Part 35
DATE:FC+135

"Remember, we're off to Milton Keynes today," Becky said to her daughter.

"Are you taking Eos?" Jenny asked.

"No. Not after what happened two weeks ago," Ashleigh said.

Jenny giggled, remembering the news reports about the chaos at Cranfield Airport. That had been two weeks ago, and it seems spotters were still camped on the airport perimeter, just in case.

"We're dropping you off at Willow cottage, so grab your bag."

Willow cottage was the home of Kelly, her best friend. When Kelly's parents had heard that Becky had to be in Milton Keynes, they offered to take Jenny to school with Kelly. It wasn't the first time, but it hadn't happened for a while.

When they pulled up, Kelly opened the front door as Jenny bailed out, saying bye as she rushed to see her friend.

"They saw each other yesterday, but it's like they'd not seen each other for weeks," Becky laughed.

The early morning drive was fun. It was just the two of them driving the few hours to Milton Keynes. Once they'd skirted Gloucester and climbed Crickley Hill, the countryside opened ahead of them.

As they went past Chipping Norton, an announcement on the news caught their attention. "Breaking news out of the United Nations. The world leaders have finished their extended summit. In the last few minutes, they have announced an unprecedented worldwide referendum to be held on the anniversary of First Contact. A single question: Should the human race join the Rohastin Council. More details when we have them."

"A referendum all across the world?" squeaked Ashleigh, surprised. "How are they going to arrange that?!"

"I doubt even they know at this stage. That's a major undertaking. And how have they got all these countries to agree? Countries like China and North Korea aren't exactly known for giving their population votes for national elections."

From then on, the rest of the news became secondary. This was the only thing that was being discussed. Experts joined, discussing what format a referendum might be. They debated different age limits across the world, and the treaty obligations. This had been agreed in principle, but countries would need to pass the treaty through their government mechanism.

Then came the phone-in. It started just as they got to the edge of Milton Keynes. When someone suggested that the government were selling us out to the aliens, Becky got agitated.

"But they're not," she said to Ashleigh.

Ashleigh nodded and gently stroked her hand over Becky's. "I know. People are just afraid. They don't have the facts of what it means. Hopefully this will become clear. The world government idea also needs fleshing out. We have no idea what that means either."

"I can't see countries giving up their sovereignty. I wonder what the deal is."

"It was only scheduled for two days, and it overran. The world leaders didn't go home when scheduled. They stayed and continued discussions. It must have been a priority."

Milton Keynes was one of the few British cities designed with the car in mind. Most towns and cities grew organically. Milton Keynes had been designed. Even down to the angle of Midsummer Boulevard, the road that ran through the centre. It was perfectly aligned with the path of the sun on the summer solstice. They parked up in a small carpark between the centre and the railway station. They were early, so sauntered along in the sunshine.

The renovated station square had a rotating selection of art. Currently on show was one of Milton Keynes more infamous artworks. The concrete cows. Ashleigh stared in amazement at them. She'd heard of them but had never seen them.

"Why would someone make concrete sculptures of cows?" asked Ashleigh as they stopped to look.

"I've no idea," said Becky. "Apparently they used to sit in a field, just like normal cows."

"I suppose it's no worse from where we grew up. In Gloucester there are tales of mice creating waistcoats."

Becky laughed. "Of course. It must have been mice for the stitches to be that small!"

When they got to the clinic, they were relaxed and happy. This caught the receptionist by surprise. A lot attending were nervous about the process, or what might be asked.

In the waiting room they saw the young woman they saw on the previous visit. Ashleigh nudged Becky and they made their way to sit by her.

"Mary, wasn't it?" said Ashleigh as they sat down next to the pensive woman.

"I remember you," Mary responded to Ashleigh. "You were both here a few weeks ago."

"That's us," said Becky with an easy smile. "Have you seen one of the ships yet?"

"Yes," beamed Mary, forgetting her worries. "After my appointment two weeks ago, I went to Cranfield. What a crowd. Anyway, I'd not been there long when it appeared. It just blinked into existence. One second it wasn't there and then it was."

"That's great," said Ashleigh, sharing an impish grin with Becky. "You sound so happy."

"Oh, I am. I'm a dentist. If the world is going to expand to the stars, they will still need dentists on new planets."

"You want to go to Mars?" Becky said, all serious.

"They won't go to Mars. It would need lots of work for humans to live there. With Aurora and Eos, they can find hospitable planets around other stars. Much easier."

"Becky Head," called a doctor by the entrance into the consultation area.

"Good luck," Ashleigh called as Becky went towards the door.

"She passes so well," Mary said wistfully, and then blushed when she realised what she'd said. "So, what do you do?"

"She does pass well," agreed Ashleigh. "I'm a purchase administrator. Nothing glamorous like you."

She laughed. "There's nothing glamorous about being a dentist. Children like to try and bite your fingers."

"Mary Roberts," called the psychiatrist.

"It was good seeing you again," said Mary giving a small wave to Ashleigh, and followed the psychiatrist for her appointment.

Ashleigh didn't have long to wait until she was being ushered through for her appointment. She was in the same room as last time, and seeing the same psychiatrist, Tracy Dine.

"How have you been?" asked Tracy when they were both settled.

"Great. We had a little bit of excitement, but things appear to have settled down."

"How have things improved? Last time we talked, you were recovering from your stepdaughter being kidnapped."

"There were a few exciting episodes at work which kept me busy. A few heart stopping moments. But we've been told that the threat to Jenny has been removed. That in itself has made us all more relaxed."

"You make it seem like there's little difference between your work and private life. Would you say that's true?"

Ashleigh paused and thought how to explain. "In some ways. Think of it as a startup. Very few people, but you spend hours with them. Work sometimes goes into the evening. My colleagues are almost like family. I've only worked there a year. Becky and Jenny are even closer to them."

"How many are in this close team?"

"Four of them, plus me. I suppose since January there have been three others that are like that."

"And what do you do?"

"I order parts," Ashleigh said simply.

"Besides that. Someone ordering parts is important but doesn't get them in the middle of a group like that. What do you do?"

Ashleigh looked down, struggling to find the words. She debated internally about what to say. Every time she thought of something, it sounded crass. She couldn't look Tracy in the eyes when she eventually said, "I keep them alive."

If Ashleigh had taken a peek at Tracy, she would have seen a slight raising of an eyebrow, but nothing more.

"That's not a usual job. Can you tell me more about what you mean?" Tracy ask gently, surprising Ashleigh that her statement hadn't been laughed at.

"They're scientists and engineers. They're liable to overwork if they get excited or frustrated. Part of my job is to try to stop that occurring."

"That sounds a lot of responsibility. How has that been for you?"

"None of them have died. I had one occurrence where two of them got together to discuss an issue over the weekend. I found them delirious and barely conscious on Monday. It was mostly lack of sleep that caused issues. They'd had some fluid, or it would have been a lot worse."

Tracy paused; Ashleigh's admission hung in the air. "How did you feel when you saw them like that?"

"Frightened ... I failed. They could have died, and it would have been my fault."

"I want to make sure I understand this," Tracy said. "I'd like to take this step by step. There was an issue?"

"Yes. We tried to run a test on the Saturday, and it failed. We had a discussion late into the evening, but no conclusion. I left them discussing it, and when I popped round on Sunday the place was empty. I found them on Monday morning."

"On the Sunday, you said the office was empty. Where were they?"

"At one of their houses. It seems the two scientists continued the discussion and at some stage ended up back at the office."

There was no waiting this time. "Do you control their lives outside of work?"

"No," Ashleigh responded instantly and gave a small sigh. "No, but I thought I'd taught them better. Changed their ways from all-nighters."

Tracy waited, looking at Ashleigh who'd now stopped trying to burn a hole in the floor with her eyes. "What happened since our last session that has you doubting yourself?"

"They did it again last week. Got excited, egged each other on, and before anyone could stop them, they were prepping Eos for a jump outside the Solar System. Two of them even wrote goodbye letters."

She stopped, realised what she'd said, and backpedalled. "I ... I shouldn't have said that. Please, forget I said that."

Tracy's expression stayed calm. "I don't need the details. What I hear is that people you care about took a risk, and you weren't there to stop them. How did that feel for you?"

Ashleigh let out a breath. "Helpless. Angry. But also conflicted. Because they came back safe. And afterwards, Evan sat Jenny and her friend down and turned it into a lesson. He admitted they'd been swept up in excitement, that peer pressure made them act silly. He even called it a cautionary tale. Part of me was relieved they recognised it.

Tracy didn't say anything. She wanted a bit more from Ashleigh if she'd give it. She did. "What if next time I'm not there, and it isn't just residual star stuff that sets off the alarms?"

When Tracy was sure that Ashleigh had finished, she said, "You can't be there all the time. It sounds like there are processes in place. Even in the craziness, they still followed those protocols. From what you've said, they know they messed up."

"But—" Ashleigh tailed off and the room fell silent.

"Did you do this in your previous job? Before you joined where you are?"

"Sort of. I purchased parts for a science team. I found someone who got ill because of overwork."

"And what happened to them?"

"I got them the help they needed, and it then became part of my job. Last year, I was approached to join where I now work. I didn't realise until I'd joined, that looking after the scientist's welfare was one of the reasons they recruited me. Hilda used to look out for them before that."

Dr Dine shifted and prepared to bring this back full circle to the beginning of today's session. She knew the answer, but Ashleigh needed to admit it to herself. "Why is it impacting you more in this company than your previous?"

Ashleigh thought, and after a few seconds she looked stricken. She almost whispered, "Because they're family." Her eyes widened with alarm. "Does that mean I can't do the job?"

Tracy leaned forward slightly, her voice calm but firm. "No, it means you care. Caring doesn't disqualify you. It's often what makes people effective in roles where others safety is at stake. Surgeons, teachers, firefighters; they all feel the weight of responsibility because they care about the people in front of them. The challenge isn't whether you care, it's how you manage that care so it doesn't consume you."

Ashleigh blinked, absorbing that.

Tracy let the silence stretch for a moment before adding, "What I hear is that you're afraid your closeness will cloud your judgement. But from what you've told me, you've already stepped in when others couldn't, and you've enforced boundaries when they wouldn't. That doesn't sound like someone who can't do the job. It sounds like someone who takes it seriously."

When Ashleigh finally stepped out into the corridor, the air felt cooler, lighter, though her chest still carried the weight of what she'd admitted. She wasn't sure if she felt relieved or exposed. Maybe both.

When Ashleigh got to the waiting room, she was surprised that Becky wasn't there. She checked her watch and saw that her session had overrun. Becky's must have been even longer. She didn't have to wait long before Becky stumbled through the door. She looked shaken, but her eyes told a different story. She looked like she'd won the lottery.

"Becky, are you okay?" Ashleigh said, rushing up to her girlfriend.

"They've referred me for surgery," Becky managed, her smile radiant.

Ashleigh squealed with happiness and hugged her. Those in the waiting room looked on, trying not to smile. They understood the significance, and it gave them hope that one day they would be in that position.

"Let's get a coffee," suggested Becky as they reached the fresh air. "I think we're both too excited to drive."

Ashleigh giggled. "I think you're right. You've been approved after two GIC visits? I thought it would take longer."

"I've been full-time for years. That counts. They saw no other issues that might hold me up. And there were notes from Hilda in the system. I didn't know."

Over coffee, they began to settle down. Neither had any idea how long the queue was for surgery.

Becky's phone pinged with a notification. It was the NHS app. She opened it and saw a new letter. The digital NHS certainly seemed to flow quicker than the old paper system.

"If you had any choice of UK surgeon, who would it be?" Ashleigh asked.

"Barbara Smith," responded Becky without hesitation. "She is the premier gender reassignment surgeon in the UK. I heard she was trained by Tom Millard."

Ashleigh didn't recognise either name, but Becky clearly had done her research. How did she know the lineage of surgeons? Ashleigh thought about asking Tina next time they talked. She'd had that surgery and might know the best.

As they made their way back to the car, Ashleigh's phone rang. She glanced at the caller and came to a halt.

"This is Ashleigh," she answered. She listened to the request before agreeing.

"Who was that?" asked Becky as they started walking again.

"It was Rupert from the Prime Minister's office. He was wanting to see if Eos was available a week on Saturday. They have some final negotiations with the Rohastin Council."

"Do you want to go too?" asked Becky.

"Could we?" Ashleigh asked, incredulously.

"It's our ship and it's a Saturday. Me, you and Jenny."