 }{ 6j+2l } (2j-2l-1) (2j-2l) -\frac{\tilde\alpha_{2l+1}}{\tilde \alpha_{2l+3}} >0$$for $j=l+4, l+5,\cdots$. Here the last inequality comes from . Therefore, from and by induction, we have justified the validity of both inequalities in for all $j\geq l+2$ and $l\geq 0$. Accordingly, we have proved for all $j\geq l+1$ and $l\geq 0$, noting that the only exceptional case $j=l+1$ has been discussed earlier in this section. .3cm
In what follows we proceed to prove . First, taking into account the formulas and , we see that $r_{2l, 2l+3}+ \frac 1 2 r_{2l, 2l+4}$ can be represented as a linear combination of $\alpha_{2l+1}$ and $\alpha_{2l+2}$. More precisely, substituting in the coefficients $d_{k,s}$; see and , we have $$(-1)^{l+1}\left [ r_{2l, 2l+3}+ \frac 1 2 r_{2l, 2l+4}\right ]=(2l)! \; \tilde\alpha_{2l+1} \left [ \frac {(2l+1)(12l+5)} 8 -\frac {\tilde\alpha_{2l+2}} {\tilde\alpha_{2l+1}} \frac {(2l+2)^2(2l+1)} 2 \right ],$$which is positive for all $l$ since $\frac {\tilde\alpha_{2l+2}} {\tilde\alpha_{2l+1}} < \frac 1 {4(2l+1)}$ for $l\geq 0$; cf. . Thus is true for $j=l+1$, allowing us to just prove for $j=l+2,l+3,\cdots$ and $l=0,1,2,\cdots$.
For $l=0$, it is readily verified from and that $$-r_{0, 2j+1}- \frac 1 2 r_{0, 2j+2} =\left (\frac 1 {2j}-\frac 1 {2j+2} \right ) + \left ( \frac 1 {2(2j+1)}-\frac 1 {4(2j-1)}-\frac 1 {16j}\right )>0$$for $j=2,3,\cdots$. Here the right-hand side is the sum of positive numbers when $j\geq 3$, and equals to $\frac {11}{160}$ when $j=2$. Hence holds for $l=0$.
For $l=1$, recalling that $r_{2,s}=-\frac 5 {192} d_{2,s}+\frac 1 4 d_{1,s} +d_{0,s}$; cf. , from and we may write $$r_{2, 2j+1}+ \frac 1 2 r_{2, 2j+2} = \frac{ 5 j} {768} +\frac {281}{1536} - \left (\frac 1 {2j}-\frac 1 {2j+2} \right ) - \left ( \frac 1 {2(2j+1)}-\frac 1 {4(2j-1)}\right )+\frac 1 {16j}.$$Using the facts that $\frac 1 {2j} -\frac 1 { 2j+2 }\leq \frac 1 {8j}$ for $j\geq 3$, and $\frac 1 {2(2j+1)}-\frac 1 {4(2j-1)}< \frac 1 {8j}$ for $j\geq 1$, we have $r_{2, 2j+1}+ \frac 1 2 r_{2, 2j+2}> \frac{ 5 j} {768} +\frac {281}{1536} -\frac 3 {16j}>0$ for all $j=3,4,5,\cdots$. Hence holds for $l=1$.
Now assume for a non-negative integer $l$, then, from we have $$(-1)^{l+3}\left (r_{2l+4,2j+1}+\frac{1}{2}r_{2l+4,2j+2}\right )=(-1)^{l+1}\left (r_{2l,2j+1}+\frac{1}{2}r_{2l,2j+2}\right )+O_l+E_l.$$It suffices to show that $O_l+E_l >0$ for $j=l+4, l+5, \cdots$, where for $l=0,1,2,\cdots$, $$\label{O-l-def}
O_l:=(-1)^l \left[\alpha_{2l+3}\left(d_{2l+3, 2j+1}+\frac 1 2 d_{2l+3, 2j+2}\right)+\alpha_{2l+1}\left(d_{2l+1, 2j+1}+\frac 1 2 d_{2l+1, 2j+2}\right)\right]$$ and $$\label{E-l-def}
E_l:=(-1)^l \left[\alpha_{2l+4}\left(d_{2l+4, 2j+1}+\frac 1 2 d_{2l+4, 2j+2}\right)+\alpha_{2l+2}\left(d_{2l+2, 2j+1}+\frac 1 2 d_{2l+2, 2j+2}\right)\right] .$$
We may write $$\label{O-l-representation}
O_l =\tilde\alpha_{2l+3}(\tilde A_{l+1}+\tilde B_{l+1})-\tilde\alpha_{2l+1}(\tilde A_{l}+\tilde B_{l})= \tilde\alpha_{2l+3}\left [ \tilde A_{l+1}+\tilde B_{l+1} - \frac {\tilde\alpha_{2l+1}} {\tilde\alpha_{2l+3}}
(\tilde A_{l}+\tilde B_{l}) \right ]$$ with $\tilde A_l=\frac{(2j-1)!(5j+7l)}{4(2j-2l)!}$ and $\tilde B_l=\frac{(2j-2)!}{4(2j-2l-2)!}$. Observing that $\tilde A_{l+1} > (2j-2l)(2j-2l-1) \tilde A_{l}\geq 90 \tilde A_{l}$ and $\tilde B_{l+1} = (2j-2l-2)(2j-2l-3) \tilde B_{l}\geq 56 \tilde B_{l}$ for $j\geq l+5$ and $l\geq 0$, and recalling that $\frac {\tilde\alpha_{2l+1}} {\tilde\alpha_{2l+3}}< 43$ for $l\geq 0$, we have $$O_l \geq \tilde\alpha_{2l+3}\left [ \tilde A_{l+1}\left (1- \frac {43}{90}\right ) +\tilde B_{l+1} \left (1- \frac {43}{56} \right ) \right ] \geq \frac {47}{90} \tilde\alpha_{2l+3} \tilde A_{l+1},~~j\geq l+5, ~l\geq 0.$$
Now we turn to $E_l$. Similar to the discussion of $O_l$, we may also write $$E_l =\tilde \alpha_{2l+2} (\tilde C_l-\tilde D_l )- \tilde \alpha_{2l+4} (\tilde C_{l+1}- \tilde D_{l+1} ),$$where $\tilde C_l=\frac {(2j+1)!}{(2j-2l)!} -\frac {(2j-1)!}{(2j-2l-2)!}=\frac {(4l+2) (2j-l) (2j-1)!}{(2j-2l)!}$, and $\tilde D_l= \frac 1 2 \frac {(2j)!} {(2j-2l-1)!} - \frac 1 8 \frac {(2j-1)!} {(2j-2l-2)!} - \frac 1 4 \frac {(2j-2)!} {(2j-2l-3)!}$. It is readily verified that both constants are positive, and such that $ \frac 18 D_l < \tilde D_l< \frac 1 2 D_l$ for $j\geq l+4$ and $l\geq 0$ with $D_l=\frac {(2j)!} {(2j-2l-1)!}$. Therefore, we have for $j\geq l+5$ and $l\geq 0$ that $$\label{O+E-l-inequality}
O_l+E_l > \frac {47}{90} \tilde\alpha_{2l+3} \tilde A_{l+1} - \frac 1 2 \tilde \alpha_{2l+2} D_l - \tilde \alpha_{2l+4} \tilde C_{l+1}: =\frac {(2j-1)!\tilde\alpha_{2l+3}}{(2j-2l-1)!} \Omega ,$$where $$\begin{aligned}
\Omega&=(2j-2l-1)\left [ \frac {47}{360} (5j+7l+7) -\frac {2 (2l+3) \tilde \alpha_{2l+4}} {\tilde\alpha_{2l+3}} (2j-l-1)\right ]-
\frac {(2l+1) \tilde \alpha_{2l+2}} {\tilde\alpha_{2l+3}}\frac j{2l+1}\\
&\geq 9 \left [ \frac {47}{360} (5j+7l+7) -0.24 (2j-l-1)\right ]-
\frac {3.7} 3 j \\
&=\frac {193}{600}j +\frac {2077}{200} l+\frac {2077}{200},
\end{aligned}$$and thus is positive for $j\geq l+5$ and $l\geq 1$. Here use has been made of . For the special case $l=0$ and $j\geq 5$, taking Table \[tabel-little-k\] into account, again we have the positivity of $\Omega$: $$\Omega \geq (2j-1)\left [\frac {47}{360}(5j+ 7) - 0.24 (2j-1)\right ]-2.23 j=\frac {701}{100}+\frac {6049}{1800}(j-5) +\frac {311}{900}(j-5)^2$$
What remains is the case when $j=l+4$ with $l=0,1,2,\cdots$. Still we have . Since $\tilde A_{l+1}=\frac {(2j-1)! (12l+27)} { 4 \cdot 6!} > 56 \tilde A_{l}$ and $\tilde B_{l+1}=\frac {(2j-2)! } { 4 \cdot 4!} = 30 \tilde B_{l}$, in view of we have $$O_l \geq \tilde\alpha_{2l+3}\left [ \tilde A_{l+1}\left (1- \frac {43}{56}\right ) -\tilde B_{l+1} \left ( \frac {43}{30} -1 \right ) \right ] \geq \left [ \frac {13}{56}-\frac {13}{(2l+7)(12l+27)}\right ] \tilde\alpha_{2l+3} \tilde A_{l+1},$$ from which we see that $O_l>\frac 1 5 \tilde\alpha_{2l+3} \tilde A_{l+1}$ for $j= l+4$ with $l\geq 2$. As a results, we have a modified version of as $j=l+4$, $$O_l+E_l > \frac {1}{5} \tilde\alpha_{2l+3} \tilde A_{l+1} - \frac 1 2 \tilde \alpha_{2l+2} D_l - \tilde \alpha_{2l+4} \tilde C_{l+1}: =\frac {(2j-1)!\tilde\alpha_{2l+3}}{6!} \Omega_4 ,$$where $$\Omega_4 = \frac {12l+27} {20}- \frac {(2l+3) \tilde \alpha_{2l+4}} {\tilde\alpha_{2l+3}} (2l+14) - \frac {(2l+1) \tilde \alpha_{2l+2}} {\tilde\alpha_{2l+3}}\frac {l+4} {7(2l+1)}.$$From we readily see that $$\Omega_4\geq \frac {12l+27} {20}
-0.12 (2l+14) - {3.7}\times \frac 1 {7} = \frac {31}{140} + \frac 9 {25}(l-3),$$ and is positive for $l\geq 3$.
We fill the last gap by calculating from - that $ O_l+E_l=3.3236, ~ 1.9908, ~ 4.3827$, respectively for $l=0,1,2$, with $j=l+4$. Thus we complete the proof of , and hence of Lemma \[lemma-R(N)\].
Discussion
==========
We have proved the conjecture of Granath [@Granath], as stated in Theorem \[thm epsilon-N\] and Corollary \[thm-inequalities\], of which the results of Zhao [@zhao], Mortici [@Mortici] and Granath [@Granath] are special cases. The asymptotic expansion involved, namely , corresponds to the special case of Nemes’ expansion in descending powers of $n+h$, with $h=1$.
Earlier in [@li-liu-xu-zhao2], Li [*et al.*]{} consider the case $h=3/4$; cf. and . According to a result in [@li-liu-xu-zhao2], the error due to truncation is bounded in absolute value by, and of the same sign as, the first neglected term for all nonnegative $n$. As an application, we obtain optimal upper and lower bounds up to all orders, holding for all integers $n\geq 0$.
Then, a natural question may arise:
(Li, Liu, Xu and Zhao) Considering the general expansion in , for what $h$ do we have the “best” approximation in the sense of [@li-liu-xu-zhao2 Theorem1] (or, in the present paper), or in the sense of Theorem \[thm epsilon-N\] and Corollary \[thm-inequalities\]?
It is worth noting that the coefficients of the expansion possess a symmetric property, namely, $g_k(h)=(-1)^k g_k(3/2-h)$. Hence, if we take $h=1/2$, write $N=n+ 1/2$, and specify as $$\label{expansion-n+1/2}
\pi G_n\sim \ln(16N)+\gamma +\sum_{k=1} ^\infty \frac{\gamma_k}{N^k}.$$ Then it is readily seen that $\gamma_k=(-1)^k\alpha_k$, and hence $(-1)^{\frac {(l+1)(l+2)} 2} \gamma_{l+1} <0$ for nonnegative integers $l$, very similar to the result in Theorem \[coefficient\]. Naturally, analysis similar to what we have conducted in the present paper might lead to $
(-1)^{\frac {(l+1)(l+2)} 2} \epsilon_l(N) <0
$ for all $n=0,1,2,\cdots$ and $l=0,1,2,\cdots$, where $\epsilon_l(N)$ is the error of due to truncation at the $l$-th order term, with $N=n+ 1/2$.
[99]{} M. Abramowitz and I.A. Stegun, [*Handbook of Mathematical Functions*]{}, Dover, New York, 1972.
H. Alzer, Inequalities for the constants of Landau and Lebesgue, [*J. Comput. Appl. Math.*]{}, [**[139]{}**]{} (2002), 215-230.
L. Brutman, A sharp estimate of the Landau constants, [*J. Approx. Theory.*]{}, [**[34]{}**]{} (1982), 217-220.
C.-P. Chen, New bounds and asymptotic expansions for the constants of Landau and Lebesgue, [*Appl. Math. Comput.*]{}, [**242**]{} (2014), 790-799.
C.-P. Chen and J. Choi, Inequalities and asymptotic expansions for the constants of Landau and Lebesgue, [*Appl. Math. Comput.*]{}, [**248**]{} (2014), 610-624.
D. Cvijović and J. Klinowski, Inequalities for the Landau constants, [*Math. Slovaca*]{}, [**[50]{}**]{} (2000), 159-164.
D. Cvijović and H.M. Srivastava, Asymptotics of the Landau constants and their relationship with hypergeometric functions, [*Taiwanese J. Math.*]{}, [**[13]{}**]{} (2009), 855-870.
L.P. Falaleev, Inequalities for the Landau constants, [*Sib. Math. J.*]{}, [**[32]{}**]{} (1991), 896-897.
H. Granath, On inequalities and asymptotic expansions for the Landau constants, [*J. Math. Anal. Appl.*]{}, [**[386]{}**]{} (2012), 738-743.
M.E.H. Ismail, X. Li and M. Rahman, Landau constants and their $q$-analogues, [*Anal. Appl.*]{}, [**[13]{}**]{} (2015), 217-231.
E. Landau, Abschätzung der koeffizientensumme einer potenzreihe, [*Arch. Math. Phys.*]{}, [**[21]{}**]{} (1913), 42-50, 250-255.
Y.-T. Li, S.-Y. Liu, S.-X. Xu and Y.-Q. Zhao, Full asymptotic expansions of the Landau constants via a difference equation approach, [*Appl. Math. Comput.*]{}, [**[219]{}**]{} (2012), 988-995.
Y.-T. Li, S.-Y. Liu, S.-X. Xu and Y.-Q. Zhao, Asymptotics of Landau constants with optimal error bounds, [*Constr. Approx.*]{}, [**[40]{}**]{} (2014), 281-305.
C. Mortici, Sharp bounds of the Landau constants, [*Math. Comp*]{}, [**[80]{}**]{} (2011), 1011-1018.
G. Nemes, Proofs of two conjectures on the Landau constants, [*J. Math. Anal. Appl.*]{}, [**[388]{}**]{} (2012), 838-844.
G. Nemes and A. Nemes, A note on the Landau constants, [*Appl. Math. Comput.*]{}, [**[217]{}**]{} (2011), 8543-8546.
F. Olver, D. Lozier, R. Boisvert and C. Clark, [*NIST handbook of mathematical functions*]{}, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2010.
G.N. Watson, The constants of Landau and Lebesgue, [*Q. J. Math. Oxford Ser.*]{}, [**[1]{}**]{} (1930), 310-318.
R. Wong and H. Li, Asymptotic expansions for second-order linear difference equations, *J. Comput. Appl. Math.*, **41** (1992), 65-94.
D. Zhao, Some sharp estimates of the constants of Landau and Lebesgue, [*J. Math. Anal. Appl.*]{}, [**[349]{}**]{} (2009), 68-73.
[^1]: Corresponding author ([*[E-mail address:]{}*]{} [[email protected]]{}). Investigation supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant numbers 10871212 and 11571375.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | ArXiv |
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Introduction {#S1}
============
Technological innovations and advances have facilitated the possibility that employees may be "at work" at virtually any time. The increasing organizational emphasis on longer working hours, striving toward excellence, striving for perfection, and competition with coworkers, often resulting from globalization and technology advances, can affect the energy of employees (i.e., vigor and emotional exhaustion) at work ([@B63]; [@B23]). A sustainable organization has the capacity to be productive and endure over time and, therefore, in addition to economic and environmental aspects, requires a consideration of a human dimension of sustainability---employee energy at work ([@B9]; [@B27]). In this article, we explore environmental determinants of employees' energy---vigor and emotional exhaustion---as well as important mechanisms contributing to such processes at work.
Employees may differ in the amount of energy they display, and their energy can vary on a continuum, from vigor to emotional exhaustion ([@B89]). Vigor is an important dimension of work engagement---defined as a work-related positive and fulfilling state of mind---and is characterized by having high levels of mental resilience and energy while working, persistence even in the face of difficulties, and a willingness to invest effort in one's work ([@B85]; [@B89]).
Emotional exhaustion, on the other hand, is a major component of burnout and is a multidimensional psychological syndrome reflecting individual responses to interpersonal and emotional stressors at work ([@B57]; [@B98]). Emotional exhaustion is characterized as a state of being drained of emotional energy and the experience of feeling that one has inadequate emotional resources to handle the situation ([@B56]). Such energy depletion may be described as a human energy crisis ([@B27]). Vigor and emotional exhaustion are seen as opposite indicators of the energy dimension of occupational well-being ([@B60]; [@B89]).
Empirical evidence has shown that these energy dimensions---vigor and emotional exhaustion---show a weak to moderate correlation ([@B30]; [@B32]). Moreover, meta-analytic and other empirical findings suggest that vigor tends to be related to adaptive outcomes, such as increased performance, important resources at work (e.g., feedback), physical health, and subjective work capacity ([@B95]; [@B32]; [@B93]). On the other hand, the converse emotional exhaustion tends to predict maladaptive outcomes, such as reduced physical health, subjective work capacity, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and higher turnover intentions ([@B49]; [@B95]; [@B48]). Given that vigor represents positive functioning and well-being at work, whereas emotional exhaustion represents the opposite (ill-being), it is important to further clarify and understand the antecedents and possible pathways leading to vigor and/or emotional exhaustion ([@B93]; [@B5]).
In this study, we therefore draw upon two prominent motivational theories---achievement goal theory (AGT; [@B66]; [@B3]) and self-determination theory (SDT; [@B18]; [@B28])---to argue that the perceived motivational climate at work, as defined by AGT, affects employee need satisfaction, as defined by SDT, and may in turn play an important role in predicting employees' energy at work.
The characteristics of the environment and the situations that influence the way in which individuals perceive the extant achievement criteria of success and failure forms what [@B2] calls the motivational climate (mastery climate and performance climate). Empirical findings have shown that a mastery climate typically predicts positive outcomes, such as enjoyment, engagement, autonomous motivation, and knowledge sharing, whereas a performance climate predicts less beneficial outcomes, such as controlled motivation, burnout, negative affect, and performance anxiety (e.g., [@B68]; [@B1]; [@B50]; [@B62], [@B64]; [@B33]; [@B10]). Still, the current literature on employee energy has not yet clarified the mechanisms by which a perceived motivational climate leads to energy. Given that a mastery climate values aspects such as autonomy, positive interdependence among employees, and skill development, it is likely to predict an employee's basic psychological need satisfaction---the fulfillment of needs for autonomy, belongingness, and competence (cf. [@B68]; [@B76]). A performance climate values control, normative competence, and intrateam competition and is therefore likely to reduce an employee's need satisfaction ([@B68]). Individuals are more likely to experience ill-being when they report low levels of need satisfaction, but higher levels of well-being when they report higher levels of need satisfaction ([@B77], [@B76]; [@B104]). We therefore propose that a perceived mastery climate is likely to facilitate a health-enhancing process, by increasing employees' vigor through their satisfaction of needs. By contrast, a perceived performance climate is likely to facilitate a health-impairing process, by increasing emotional exhaustion through a reduction of need satisfaction.
Our theoretical point of view and empirical findings represent a significant contribution to the overall occupational health psychology literature, which includes burnout and work engagement literatures. In general, occupational health psychology has been challenged by the question of how to construct "healthy" organizations and thereby create working environments that enhance employee work-related health and well-being over time ([@B15]; [@B23]). As many of today's organizations experience a high occurrence of depleted energy (e.g., emotional exhaustion) among their employees and a need for more knowledge on the psychosocial work environments that can prevent burnout dimensions and enhance well-being, more research on the antecedents of emotional exhaustion and vigor is needed ([@B98]; [@B27]; [@B94]; [@B100]; [@B5]). Further, scholars have called for research that fits the dimensions of work engagement (e.g., vigor) with other theories of motivation than those that have already been clarified ([@B61]; [@B12]). Our study intends to contribute to the literature by answering such calls to clarify environmental determinants and mechanisms of future energy from a motivational point of view ([@B61]; [@B93]; [@B5]; [@B104]). Thus, it is expected that a perceived motivational climate impacts future energy through employee need satisfaction.
In practice, our research should provide guidance to organizations and their leaders regarding how they can enable employees to sustain their energy and thus facilitate their well-being at work.
Theory and Hypotheses {#S2}
=====================
Employee Energy and the Perceived Motivational Climate {#S2.SS1}
------------------------------------------------------
Emotional exhaustion can be understood as the core component of burnout and indicates feelings of strain, particularly chronic fatigue, frustration, and loss of energy ([@B21]; [@B88]; [@B90]). Given that employees feel that their resources are insufficient to deal with the work situation, the emotional exhaustion dimension of burnout "clearly places the individual strain experience within the social context of the workplace" ([@B59], 498). Employee depletion of energy resources typically arises from prolonged exposure to stressors that exceed a person's resources to cope or when valued resources are lost ([@B49]; [@B15]). Meta-analytical evidence has shown that high demands, job insecurity, low job control, low reward, and high work load seem to increase the risk of exhaustion (e.g., [@B90]; [@B5]).
Emotional exhaustion has been theorized to be the opposite pole of vigor---defined as employee feelings of having high levels of energy, persistence, cognitive liveliness, and resilience---on what may be characterized as the *energy continuum* ([@B89]; [@B93]). Such a continuum indicates that feelings of fatigue and exhaustion may not be experienced at the same time as mental energy and resiliency ([@B53]). This means that emotional exhaustion represents employee strain and ill health, whereas vigor represents employee well-being ([@B89]; [@B93]; [@B53]). Extant research suggests that important predictors of vigor include job characteristics (e.g., job and task significance, task identity, feedback from supervisors, and achieving success), high-quality connections with others (empathic listening, learning from one another), leadership style (leaders' positive affect, relationship building), group resources (mutual trust, social support), and organizational resources (rest and recuperation during work) ([@B94]).
The work engagement and burnout literature emphasizes the relevance of context as an important determinant of employees' energy---emotional exhaustion and vigor ([@B89]; [@B59]). Although the vast amount of research (e.g., [@B103]; [@B93]) has focused on job demands and resources as vital antecedents of employee energy, the motivational (psychological) climate at work, as defined by AGT ([@B66]; [@B3]), represents another relevant contextual determinant (cf. [@B50]; [@B62]). According to AGT, the perceived motivational climate may be identified as personal perceptions of the extant criteria of success and failure, emphasized through policies, practices, and procedures in the work environment ([@B62]). It is represented by two types of climate, a mastery climate or a performance climate. A mastery climate exists when criteria of success, characterized by aspects such as self-learning, cooperation, task-mastery, development, and effort, are supported in the work situation ([@B66]; [@B3]; [@B62]). A mastery climate is suggested to promote more adaptive behavior, such as trying hard and persisting when faced with difficulties, and to promote well-being ([@B68]; [@B33]; [@B83]). A performance climate, on the other hand, exists when criteria of success are characterized by the importance of demonstrating ability through normative comparisons. A performance climate is suggested to promote more maladaptive behavior, such as seeking easy tasks and giving up when faced with difficulties, and may promote ill health ([@B3]; [@B82]).
The individual's perceptions of these climates, based on prior experiences, determine which of the climates is seen as the most appropriate in a specific context. Because of this, but also because individuals are seen as active participants in their own socialization ([@B34]), the same motivational climate may be perceived quite differently by individual employees. According to AGT, individuals who perceive a mastery climate are likely to experience adaptive outcomes, whereas maladaptive outcomes are expected for those individuals who perceive a performance climate ([@B82]).
Studies have demonstrated that the motivational climate is directly associated with perceptions of well-being (e.g., [@B78]; [@B50]; [@B76]; [@B62]). For example, [@B78] found that athletes' perceptions of a performance climate were positively related to burnout, but that perceptions of a mastery climate were not. These findings were also supported by another study, which indicated that individuals' perceptions of a mastery climate may temper perceptions of burnout ([@B97]). According to AGT ([@B66]; [@B3]), mastery and performance climates influence cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes in different ways, because they represent different conceptions of success. It is therefore likely that mastery and performance climate perceptions at work have a different direct influence on vigor and emotional exhaustion over time. Based on the relevant theory and empirical findings, we expected the present study to show that a perceived mastery climate has a direct negative relationship with future emotional exhaustion, but a direct positive relationship with future vigor (7-month time lag). By contrast, we expected a performance climate to have a direct negative future relationship with vigor, but a direct positive future relationship with emotional exhaustion (7-month time lag).
The Mediating Role of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction {#S2.SS2}
-----------------------------------------------------------
Self-determination theory ([@B18]) is a general theory of human motivation that applies to several domains, including work, sport, education, and health. SDT posits that, when three basic psychological needs---the need for competence, the need for autonomy, and the need for relatedness---are satisfied, individuals will be well motivated and experience well-being ([@B18]; [@B102]; [@B104]). When employees' needs are satisfied, they are more likely to be more autonomously motivated and experience improved well-being, psychological energy, and health ([@B65]; [@B51]). Thus, basic psychological needs are the most important constructs within SDT ([@B18]; [@B102]).
The need for competence has been characterized as an individual's striving to exercise and express abilities; thus, one has a need to experience a sense of mastery and confidence in action ([@B19]; [@B104]). Such a need is satisfied when individuals experience the opportunity to extend their expertise and skills ([@B104]). The need for autonomy has been defined as an individual's efforts to determine his/her own behavior and act based on interest and integrated values ([@B17]). Individuals who have this need satisfied experience a sense of integrity because their emotions, cognitions, and behaviors are authentic and self-initiated ([@B104]). Last, the need for relatedness characterizes individuals' attempts to have a coherent and satisfying involvement with others ([@B19]). Such a need is satisfied when individuals experience a sense of communion, develop close relations, and feel connected to others ([@B102]). In line with SDT's assumptions, a great amount of empirical research indicates support for the positive association between satisfaction of the three needs and attitudes, behavior, and well-being ([@B18]; [@B28]; [@B102]; [@B16]).
Self-determination theory posits that social--environmental factors influence employees' motivation and experiences through the mediating variables of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness ([@B101]; [@B28]; [@B16]). Further, social conditions that give opportunities to satisfy the three fundamental psychological needs are predicted to facilitate energy and well-being ([@B65]; [@B104]). Mastery and performance climates represent such social conditions that may contribute to either enhance or reduce need satisfaction ([@B68]) and in turn influence employees' energy (see [Figure 1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}). A mastery climate facilitates the autonomy of behavior, evaluates success in a self-referential manner, and reinforces personal progress and the sense that each employee has an important role within the work group ([@B76]). When employees experience a mastery climate, their motivation is derived from the intrinsic properties of their work tasks and not from the expected outcomes (e.g., attainment of rewards, public recognition, social approval, demonstration of normative ability) ([@B67]; [@B10]). Rather, individuals experience satisfaction while they strive to grow, master, and learn. Their needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness are likely to be satisfied, because such a climate values volition, self-referent development of competence to achieve desired outcomes, and meaningful interpersonal relationships ([@B78]; [@B76]). In turn, because greater opportunities for the satisfaction of the three needs are provided, employees are likely to experience well-being and reduced ill-being ([@B65]; [@B104]). For example, one study in a sports setting found that a mastery climate predicted increased subjective vitality through the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs ([@B79]). Also, [@B29] found that daily need satisfaction predicted increased daily well-being (i.e., subjective vitality and self-esteem) among young female gymnasts. When employees perceive a mastery climate and their needs in turn are satisfied, their emotional exhaustion is likely to be reduced---given their feelings of well-being ([@B77]). We therefore hypothesize the following:
{#F1}
1. **Hypothesis 1:** Basic needs satisfaction mediates the positive relationship between a perceived mastery climate and vigor.
```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
1. **Hypothesis 2:** Basic needs satisfaction mediates the negative relationship between a perceived mastery climate and emotional exhaustion.
By contrast, if the work context is characterized by controlling features---forced interpersonal rivalry among employees, normative ability comparison, pressure to perform better than colleagues, judgment of progress based on normative standards, and so on---of a performance climate, the satisfaction of the needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness is likely to be undermined ([@B79]; [@B76]). Specifically, a performance climate is likely to lead employees to become more interested in the anticipated outcomes of their work rather than the work itself and developing the ability to achieve desired outcomes ([@B67]). Attaining rewards and social approval, demonstrating superior competence, and striving for public recognition may control their behavior and prevent them from developing meaningful interpersonal relationships ([@B67]; [@B76]). As a result, employees are less likely to find personal satisfaction in the inherent aspects of their work, which may result in a depletion of their energy (reduced vigor and increased emotional exhaustion).
To our knowledge, no other study has investigated the mediating role of need satisfaction in the performance climate--emotional exhaustion relationship. However, one study ([@B77]) tested the relationship between need satisfaction and athlete emotional and physical exhaustion, without finding support for such a relationship. This is surprising and contrary to what is expected, based on theory (AGT and SDT), namely, that a performance climate reduces need satisfaction, which in turn depletes employees' psychological energy---reduces vigor/enhances emotional exhaustion ([@B67]; [@B77]; [@B65]). Drawing on motivational theory, it is therefore important to further clarify the mediating role of psychological needs in such a relationship. We therefore hypothesize the following:
1. **Hypothesis 3:** Basic needs satisfaction mediates the negative relationship between a perceived performance climate and vigor.
```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
1. **Hypothesis 4:** Basic needs satisfaction mediates the positive relationship between a perceived performance climate and emotional exhaustion.
Materials and Methods {#S3}
=====================
Sample and Procedure {#S3.SS1}
--------------------
To ensure that ethical standards were met, information about the study's design, planned sample and procedure, and the questionnaires were evaluated and approved by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services. Approximately 33,275^[1](#footnote1){ref-type="fn"}^ Norwegian engineers and technologists representing different occupational divisions \[research and development, information technology (IT), health, safety and the environment, human resource management, consultancy, laboratory, logistics, production, building and reconstruction, sales and marketing, services and economy\] and various organizations situated all over Norway were invited to participate. The study was conducted in collaboration with the participants' union, and the union was responsible for distributing the questionnaire to members through a web-based tool (QuestBack). The study was longitudinal, with measurements at two time points. The time interval was 7 months. At T1, we received 8,282 completed responses, achieving a response rate of approximately 25%. The Time 2 (T2) data collection resulted in 4,040 completed responses, representing a response rate of approximately 49%. Because of a technical problem with the web-based tool, it was possible to match only 1,081 of the respondents. Consequently, we conducted an independent-sample *t*-test to determine whether there were any differences between the 2,959 respondents that we were unable to match and the 1,081 remaining respondents. The *t*-test results indicated that there were some significant demographical differences in gender, education, and hours worked per week; however, there were no significant differences regarding the other study variables. We therefore controlled for the listed demographic variables in all analyses (*N* = 1,081).
To ensure that the respondents were representative of the total sample, we also compared their demographic variables to the union's statistics regarding member-specific demographic variables. These statistics are constantly updated by the union. When comparing the demographic variables of this study sample with the overall statistics of the union (i.e., age, gender, work sector), the participants seemed to be representative of the total union population (i.e., approximately 66,000 members in total; age: mean = 46.8 years; gender: 78% male; work sector: 58% private sector; 32% public sector). Of the total sample (T1), 75% were men, 53% worked within the private sector, 32% were public sector employees, 83% were married or had a life partner, and 85% had a university degree. Further, the mean number of years that an employee had been in his/her present position was 3.35 (SD = 0.89), and the mean number of weekly working hours was 40.45 (SD = 6.06).
The composition of gender in the union overall but also in our sample seems very unbalanced. This lack of balance may possibly be linked to the various areas of work represented in the sample (and in the union). [Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"} shows the distribution of gender based on the respective work area. As indicated in [Table 1](#T1){ref-type="table"}, the work areas particularly dominated by men are "project work/building and construction services," "planning and logistics," and "IT/data services." The only work area that is dominated by females in this sample is laboratory work. It should be noted that the list of work areas was developed by the union to be relevant for study participants.
######
Gender distribution according to work area.
Work area Males Females Total
------------------------------------------------- ------- --------- -------
Research/development 317 148 465
HMS/quality security 242 139 381
IT/computer facilities 987 213 1,200
Consultant/advisory 593 165 758
Laboratory work 114 609 723
Training/personnel work 142 50 192
Planning/logistics 246 69 315
Production/operations 1,185 146 1,331
Project work/building and construction services 1,461 264 1,725
Sales/marketing 243 44 287
Economy 24 9 33
Other/don't know 632 240 872
Total 6,186 2,096 8,282
Measures {#S3.SS2}
--------
Multiple-item scales, closely following previous studies, were used to measure each construct. All variables were measured at two moments in time (T1 and T2) with a 7-month lag. The survey covered the following construct variables.
### Emotional Exhaustion {#S3.SS2.SSS1}
Emotional exhaustion, as the leading symptom of burnout, was measured by five items from the Norwegian version ([@B80]) of the Maslach Burnout Inventory--General Survey developed by [@B57] and [@B58]. We used a seven-point Likert-type scale, ranging from "never in the past year" (0) to "every day" (7). A sample item included "I feel emotionally drained from my work" (α = 0.88).
### Vigor {#S3.SS2.SSS2}
Vigor was assessed with three items from the vigor dimension of the nine-item Dutch Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES, or UBES in Dutch; [@B86]) (α = 0.91). An example item is "At my work, I feel bursting with energy." Items were rated on a seven-point scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 7 (daily). Validity and reliability of this scale have been confirmed extensively in previous research ([@B87]; [@B91]).
### Perceived Motivational Climate {#S3.SS2.SSS3}
Perceived motivational climate was measured using 14 items developed and validated by [@B62]. The scale asks respondents how employees perceive success to be defined in their work situations. The extent to which a performance climate is present is assessed with eight items (e.g., "In my department/work group, it is important to achieve more than others") (α = 0.83), and the extent to which a mastery climate is present is assessed with six items (e.g., "In my department/work group, one is encouraged to cooperate and exchange thoughts and ideas mutually") (α = 0.86). The items were scored on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
### Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction {#S3.SS2.SSS4}
*Basic psychological need satisfaction at work* was measured with a scale originally developed by [@B41] and further developed by [@B37] and [@B20]. The scale consists of 21 items that represent three subdimensions: (1) autonomy (seven items; α = 0.68), for example, "I feel like I can make a lot of inputs to deciding how my job gets done"; (2) relatedness (eight items; α = 0.82), "I really like the people I work with"; and (3) competence (six items; α = 0.70), for example, "People at work tell me I am good at what I do." Items were measured on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not true at all) to 7 (very true).
### Controls {#S3.SS2.SSS5}
We assessed several control variables, as prior research suggests that the demographic background of employees may account for the variance in their energy level (e.g., [@B6]). Age was measured in years. Tenure was measured by years of experience in the current or similar function. The respondents were asked to report their gender based on a dichotomous variable, in which 1 represented men, and 2 represented women. They were also asked to report their level of education on a five-item scale, where 1 represented high school, 2 represented vocational school, 3 represented college, 4 represented a university degree, and 5 represented the category "other."
Analytical Strategy {#S3.SS3}
-------------------
We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using the R packages semTable ([@B39]) and semTools ([@B40]; [@B70]), which are based on Lavaan ([@B84]) to determine item retention and to secure discriminant validity ([@B26]). Our research model consisted of seven latent variables---perceived mastery climate, perceived performance climate, the need for autonomy, the need for competence, the need for relatedness, emotional exhaustion, and vigor. To be certain, we compared the fit statistics of such a correlated-traits model with seven factors with the fit statistics of one, three, four, five, and six factors. To assess model fit of each of the competing models, we explored various fit indices, recommended by [@B44] and [@B11]. An acceptable fit is indicated by a standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) value of less than 0.80 and a root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) value of less than 0.08 ([@B44]; [@B11]). According to [@B35], a comparative fit index (CFI) value and Tucker--Lewis index (TLI) value of 0.90 or greater can be considered to indicate an "acceptable" model fit. We also report the goodness-of-fit index (GFI) for which a cutoff point of 0.90 has been recommended ([@B54]).
To examine the hypothesized mediation influence, we conducted structural equation modeling using the R package Rosetta ([@B70]), which is based on Lavaan ([@B84]) and facilitates bootstrapping. We checked for robustness of the model by investigating alternative specifications, such as using mediator variables at T2 and controlling for the dependent variables at T1. These analyses indicated that our findings are robust to alternative model specifications.
Results {#S4}
=======
Descriptive Statistics {#S4.SS1}
----------------------
[Table 2](#T2){ref-type="table"} shows the means, standard deviations, and correlations between the main variables in our study. We observe that the control variables do not structurally associate with any of the main variables, as all correlations are less than 0.30. Hence, to increase the power of our tests, we left the control variables out of the regression analyses (conform [@B8]). As expected, we found medium to strong correlations between different basic needs. Further, we found that gender is positively correlated with relatedness and negatively with perceived performance climate. These correlations suggest that women in our sample perceived more satisfaction of their need for personal relations at work than the men. In contrast, the men in our sample were perceiving a performance climate to a higher extent than the women.
######
Means, standard deviations, and correlations with confidence intervals (*n* = 1,081).
Variable Mean *SD* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
------------------------------- ------- ------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- --------- ----------- ------- -------
1\. Vigor (T2) 5.22 1.15
2\. Emotional exhaustion (T2) 2.62 1.20 −0.55\*\*
3\. Autonomy (T1) 5.06 0.81 0.41\*\* −0.43\*\*
4\. Relatedness (T1) 5.49 0.80 0.40\*\* −0.34\*\* 0.54\*\*
5\. Competence (T1) 5.25 0.89 0.47\*\* −0.36\*\* 0.61\*\* 0.55\*\*
6\. Mastery climate (T1) 3.61 0.77 0.36\*\* −0.31\*\* 0.48\*\* 0.49\*\* 0.54\*\*
7\. Performance climate (T1) 1.94 0.65 −0.10\*\* 0.21\*\* −0.30\*\* −0.30\*\* −0.20\*\* −0.28\*\*
8\. Age (T1) 45.35 10.30 0.09\*\* −0.06\* 0.10\*\* −0.01 0.08\* 0.05 0.03
9\. Education level (T1) 3.04 0.50 0.01 0.06 −0.05 −0.06 −0.01 −0.02 0.03 −0.04
10\. Gender (T1) 1.25 0.43 −0.03 0.05 0.05 0.12\*\* 0.05 0.01 −0.08\* −0.17\*\* 0.05
11\. Tenure (T1) 7.67 7.97 −0.05 0.03 −0.02 0.01 −0.03 −0.11\*\* 0.02 0.46\*\* −0.06 −0.05
SD, standard deviation. \*
p
\< 0.05, \*\*
p
\< 0.01.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis Results {#S4.SS2}
------------------------------------
The CFA assumed a seven-factor structure to have a better fit than all other model specifications ([Table 3](#T3){ref-type="table"}). Moreover, the modification indices indicated that model fit could be further improved by allowing the correlation of some of the error terms that pertain to the same latent factor. The improved fit is shown in Model 8, [Table 3](#T3){ref-type="table"}.
######
Confirmatory factor analyses and fit indices.
Model Factors χ^2^ *df* χ^2^/*df* CFI TLI GFI RMSEA SRMR Δχ^2^
------- ----------------------- ------------ ------ ----------- ------- ------- ------ ------- ------- ---------------
1 Seven-factor 3.439.508 839 4.10 0.867 0.857 0.86 0.054 0.057
2 Six-factor 5.277.324 845 6.25 0.774 0.758 0.75 0.070 0.072 1,837.8\*\*\*
3 Six-factor 4.982.768 845 5,90 0.789 0.774 0.79 0.067 0.061 1,543.3\*\*\*
4 Five-factor 3.971.202 850 4.67 0.841 0.831 0.83 0.058 0.061 531.69\*\*\*
5 Four-factor 5.775.862 854 6.76 0.749 0.734 0.72 0.073 0.075 2,336.3\*\*\*
6 Three-factor 7.273.930 857 8,49 0.672 0.655 0.68 0.083 0.077 3,834.4\*\*\*
7 One-factor 10.559.945 860 12.28 0.505 0.480 0.59 0.102 0.097 7,120.4\*\*\*
8 Seven-factor modified 2,676.073 831 3.22 0.906 0.898 0.89 0.045 0.052 763.44\*\*\*
Model 1 is our measurement model in which items were loaded onto their respective factors (i.e., perceived mastery climate, perceived performance climate, the need for autonomy, the need for competence, the need for relatedness, emotional exhaustion, and vigor). Model 2 is a six-factor model in which perceived mastery climate and perceived performance climate items were loaded onto one factor, and all other measures were loaded onto their respective factors. Model 3 is a six-factor model in which emotional exhaustion and vigor items were loaded onto one factor, and all other measures were loaded onto their respective factors. Model 4 is a five-factor model in which the need for autonomy, the need for competence, and the need for relatedness items were loaded onto one factor, and all other measures were loaded onto their respective factors. Model 5 is a four-factor model in which perceived mastery climate and perceived performance climate items were loaded onto one factor; the need for autonomy, the need for competence, and the need for relatedness items were loaded onto one factor, and all other measures were loaded onto their respective factors. Model 6 is a three-factor model in which perceived mastery climate and perceived performance climate items were loaded onto one factor; the need for autonomy, the need for competence, and the need for relatedness items were loaded onto one factor, and emotional exhaustion and vigor items were loaded onto one factor. Model 7 is a one-factor model in which all measure items were loaded onto one factor. Model 8 is our measurement model in which items were loaded onto their respective factors (i.e., perceived mastery climate, perceived performance climate, the need for autonomy, the need for competence, the need for relatedness, emotional exhaustion and vigor), and error terms were allowed to correlate if they pertained to the same latent factor. \*\*\*
p
\< 0.001.
Structural Equation Modeling Results {#S4.SS3}
------------------------------------
To simultaneously examine the mediating influence of the three basic needs, we conducted a series of linear regressions. [Table 4](#T4){ref-type="table"} presents the results of four mediation models. [Table 4](#T4){ref-type="table"} shows a significant direct influence of perceived mastery climate on vigor (β = 0.12, *p* \< 0.001). In addition, the total indirect influence of the mediation model for all basic needs together is significant (β = 0.278, *p* \< 0.001). The 95% bias-corrected confidence interval (CI) for the total influence (derived from 1,000 bootstrap samples) did not contain zero, 95% CI = \[0.235, 0.321\]. Moreover, the analysis showed significant positive indirect influence of all three basic needs. The largest influence was from competence (β = 0.144, CI = \[0.103, 0.184\]). This pattern of results is consistent with a mediating influence of all three basic needs, thereby supporting Hypothesis 1, which predicted that basic needs satisfaction mediates the positive relationship between a perceived mastery climate and vigor.
######
Bootstrap analyses of the magnitude and significance of direct, indirect, and total influence.
Predictor variable Parallel mediator variables Dependent variable Standardized indirect influence 95% CI
------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ---------------------- --------------------------------- --------------------
Autonomy 0.064 \[0.031, 0.097\]
Mastery climate Relatedness Vigor 0.070 \[0.032, 0.109\]
Competence 0.144 \[0.103, 0.184\]
Total indirect influence 0.278 \[0.235, 0.321\]
Direct influence mastery climate → vigor 0.12 \[0.023, 0.21\]
Autonomy −0.048 \[−0.071, −0.025\]
Performance climate Relatedness Vigor −0.053 \[−0.076, −0.030\]
Competence −0.059 \[−0.081, −0.037\]
Total indirect influence −0.160 \[−0.195, −0.124\]
Direct influence performance climate → vigor 0.10 \[0.001, 0.21\]
Autonomy −0.134 \[−0.173, −0.095\]
Mastery climate Relatedness Emotional exhaustion −0.050 \[−0.089, −0.011\]
Competence −0.051 \[−0.090, −0.011\]
Total indirect influence −0.235 \[−0.278, −0.191\]
Direct influence mastery climate → emotional exhaustion −0.12 \[−0.23, −0.008\]
Performance climate Autonomy 0.083 \[0.055, 0.111\]
Relatedness Emotional exhaustion 0.032 \[0.007, 0.056\]
Competence 0.024 \[0.009, 0.040\]
Total indirect influence 0.140 \[0.108, 0.171\]
Direct influence performance climate → emotional exhaustion 0.12 \[0.012, 0.24\]
The analysis, with respect to Hypothesis 2, shows a significant negative influence of perceived mastery climate on emotional exhaustion (β = −0.12, *p* = 0.039). The total indirect influence of the mediation model for all basic needs together is significant (β = −0.235, *p* \< 0.000). The 95% bias-corrected CI for the total influence (derived from 1,000 bootstrap samples) did not contain zero, 95% CI = \[−0.278, −0.191\]. The analysis showed significant negative indirect influence of all three basic needs. The largest influence was from autonomy (β = −0.134, CI = \[−0.173, −0.095\]). This pattern of results is consistent with a mediating influence of all three basic needs, thereby supporting Hypothesis 2, which predicted that basic needs satisfaction mediates the negative relationship between a perceived mastery climate and emotional exhaustion.
With respect to Hypothesis 3, we found a significant negative total influence of performance climate on vigor (β = −0.18, *p* = 0.001). Interestingly, we see a positive direct influence of performance climate on vigor (β = 0.10, *p* = 0.045). These results form a fascinating pattern, as the negative influence of performance climate on vigor is completely due to the indirect mechanism operating through the mediator variables: the total indirect influence of the mediation model for all basic needs together is significant and negative (β = −0.160, *p* \< 0.000). The 95% bias-corrected CI for the total influence (derived from 1,000 bootstrap samples) did not contain zero, 95% CI = \[−0.195, −0.124\]. Further, the analysis showed significant negative indirect influence of all three basic needs. The largest influence was from competence (β = −0.059, CI = \[−0.081, −0.037\]). The direct pathway is in the opposite direction of the total influence, but it is not strong enough to cancel out the negative influence of the indirect pathways ([@B52]). This pattern of results is consistent with a mediating influence of all three basic needs, thereby supporting Hypothesis 3, which predicted that basic needs satisfaction mediates the negative relationship between a perceived performance climate and vigor.
Finally, we found a significant positive direct influence of a perceived performance climate on emotional exhaustion (β = 0.12, *p* = 0.039). In addition, the total indirect influence of the mediation model for all basic needs together is significant (β = 0.140, *p* \< 0.000). The 95% bias-corrected CI for the total influence (derived from 1,000 bootstrap samples) did not contain zero, 95% CI = \[0.108, 0.171\]. Further, the analysis showed significant positive indirect influence of all three basic needs. The largest influence was from autonomy (β = 0.083, CI = \[0.055, 0.111\]). This pattern of results is consistent with a mediating influence of all three basic needs, thereby supporting Hypothesis 4, which predicted that basic needs satisfaction mediates the positive relationship between a perceived performance climate and emotional exhaustion.
In summary, we found that a perceived mastery climate is positively and significantly related to each of the three basic needs. Similarly, a perceived performance climate is negatively and significantly related to each of the three basic needs. Moreover, the results indicate that the basic needs are significantly associated with both measures of energy, negatively with emotional exhaustion and positively with vigor.
Discussion {#S5}
==========
Drawing from AGT ([@B66]; [@B3]), SDT ([@B18]; [@B28]), and theory on psychological energy ([@B89]; [@B93]), we propose that the perceived motivational climate, through employee psychological need satisfaction, plays a pivotal role in predicting employee energy (i.e., vigor and emotional exhaustion) at work. We found support for these theoretical expectations. As our results illustrate, a mastery climate facilitates employee need satisfaction and subsequently increased future vigor, while reducing future emotional exhaustion. On the other hand, a performance climate contributed to thwart need satisfaction and, in turn, depleted future vigor and increased future emotional exhaustion. The satisfaction or thwarting of the need for competence had a strong influence on either enhancing or reducing vigor. When it came to enhancing or reducing emotional exhaustion, the need for autonomy had a stronger influence. Our study makes several theoretical and practical contributions.
Theoretical and Practical Contributions {#S5.SS1}
---------------------------------------
One of our most important theoretical contributions is to place a spotlight on the importance of basic psychological needs as mediators in the perceived motivational climate--energy relationship in the work setting. Although other studies (e.g., [@B79]; [@B103]; [@B76], [@B77]) have explored the direct relationship between the perceived motivational climate and need satisfaction, as well as the direct relationship between need satisfaction and burnout, to our knowledge there is no other study that has examined how the perceived motivational climate at work predicts employee vigor/emotional exhaustion through employees' satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Given how detrimental energy depletion is for employees and their functioning at work ([@B27]), this is a weakness in the extant literature. Thus, understanding the process that leads to energy enhancement or energy depletion is vital.
Our results extend the current literature by showing that job demands and resources do not play the only relevant role in triggering energy enhancing or impairing processes at work ([@B103]); the perceived motivational climate also seems to activate such processes. Specifically, we found that a perceived mastery climate triggered an energy-enhancing process by increasing the vigor of employees through satisfaction of needs. By contrast, a perceived performance climate activated an energy-depletion process, by increasing emotional exhaustion through a reduction of need satisfaction. This suggests that employees who perceive that the criteria of success involve mastery, effort, development, cooperation, and learning (mastery climate) are more likely to experience a general feeling of proficiency (competence), interpersonal belongingness (relatedness), and volition (autonomy), which in turn explains why they feel less emotionally exhausted and more vigorous at work.
Our results suggest that, because of the controlling features of a performance climate (e.g., forced interpersonal rivalry among colleagues, normative ability comparison), employees may have their psychological needs thwarted, which means that they experience low levels of competence, psychological freedom, and choice, as well as low connectedness to others. In turn, employees experience more feelings of exhaustion and low energy (low vigor). These findings contribute to the occupational health psychology literature by shedding light on the energy-enhancing/depleting process underlying the relationship between the perceived motivational climate and employee energy.
Still, it should be noted that although not evident in our data, theory and other data sets in sport, education, and work (e.g., [@B81]; [@B96]; [@B82]) suggest that for some people being in a performance climate is motivating and performance enhancing. But these people are very confident of their competence and seek to demonstrate their superiority through competing with others. While the perception of high ability and success lasts, these people seek challenging tasks and revel in demonstrating their superior competence. But, the perception of high ability is fragile and may waver when the individual enters a more elite competitive environment. Then these people are likely to adopt maladaptive achievement strategies, namely, to seek easy tasks, reduce effort, or give up in the face of difficulty (e.g., [@B25]).
Further, such a contribution involves the finding that satisfaction or reduction of the need for competence had a stronger influence on employees' energy than the other two needs by enhancing or reducing vigor. This finding suggests that the satisfaction of the need for competence may be most important for enhancing employees' vigor, whereas if this need is thwarted, they are more likely to experience reduced vigor. This finding, to some extent, aligns with research on hip-hop dancers, suggesting that satisfaction/thwarting of the need for competence enhanced/impaired positive affect ([@B76]).
Our results also show that the satisfaction/thwarting of the need for autonomy more strongly influenced an enhancement/reduction of emotional exhaustion, compared to the needs for relatedness and competence. This finding is contrary to what [@B77] found among a sample of dancers---they did not find support for the important role of the need for autonomy with respect to emotional exhaustion. This challenges the SDT-grounded conceptualization of basic needs as essential for optimal functioning. Our results rather support the contention of SDT ([@B18]) that the needs are essential for individual functioning and well-/ill-being; in our study, the needs for autonomy (for emotional exhaustion) and competence (for vigor) were found to be particularly essential. These findings add to previous research on psychological needs and psychological energy, because we clarify the influence of each discrete psychological need on energy and not only the influence of a total need satisfaction score on energy, which has been a limitation of previous research (e.g., [@B103]).
Second, our study contributes to the literature on psychological energy by drawing on two strong and unifying motivational theories---AGT and SDT (cf. [@B61]). By doing so, we have contributed to further clarify the environmental determinants and underlying psychological mechanisms of employee energy, from a motivational point of view ([@B61]; [@B93]; [@B5]). The concepts of motivational climate and need satisfaction are particularly attractive, because they allow leaders and their organizations to learn about the environmental conditions under which the three needs may be satisfied and, in turn, promote employee energy. The relevance of the empirical links between AGT and SDT has previously been recognized and tested ([@B67]); however, their combined relevance as theoretical frameworks to understand the energy enhancement/depletion process has, to our knowledge, not yet been clarified sufficiently in a work setting. This also directly relates to concerns emphasized in the literature about how organizations lack understanding of human sustainability ([@B71]; [@B27]). This means that organizations cannot expect employees to perform at a consistently high level if employees cannot sustain their energy over long periods of time. Our study adds to the literature by clarifying the role of motivational determinants and mechanisms in sustaining or depleting employee energy over time.
Although our study was not on investigating gender differences with respect to energy-enhancing and energy-depletion processes, the uneven gender distribution in our sample requires attention as it may have affected our results. The preponderance of male participants in the study may possibly be explained by the work areas represented in the union. Still, the uneven gender distribution in our sample may be interpreted with respect to previous empirical evidence. A recent study among health professionals in Europe showed that women report lower scores on autonomy and competence compared to men ([@B31]). With respect to work engagement (where vigor is one subdimension), the results regarding gender are inconsistent ([@B87]). In Norwegian, Finnish, German, and Belgian samples, men had higher engagement compared to women, whereas in Spanish and South African samples, women reported higher work engagement scores than men. In Canadian, French, and Australian samples, no gender differences in engagement have been found. Despite these findings, some authors have suggested that work engagement may be a gendered construct where it is easier for men to be engaged at work compared to women, possibly as a result of the so-called gendered organization ([@B7]). Further, meta-analytical evidence has shown that women are slightly more emotionally exhausted than men ([@B75]). These findings suggest that there is a need for additional research to clarify the relevance of our findings in more gender-balanced samples, including in other work areas than the ones represented in our study.
Our research has practical value for leaders, employees, and their organizations, as it provides guidance on how to enhance healthy employee functioning through the construction of working environments that promote the satisfaction of basic psychological needs and, in turn, enhance employees' psychological energy at work over time. According to our results, to ensure that a work environment is health promoting, it seems useful to facilitate a mastery climate. This is particularly so, because such a climate facilitates supportive features for employees to experience the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs for connectedness to others, volition, and competence ([@B79]). Although there is little evidence concerning the best way to foster a mastery climate in an organizational setting ([@B22]), findings from sports and education domains may provide some clues as to what may be beneficial: (a) designing meaningful and interesting tasks that include variety, challenge, and control; (b) giving each individual opportunities to make choices and to participate in decision making, as well as the self-determination to decide upon strategies for completing the task; (c) giving thorough consideration to how outcomes and striving behaviors are recognized by avoiding rewards and recognition that are perceived as bribes or methods of control ([@B18]); (d) encouraging appreciation of the differences between individuals by treating everyone in a similar way; (e) evaluating each individual privately based on his/her progress, mastery, creativity, and effort; and (f) managing time by allowing those individuals who need more time to develop the necessary skills to perform at a higher level to have more time ([@B3]; [@B83]). Moreover, the basic psychological needs concept has practical value, in that it represents a vital mechanism that may be fruitful in understanding how to facilitate a more long-term sustainability of employee energy at work (cf. [@B103], [@B102]; [@B71]; [@B104]).
Limitations and Directions for Future Research {#S6}
==============================================
Although our results are promising, several limitations must be addressed. As the overall study was reliant on self-report measures, the results may have been influenced by common method variance. However, our variables of interest, vigor, and emotional exhaustion, are difficult for others to assess, and in such cases, the use of self-reports is considered to be warranted ([@B13]; [@B43]). It has been shown that individuals can detect differences in their own mood and behavior better than external raters ([@B47]), who usually fall back on general impressions ([@B46]). Nevertheless, we decided to limit possible effects of common method bias by gathering data about our dependent variable at a later time point (T2) than we gathered data on the predicator and mediating variables. In addition, we followed [@B72] recommendations regarding how to control for method biases through study design, such as by requesting honest answers and ensuring anonymity. Moreover, all correlations were less than the threshold of 0.70 ([@B99]), indicating that the likelihood of multicollinearity is low. In addition, we conducted a CFA containing all items in our model, which should produce a good fit of a single factor if common method bias is likely in our data ([@B74]). The GFIs (χ^2^ = 10559.945, *df* = 860, χ^2^/*df* = 12.28, CFI = 0.505, TLI = 0.480, GFI = 0.59, RMSEA = 0.102, SRMR = 0.097) indicate a poor fit for the single-factor model and an acceptable fit for the model that contains all construct variables (χ^2^ = 2676.073, *df* = 831, χ^2^/*df* = 3.22, CFI = 0.906, TLI = 0.898, GFI = 0.890, RMSEA = 0.045, SRMR = 0.052), which suggests that bias from common method variance is unlikely and that our measures provided sufficient discriminant validity ([@B72], [@B73]). Nevertheless, future studies may want to think of alternative research designs to further minimize the risk of bias.
All fit indexes for the seven-factor model were acceptable, except for the TLI and GFI indexes, which are recommended to be 0.90 or greater ([@B54]). It should, however, be noted that because of the sensitivity of the GFI index, it has become less popular, and it has been recommended that it should not be applied ([@B92]). Further, conventional CFA goodness of fit criteria (e.g., CFI, TLI, RMSEA) have been argued to be too restrictive when applied to most multifactor (e.g., 5--10 factors) rating instruments ([@B55]; [@B54]). Consequently "it is almost impossible to get an acceptable fit" and "conventional" rules of thumb about acceptable fit are "too restrictive" ([@B55], 325). Still, the TLI and GFI fit of our model may represent a potential limitation.
Another limitation is that our sample included only engineers and technologists, although representing various work areas. Most occupations remain gender-typed, where men frequently are employed in professions that fit stereotypes about male gender roles (e.g., well-paid jobs, physically demanding jobs), whereas women often are employed in professions that fit stereotypes about female gender roles (e.g., nurturing/caregiving jobs) ([@B75]). For example, females are underrepresented in occupations such as engineers and architects ([@B75]). Differences according to the scope of profession may have an impact particularly when considering that the domination by one gender in a particular profession is likely to create negative experiences for members of the underrepresented gender. [@B36] found that women reported poorer self-assessed health and higher psychological distress in male-dominated occupations compared to female-dominated occupations. This knowledge may limit the extent of generalizability of our results to other occupations. To strengthen the external validity ([@B14]) of our findings, a more extensive study is necessary, one that includes organizations with other occupational groups and that accounts for men and women in atypical versus typical occupations ([@B75]).
Further, the total sample consisted of 75% men. Although this uneven gender distribution was in line with the overall union statistics (78% male members), our results should be interpreted with this unbalanced composition by gender in mind. This gender unbalance in our sample as well as in the total union may possibly be explained by the various represented work areas. Given that the literature in general shows gender differences in relation to perceived motivational climate, basic psychological needs, and in terms of vigor and emotional exhaustion (e.g., [@B42]; [@B87]; [@B75]; [@B31]), it is important that future research explores the energy-enhancing and energy-depletion processes, which are investigated in our study. This is needed in more gender-balanced samples as well as across other work areas than the ones included in our study. It is particularly relevant as it is not possible to ignore that it is probable that women experience more emotional exhaustion and health problems due to the multiplicity of roles that they often must fulfill^[2](#footnote2){ref-type="fn"}^ ([@B75]; [@B31]).
Although the focus of this research was to study the psychological motivational climate, it should be noted that this study was conducted through a union; therefore, participants were spread across various organizations from different parts of Norway, making it impossible to examine whether climate perceptions were shared among the employees in a given workplace. Although we believe that the motivational climate within an organization constitutes an important aspect of its psychological climate ([@B69]), we suggest that future organizational research could benefit from exploring the group level of the motivational climate.
It also seems important to emphasize that some of the standardized β coefficients in the current study were significant, but rather low. A large sample size may typically result in significant coefficients representing the association between relevant variables, but it is up to the researcher to consider their meaningfulness. We believe that our results are meaningful and that the low β coefficients may be due to the time interval of 7 months. The interpretation of the results presented in our study should be viewed in light of this limitation.
The antecedents of the motivational climate at work represent another vital aspect that may be important for future research. The leader of a given workplace has often been put forward as the main architect of the motivational climate ([@B4]; [@B2]; [@B24]). Significant others (e.g., colleagues) and/or organizational practices may also play an important role in influencing such a climate ([@B38]; [@B83]). As we know considerably less about the antecedents of the climate than we do about their outcomes ([@B45]), we suggest that one fruitful line of inquiry for future research may be to investigate human resource management practices and/or job designs as prospective determinants of the perceived motivational climate at work. Future research may thereby contribute suggestions for some specific criteria for facilitating a mastery climate at work and thus further explore where the energy-enhancing/depleting process starts.
Conclusion {#S7}
==========
Employees differ in the amount of energy they display at work (i.e., vigor and exhaustion). Energy depletion at work has been described as a human energy crisis ([@B27]). Drawing on motivational theory (AGT and SDT), we proposed that the perceived motivational climate at work is likely to influence the level of employee energy and that basic psychological needs mediate the relationship. We found that a mastery climate activates an energy enhancing process through the satisfaction of basic psychological needs---thus preventing an energy crisis. A performance climate, on the other hand, was found to generate an energy-depletion process through thwarting of basic psychological needs, thus triggering an energy crisis. Our study thereby adds to the occupational health psychology and psychological energy literature.
Data Availability Statement {#S8}
===========================
The datasets generated for this study are not publicly available due to the regulations set by the Norwegian Center for Research Data. This is to protect respondent confidentiality and participant privacy. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to CN, <[email protected]>.
Ethics Statement {#S9}
================
Ethical review and approval was not required for the study on human participants in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.
Author Contributions {#S10}
====================
CN, AR, and GR contributed to the conception and design of the study. CN organized the database. MC performed the statistical analysis. CN wrote the first draft of the manuscript. MC and GR wrote sections of the manuscript. All authors contributed to manuscript revision, read and approved the submitted version.
Conflict of Interest {#conf1}
====================
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
We would like to thank the Union which helped us with the distribution of the survey.
The union's registration system for members' e-mail addresses is never completely up-to-date. Although the questionnaire was distributed to 33,275 members, the union received delivery failure e-mail messages from several members; however, it did not keep a record of the number of delivery failures. We therefore cannot be certain about the match between the number of surveys and the respondents who received them.
We would like to thank one of the reviewers for pointing to this.
[^1]: Edited by: Con Stough, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
[^2]: Reviewed by: Antonio Granero-Gallegos, University of Almería, Spain; Marianela Denegri, University of La Frontera, Chile
[^3]: This article was submitted to Organizational Psychology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Psychology
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Central |
HLA class I variation controlled for genetic admixture in the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona: a model for the Paleo-Indians.
The genetic distribution of the HLA class I loci is presented for 619 "full blooded" Pima and Tohono O'odham Native Americans (Pimans) in the Gila River Indian Community. Variation in the Pimans is highly restricted. There are only three polymorphic alleles at the HLA-A locus, *A2, *A24, and *A31, and only 10 alleles with a frequency greater than 0.01 at HLA-B where *Bw48 (0.187), *B35 (0.173), and the new epitope *BN21 (0.143) have the highest frequencies. Two and three locus disequilibria values and haplotype frequencies are presented. Ten three-locus haplotypes account for more than 50% of the class I variation, with *A24 *BN21 *Cw3 (0.085) having the highest frequency. Gm allotypes demonstrate that little admixture from non-Indian populations has entered the Community since the 17th century when Europeans first came to this area. As a consequence many alleles commonly found in Europeans and European Americans are efficient markers for Caucasian admixture, while the "private" Indian alleles, *BN21 and *Bw48, can be used to measure Native American admixture in Caucasian populations. It is suggested that this distribution in "full blooded" Pimans approximates that of the Paleo-Indian migrants who first entered the Americas between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | PubMed Abstracts |
i ordered some gear a few weeks back from two diff places..and on sat i got two peach slips in my mail box saying i had registered mail i could either get them redilvered or got to the post office and pick it up..on the form it marked parcel and registerd is marked..but i never selected the registered shipping service when i ordered my shit..when i track the tracking number on the notice it shows when the package entered the country and went thourgh customs and they tried to deliver it to my house..what should i do.. should i schedule a redilvery or just take a loss...
I'd contact your source and ask them did they make it registered. If it cleared customs and no ICE knocking on your door questioning the packages, then I would think you'd be gtg. I guess it's how you feel about it all. Do some research and if anything, sign for it and don't open it for a couple of weeks. Someone else chime in
Then you're taking another chance with customs. There was a recent thread about this topic and with the USPS holding packages and what the postal inspector can and can't do. Hopefully a seasoned vet will chime in with some advice.
YEs contact the source to see if they sent it requiring a signature. It may just be that the mailman didn't feel conformable leaving the package. Ether way I'd clean your house. Then sign the slip for them to deliver them. When you get them take them inside and write return to sender on them packages and let them sit unopened for a few days.
You have not way of knowing what has been shipped to you.
The term "sell out comes from progressives" It is propaganda to make your feel better about not having the opportunities they have taken away. I was raised to succeed. Opportunity is wealth of prosperity. Fight the power! .....LOL
OK. I have had this happen a few times. Maybe we used the same source who knows. Anyway it is no big deal. Seriously. I know how you feel though. Like a deer stepping out into the meadow on opening day? I know. Just walk into the post office, give them the peach slip, show ID, sign for the package, and leave. Sounds simple? It is. Rest assured btw your source is tracking the package too. I don't think they would re-ship because you are too scared to go to the post office.
I'd just open your package up right there at the post office in front of the lady at the counter and draw the gear and ask her if she'll pin your glute. And if she won't, tell her to kiss your ass and walk out.
I'd just open your package up right there at the post office in front of the lady at the counter and draw the gear and ask her if she'll pin your glute. And if she won't, tell her to kiss your ass and walk out.
I picked up a register package at the PO yesterday, no big deal I knew it was coming registered mail. If customs knew what it was they would just take it and send a seizure letter. If they wanted to bust you, they would do a controlled delivery to your house and/or come with a warrant and take your computer and anything else you have. There will not be anybody waiting all day at the PO just to bust you.
Go Pick it up, its no big deal. Like Stone says, most releible sources do this now. They can track if its been picked up or stopped by customs. By the time it gets to your local PO its not a big deal. You just hand them the slip and walkout with your gear. I have signed for my last 4 shipments. My source will reship only if stopped by Customs or lost, by them tracking it, they know that it reached u or not. It is really the best way to do business.
If you do have problem with the cops lawyer up right away. You have no clue about anything.
The term "sell out comes from progressives" It is propaganda to make your feel better about not having the opportunities they have taken away. I was raised to succeed. Opportunity is wealth of prosperity. Fight the power! .....LOL
Go pick up your order and stop being paranoid. If there was something up with the package it wouldn't have cleared customs. I highly doubt they're sending Feds to arrest you for your 4 vials of test cyp and clomid
OK. I have had this happen a few times. Maybe we used the same source who knows. Anyway it is no big deal. Seriously. I know how you feel though. Like a deer stepping out into the meadow on opening day? I know. Just walk into the post office, give them the peach slip, show ID, sign for the package, and leave. Sounds simple? It is. Rest assured btw your source is tracking the package too. I don't think they would re-ship because you are too scared to go to the post office.
I know a little of the inside of the P.O........
They WILL schedule a Re-delivery.
Register mail is under lock and key at all time in a special holding area. your carrier picks it up in the A.M. before heading out on route. If you are not there, they WILL NOT EVER leave it in your box if they value their job. Upon no answer, you get the slip. 9 outta 10 times they try to redeliver the pack NEXT DAY. You get (3) tries and your pack gets sent back to shipper.
Provided you used your REAL NAME, you will get your pack, if you didnt, it's a loss.
Dont expect to walk in there tell them your there to pick up pack for "So and So" and not have the ID that matches name on the pack. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
America's Worst Sheriff™, Joe Arpaio, was annihilated in Federal Court yesterday when a Federal judge sided with the ACLU and found that Sheriff Shithead did, in fact, engage in unconstitutional racial profiling.
Sheriff Joe was prohibited from using race as a criteria to check immigration status.
America's Worst Sheriff™, Joe Arpaio, was annihilated in Federal Court yesterday when a Federal judge sided with the ACLU and found that Sheriff Shithead did, in fact, engage in unconstitutional racial profiling.
Sheriff Joe was prohibited from using race as a criteria to check immigration status.
America's Worst Sheriff™, Joe Arpaio, was annihilated in Federal Court yesterday when a Federal judge sided with the ACLU and found that Sheriff Shithead did, in fact, engage in unconstitutional racial profiling.
Sheriff Joe was prohibited from using race as a criteria to check immigration status.
America's Worst Sheriff™, Joe Arpaio, was annihilated in Federal Court yesterday when a Federal judge sided with the ACLU and found that Sheriff Shithead did, in fact, engage in unconstitutional racial profiling.
Sheriff Joe was prohibited from using race as a criteria to check immigration status.
Please, I'm sure there are way worse sheriffs in this country than that asshole.
No, he's pretty mad. Sure, there might be a few others that are a smidgen more evil or corrupt than he is, but none of them would be able to pull it off with such gleeful panache and disregard for human decency.
A federal judge overseeing the racial-profiling case against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office blasted officials Tuesday for what has been deemed an inadequate internal investigation into a former deputy's misconduct and allegations that his unit was engaged in theft.
Judge G. Murray Snow also reserved criticism for Sheriff Joe Arpaio following a public statement in which the sheriff indicated he would again engage in unconstitutional practices, and the judge ordered Arpaio to undergo the same training required of his deputies as a result of the case.
Last year, Snow found that the agency had discriminated against Latinos during its patrol operations and later ordered sweeping reforms to prevent future behavior. Reforms included bias-free training for deputies, in-vehicle recording devices, increased data collection and a court-appointed monitor to ensure the agency lived by his orders.
No, he's pretty mad. Sure, there might be a few others that are a smidgen more evil or corrupt than he is, but none of them would be able to pull it off with such gleeful panache and disregard for human decency.
Could you perhaps post a numbered list of things he has done in disregard for human decency?
That way people can argue about it point by point.
So far the only point against him is "racial profiling" while looking for illegal immigrants.
Is there some kind of Russian or Scandanavian illegal immigrant community in AZ that I haven't heard about? My first reaction was that the vast majority of illegal immigrants in the state could come from points south, which are primarily Hispanic. So calling the racial profiling illegal seems like a back door way to make the illegal immigration legal. Or am I missing something?
I don't live in AZ, so I'm not very familiar with this whole thing.
But "disregard for human decency" sounds almost like "war crimes". Do please expound on that. | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
277 Wis.2d 698 (2004)
2004 WI App 225
691 N.W.2d 388
IN RE the COMMITMENT OF Dennis THIEL:
STATE of Wisconsin, Petitioner-Respondent,
v.
Dennis THIEL, Respondent-Appellant.
No. 03-2649.
Court of Appeals of Wisconsin.
Submitted on briefs September 9, 2004.
Decided November 17, 2004.
On behalf of the respondent-appellant, the cause was submitted on the briefs of Suzanne L. Hagopian, assistant state public defender of Madison.
*701 On behalf of the petitioner-respondent, the cause was submitted on the brief of Sally L. Wellman, assistant attorney general, and Peggy A. Lautenschlager, attorney general.
Before Anderson, P.J., Brown and Snyder, JJ.
*700 ¶ 1. SNYDER, J.
Dennis Thiel appeals a nonfinal order entered following his supervised release petition under WIS. STAT. § 980.08 (2001-02).[1] Thiel contends two examiners should have been appointed: one for the court under § 980.08(3), and one for him under WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4). He further contends that § 980.03(4) grants him his choice of examiner and that his current examiner is not qualified to administer or opine on the relevant test, the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). He argues that the circuit court's refusal to appoint a court examiner under § 980.08(3) is error, and the court's appointment of a § 980.03(4) examiner who is not certified in the PCL-R test demonstrates an erroneous exercise of discretion. We agree and therefore reverse the order of the circuit court and remand this matter for proceedings consistent with this opinion.
BACKGROUND
¶ 2. The State pursued commitment of Thiel as a sexually violent person under WIS. STAT. ch. 980. Since his commitment in November 1998, two rather protracted proceedings ensued to determine whether Thiel was ready for discharge or for supervised release into the community. Although this appeal arises from Thiel's *702 supervised release petition, we include information regarding the discharge proceedings because, to some extent, the events overlap.
¶ 3. Six months after his commitment, Thiel refused to waive his right to petition for discharge under WIS. STAT. § 980.09(2), thus requiring the circuit court to determine whether probable cause existed to warrant an evidentiary hearing on Thiel's status as a sexually violent person. Relying on a recent re-examination report submitted by the State, the court concluded that probable cause did not exist and no evidentiary hearing was required. Thiel appealed, and we reversed, holding that the circuit court erred when it denied Thiel an independent examiner and when it failed to accept a valid waiver of counsel. See State v. Thiel, 2001 WI App 32, ¶¶ 20-21, 241 Wis. 2d 465, 626 N.W.2d 26 (Thiel I). On remand, the circuit court granted Thiel's request to appoint Dr. Michael Kotkin to examine him and determine his readiness for discharge.
¶ 4. On June 14, 2000, while his discharge proceeding was on appeal, Thiel filed a petition for supervised release and requested that Dr. Kotkin be appointed as his expert in that matter as well. Subsequently, Thiel agreed to adjourn the supervised release matter pending resolution of his discharge hearing and various appeals.
¶ 5. By January 2003, Thiel had completed the Core program, a two-year treatment program, and had been living on the residential unit with the greatest patient privileges. Dr. Kotkin filed his report on February 21, 2003, and recommended supervised release for Thiel, but not discharge.
¶ 6. On March 13, the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center (Sand Ridge) informed Thiel of a revision in its policy whereby all patients with a PCL-R score of *703 twenty-seven or above were being moved from the two-year Core treatment program to the five-year Corrective Thinking program. Prior to the new policy, patients with a score above thirty were placed in the Corrective Thinking program. During Thiel's commitment, three doctors scored him differently on the PCL-R. The scores ranged from twenty to twenty-nine, with the average of the highest two test score results exceeding the new threshold score of twenty-seven. As a result, Sand Ridge concluded that under its new test score policy, Thiel would require the five-year Corrective Thinking program.
¶ 7. Dr. Susan Sachsenmaier, senior psychologist at Sand Ridge, filed a report one week later stating that Thiel had a "significant degree of psychopathy, which combined with sexual deviance, creates a high degree of risk of reoffense." In her report, Dr. Sachsenmaier referenced the PCL-R tests used to evaluate Thiel's need for treatment. She also stated that there was no indication Sand Ridge would modify Thiel's reassignment into the Corrective Thinking program to reflect his completion of the Core program. Dr. Sachsenmaier, however, said she did not believe Thiel would need five more years of treatment "to reduce his level of risk to the degree that he could earn a recommendation for supervised release."
¶ 8. Ultimately, the circuit court concluded that the facts did not warrant a discharge hearing, and Thiel requested permission to go forward with his petition for supervised release. He asked the court to appoint Dr. Patricia Coffey as his expert in the supervised release proceeding, pursuant to WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4). The court questioned the need to appoint Dr. Coffey in light of Dr. Kotkin's recent evaluation for the discharge hearing. Thiel argued that, unlike Dr. Kotkin, Dr. *704 Coffey was certified and trained in the use of the PCL-R and would be able to address the issues associated with that evaluation tool.
¶ 9. The circuit court held a hearing to address Thiel's request on July 21, 2003. At the motion hearing, the State agreed with Thiel that Dr. Coffey should be appointed. Nonetheless, the court, by letter dated July 31, advised the parties that WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4) did not apply to Thiel's petition for supervised release and that the court was willing to reappoint Dr. Kotkin as the court's examiner pursuant to WIS. STAT. § 980.08(3). The court's order states in relevant part:
Respondent's request for the appointment of Dr. Patricia Coffey to examine Respondent pursuant to § 980.08(3) is denied for reasons stated on the record. In addition, Dr. Kotkin has already submitted a report stating that the Respondent is appropriate for conditional release while it is unknown whether Dr. Coffey would even support the Respondent's Petition for Conditional Release. To expend the funds for an expert who has not already treated the Respondent, nor has been previously appointed at the request of the Respondent ... would be fiscally irresponsible in light of tight budgets.... The Court previously appointed Dr. Kotkin for the discharge hearing and he is being reappointed. The Court is satisfied and finds that Dr. Kotkin has the requisite specialized knowledge to be appointed in this matter even though not certified to administer the PCL-R test, he has not been shown to be unable to render opinions as to the test or its meaning.
¶ 10. Thiel renewed his objection to the appointment of Dr. Kotkin, adding that the circuit court's appointment of an examiner under WIS. STAT. § 980.08(3) did not address Thiel's right to an examiner *705 of his own under WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4). Thiel then filed a motion seeking to have Dr. Coffey appointed pursuant to § 980.03(4).
¶ 11. At a motion hearing on September 19, the State agreed that the statutes require the circuit court to appoint two evaluators, one for the court, and another for Thiel. Following this hearing, the court revised its earlier ruling and concluded that Thiel is entitled to the appointment of an expert under WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4). However, the court denied Thiel's motion to appoint Dr. Coffey and instead recast Dr. Kotkin's appointment under WIS. STAT. § 980.08(3) as an appointment under § 980.03(4), in effect changing Dr. Kotkin's status from the examiner for the court to Thiel's examiner. The court did not appoint a new examiner for the court under § 980.08(3). Thiel requested permission to appeal the nonfinal order, and we granted his request.
DISCUSSION
¶ 12. Thiel raises three issues on appeal: (1) whether the circuit court must appoint an examiner for the court under WIS. STAT. § 980.08(3) when it has appointed an examiner for the petitioner under WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4); (2) whether an indigent party petitioning for supervised release under § 980.08 is entitled to an examiner of his or her choice under § 980.03(4); and (3) whether the court's appointment of Dr. Kotkin as Thiel's examiner was an erroneous exercise of discretion. We take each issue in turn.
*706 Appointment of Experts Under WIS. STAT. §§ 980.08(3) and 980.03(4)
[1, 2]
¶ 13. The circuit court originally appointed Dr. Kotkin under WIS. STAT. § 980.08(3), ordering him to submit his examination report directly to the court. The court subsequently revised its ruling and appointed Dr. Kotkin as Thiel's examiner, with directions to submit his report to Thiel's attorney instead of the court, and left the § 980.08(3) examiner position vacant. We must decide if the appointment of Dr. Kotkin as Thiel's examiner relieved the court of its duty to appoint an examiner for the court under § 980.08(3). The application of a statute to a set of facts is a question of law which this court reviews de novo. Beaudette v. Eau Claire County Sheriff's Dep't, 2003 WI App 153, ¶ 20, 265 Wis. 2d 744, 668 N.W.2d 133.
[3]
¶ 14. WISCONSIN STAT. § 980.08 governs petitions for supervised release, and directs the court as follows: "Within 20 days after receipt of the petition, the court shall appoint one or more examiners having the specialized knowledge determined by the court to be appropriate, who shall examine the person and furnish a written report of the examination to the court within 30 days after appointment." Sec. 980.08(3) (emphasis added). Our supreme court has repeatedly held that statutory interpretation first looks to the language of the statute and, "[i]f the meaning of the statute is plain, we ordinarily stop the inquiry." State ex rel. Kalal v. Circuit Court for Dane County, 2004 WI 58, ¶ 45, 271 Wis. 2d 633, 681 N.W.2d 110 (citation omitted). The word "shall" in a statute is "presumed to be mandatory when it appears in a statute, unless a different construction *707 is necessary to carry out the legislature's clear intent." C.A.K. v. State, 154 Wis. 2d 612, 621, 453 N.W.2d 897 (1990).
¶ 15. At the motion hearing, the State joined with Thiel in arguing that the circuit court should appoint two examiners, one for Thiel and one for the court. The State pronounced:
I agree with [Thiel] that [WIS. STAT. §] 980.08 in conjunction with [WIS. STAT. §] 980.03(4) does require the Court to appoint another evaluator if the defendant requests it, and I agree that the appointment of Dr. Kotkin would be considered the one one required of the Court to do and that there should be someone else.
¶ 16. The State has changed its position on appeal. Rather than joining in the assertion that two examiners are required as it did in the circuit court, the State now argues that Thiel is not entitled to an examiner of his own under WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4).[2] The legislature chose to grant the right to request an examiner to committed persons who are required to *708 "submit to an examination under this chapter." Id. (emphasis added). We are satisfied that Thiel's WIS. STAT. § 980.08 petition for supervised release, which mandates the court to appoint an examiner under § 980.08(3), implicates this right.
¶ 17. The parties agree that the language of WIS. STAT. § 980.08(3) requires the circuit court to appoint an examiner for the court, and we concur. Unlike the examiner for the court, Thiel's examiner reports directly to him or, as in this case, his attorney, and his examiner's opinions are not discoverable unless the examiner is called to testify. See State v. Rachel, 224 Wis. 2d 571, 575-76, 591 N.W.2d 920 (Ct. App. 1999). Also, a petitioner's examiner participates in the proceeding "on the person's behalf." WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4). Because the two examiners clearly serve different purposes, we conclude that the appointment of Thiel's examiner under § 980.03(4) did not satisfy the mandate of § 980.08(3); therefore, the circuit court erred when it refused to appoint an examiner for the court.
Petitioner's Right to Choice of Examiner Under WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4)
[4]
¶ 18. Thiel asserts that he, an indigent petitioner, is entitled to an examiner of his own choice under WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4). The statute provides in part:
Whenever a person who ... has been committed under s. 980.06 is required to submit to an examination under this chapter, he or she may retain experts or professional persons to perform an examination. If the person retains a qualified expert or professional person of his *709 or her own choice to conduct an examination, the examiner shall have reasonable access to the person for the purpose of the examination, as well as to the person's past and present treatment records, as defined in s. 51.30(1)(b), and patient health care records as provided under s. 146.82(2)(c). If the person is indigent, the court shall, upon the person's request, appoint a qualified and available expert or professional person to perform an examination and participate in the trial or other proceeding on the person's behalf. Upon the order of the circuit court, the county shall pay, as part of the costs of the action, the costs of an expert or professional person appointed by a court under this subsection to perform an examination and participate in the trial or other proceeding on behalf of an indigent person.
Sec. 980.03(4). Thiel contends that he not only has the right to request a court-appointed examiner, but to request an examiner of his own choice. The question presented involves the interpretation of § 980.03(4), and thus, it is a question of law that we review de novo. See Rachel, 224 Wis. 2d at 573.
[5, 6]
¶ 19. In support of his position, Thiel presents a thorough analysis of grammatical principles, legislative history, and the need to harmonize statutes. He fails, however, to overcome the plain language of the statute. Specifically, WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4) provides that an indigent person may request an examiner and the court may "appoint a qualified and available expert" to serve in that role. "Judicial deference to the policy choices enacted into law by the legislature requires that statutory interpretation focus primarily on the language of the statute." Kalal, 271 Wis. 2d 633, ¶ 44. "[L]egislative intent may become relevant to statutory interpretation in some circumstances, but is not the primary focus of inquiry. It is the enacted law, not the unenacted intent, *710 that is binding on the public." Id. Had the legislature intended to grant an indigent petitioner the right to an examiner of his or her own choice under § 980.03(4), it could have easily done so.
¶ 20. Our construction comports with companion statute WIS. STAT. § 980.07(1), which states that the committed person "may retain or seek to have the court appoint an examiner as provided under [WIS. STAT.] s. 980.03(4)." (Emphasis added.) We observe that the disjunctive construction of § 980.03(4) presents two alternatives: a person may retain an expert (of his or her own choice) or may ask the court to appoint a qualified and available expert. Thiel has requested that the circuit court appoint an examiner. To comply with the statute, the court must appoint an expert or professional person who is qualified and available. Id.
¶ 21. Thiel also argues that equal protection considerations require us to afford him the same rights as other similarly situated persons. He asserts that persons subject to WIS. STAT. § 51.20, involuntary commitment of the mentally ill, or WIS. STAT. § 971.17, commitment of persons found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, are similarly situated and provide meaningful comparison because "mentally ill persons who are committed under [WIS. STAT.] ch. 51 and persons found [not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect] and committed under § 971.17 are both entitled to a court-appointed expert of their choice in the reexamination process." The similarities between WIS. STAT. chs. 980 and 51 have not escaped us, and we agree that the re-examination process under ch. 980 may, under certain circumstances, be read in conjunction with ch. 51. See State v. Anthony D.B., 2000 WI 94, ¶ 31, 237 Wis. 2d 1, 614 N.W.2d 435 (holding that the periodic review of a person's commitment under WIS. *711 STAT. § 980.07 should include a review of an order for involuntary medication under WIS. STAT. § 51.61(1)(g)).
¶ 22. We have, however, also observed that "[d]espite some fundamental similarities to other commitment proceedings, [WIS. STAT.] ch. 980 ultimately is unique and distinct from other civil commitment chapters." Thiel I, 241 Wis. 2d 465, 18. With regard to Thiels WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4) request for an examiner, the distinction is clear. As discussed in the previous section, Thiel seeks appointment of an examiner who will file a report directly with him or his attorney and who will participate on his behalf. See id. In contrast, WIS. STAT. §§ 51.20(9)(a)5 and 971.17(4)(c) do not offer the patient the right to an examiner who will serve on his or her behalf; rather, they require the examiner to file a report with the court. We see no need to harmonize where there is no conflict between the statutes. See Parker v. Percy, 105 Wis. 2d 486, 492, 314 N.W.2d 166 (Ct. App. 1981) (where no conflict exists, we will not look beyond the plain words of the statutes). Accordingly, Thiels proposition that he is similarly situated to §§ 51.20 and 971.17 committed persons fails due to the distinctly different examiner roles authorized under the statutes.
¶ 23. We conclude that the plain language of WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4) affords Thiel the right to a "qualified and available expert or professional person" who will be appointed by the court and paid for by the county. The courts refusal to adopt Thiels broad reading of the right to an expert of choice was a proper interpretation of the statute.
*712 Qualifications of Expert Appointed Pursuant to WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4)
[7-9]
¶ 24. This brings us to the related issue of whether Dr. Kotkin is a qualified expert for the purposes of WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4) appointment as Thiel's examiner. The question of an expert witness' qualifications is a discretionary determination for the circuit court. State v. Robinson, 146 Wis. 2d 315, 332, 431 N.W.2d 165 (1988). We examine the circuit court's discretion by determining if the court compared the technical expertise of the witness to the complexity of the precise issue in the case. Tanner v. Shoupe, 228 Wis. 2d 357, 370, 596 N.W.2d 805 (Ct. App. 1999).
¶ 25. Thiel contends that Dr. Kotkin is not qualified to serve as his WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4) examiner because he is not certified in the PCL-R test, which is the instrument referenced in Dr. Sachsenmaier's March 2003 re-examination report. When Sand Ridge revised the scoring threshold for the PCL-R test, it placed Thiel into more restrictive confinement and routed him into the five-year Corrective Thinking program without consideration for his successful completion of the two-year Core program. At the July 21, 2003 motion hearing, the State joined with Thiel in requesting the appointment of Dr. Coffey as Thiel's examiner because she is certified in the PCL-R. The issue, therefore, is whether Dr. Kotkin has "technical and scientific expertise" in the PCL-R instrument, which presents the "precise question" of this case. See Tanner, 228 Wis. 2d at 370.
[10, 11]
¶ 26. An appellate court will search the record for reasons to sustain the circuit court's discretionary decision. *713 Randall v. Randall, 2000 WI App 98, ¶ 7, 235 Wis. 2d 1, 612 N.W.2d 737. We will affirm discretionary determinations if they have a reasonable basis and are made in accord with the facts of record. James v. Heintz, 165 Wis. 2d 572, 578-79, 478 N.W.2d 31 (Ct. App. 1991).
¶ 27. Here, the court appointed Dr. Kotkin because "he is familiar with the case.... He has already been paid for his services and investigation and studies." The court also stated that it was "satisfied and finds that Dr. Kotkin has the requisite specialized knowledge to be appointed in this matter even though not certified to administer the PCL-R test, he has not been shown to be unable to render opinions as to the test or its meaning." Further, the court stated, "I think any psychologist worth their Ph.D. would very handily be able to explain what that test is and what it does and what the numbers mean and how they should or shouldn't vary between the different examiners."
¶ 28. Sand Ridge, an agency of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, revised the scoring threshold for the PCL-R test while Thiel was pursuing discharge and supervised release. Sand Ridge's new scoring policy and its consequences for Thiel are clearly key issues in his supervised release proceeding. Yet, on appeal, the State argues that Thiel does not require the benefit of an expert who is certified in the PCL-R test. We disagree. Dr. Kotkin's lack of PCL-R training and certification in the PCL-R evaluation tool is directly related to his "technical and scientific expertise" in the "precise question" of this case. See Tanner, 228 Wis. 2d at 370. In particular, the circuit court should have considered Dr. Kotkin's competence to comment on the significance of the revised scoring threshold implemented by Sand Ridge. Because there is no record evidence that the court exercised its discretion *714 in this regard, we remand the matter with instructions for the court to appoint a qualified expert for Thiel under WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4).
CONCLUSION
¶ 29. We conclude that the circuit court must appoint an examiner for the court under WIS. STAT. § 980.08(3) regardless of whether the court also appointed an examiner for the petitioner under WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4). We further conclude that an indigent party petitioning for supervised release under § 980.08 is not entitled to an examiner of his or her choice under § 980.03(4), but is entitled to a "qualified and available" court-appointed examiner. Finally, we conclude that the court's appointment of Dr. Kotkin as Thiel's examiner was an erroneous exercise of discretion. The matter is hereby remanded to the circuit court for appointment of an examiner for the court pursuant to § 980.08(3) and for appointment of a § 980.03(4) examiner who is qualified to opine on the PCL-R evaluation tool and the revised scoring policy.
By the Court. Order reversed and cause remanded with directions.
NOTES
[1] All references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to the 2001-02 version unless otherwise noted.
[2] The State argues on appeal that Thiel had no right to an examiner because WIS. STAT. § 980.08 contains no cross-reference to WIS. STAT. § 980.03(4). Further, the State contends that a person filing for supervised release has not been "required to submit to an examination" within the meaning of § 980.03(4). The State argues that "by filing a petition for supervised release, the committed person has, in essence, asked the court to appoint examiners to examine his condition and suitability for supervised release." The State implies that because Thiel petitioned for supervised release, he is the one requiring the re-examination, not the State. The State is asking us to limit a committed person's right to request an examiner to those situations where "the State has required [the person] to undergo an examination in the course of the State's action against [that person]." The State, in effect, is appealing the court's order appointing an expert under § 980.03(4). No cross-appeal has been filed, however. We address the issue only to the extent it is related to Thiel's appellate issue.
| tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | FreeLaw |
Responsible for the preparation of revenue budget for the projects in assigned area.Responsible for top line and bottom line achievements as per the approved budget.Responsible for Project Management for the allotted projects in the region majorly GC(Involving MEP) and Design and Build contracts.Responsible for periodic Project reviews and Client interface.Responsible for ensuring the Contracts and commercial terms for the projects as per thecontract.Responsible for HO interface and coordination with all related functions for requiredresources.Responsible for leading and advising the Project Managers for all the projects.Responsible for ensuring all the Project execution as per the stipulated norms ofcontract pertaining to cost, timeline & quality.Interface between the Client and the company and thus responsible for Clientmanagement.Responsible for adherence to HSE (Health, Safety & Environment) statutes and norms.Responsible for the quality of the projects as per the statutes and norms.Key Skills:
Knowledge, Experience and Competencies: (i.e. those (including qualifications)required to fulfil roleB.Tech/ B.E Civil with 25 -35 years of work experience.Should be within the age bracket of 40 to 53 yrsShould have been managing multiple projects/ cluster of projects worth atleast 600 -800 Cr.Exposure in handling big value projects esp. in residential, commercial, Industrial, hospitality & hospital segments.Exposure in handling international clients.Experience of leading managers and deriving expected results.Thorough knowledge of the project commercials and contracts.Excellent organizational skills with the ability to deliver to set deadlinesAbility for resource mobilisation and utilisation.Knowledge of all statutes for Buildings and construction industry.Strong interpersonal and statistical analysis skills with the ability tocommunicate at all levels.Proven ability in multitasking and prioritising workload.Proven ability in judgement / decision making on a variety of issues within tightdeadlines.Team management skillsDesirable Presentation skillsEssential Customer / Client relationship management.Strong business acumen.Advanced managerial skill.Commercial and Contracts administration.Computer literate.
Scope of RoleLeading project managers.Client management.Capable of managing a number of big value projects.Cost budgetary responsibility for projects.Accounts receivables and margins.
About Company
HR Remedy India is a Pune based manpower recruitment and training firm with an aim to provide value aided service to employers with in-depth understanding of their requirements. We are working as a perfect bridge between employer and employee to fulfill their needs by placing a best suitable at place. We associate responsibilities to talent.
Job Description :
To ensure customer service and support all operations. To create customer delight at every interaction.
Interacting with external customers and internal customers and addressing their queries, requests and complaints.
Committed TATs are met consistently
Complaints Management- addressing customer complaints at the branch, system updation, coordination with Sales/HUB/ other functions for resolution.
New Business Processing:-
Handling end to end New business processing starting from creation of Client id,Case start up, New business login, Follow up for policy issuance, Quality Check
Follow up with HUB for policy issuance of pending cases | tomekkorbak/pile-curse-small | Pile-CC |
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