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.”