The Fall of the Absolute

by Karen Page

Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

"How much are you in contact with Reggie?" Alex asked a few days later. They'd all finished their evening meal and were relaxing in the lounge.

Reggie was the nickname Kelly had given their Reginadde friend. She'd been introduced to Jennifer when she was eight by the Reginadde Ambassador to the Rohastin Council, and they'd become pen pals before becoming close friends. Jennifer, Kelly and Reggie had been bridesmaids at Becky and Ashleigh's wedding.

"I haven't messaged her since we finished school," Jennifer said.

"Neither have I," Kelly added. "I haven't heard from her either. Why?"

"We're not sure. She was seen with someone from Reginadde Intelligence. Next thing, she went back to their home world."

"Is she okay?" Jennifer asked, concerned.

"Her grandfather is still at the Rohastin Station, as are her parents. There doesn't appear to be anyone flapping about her leaving. The assumption is that she hasn't been arrested, but is being recruited to work for them. She has good contacts with the strange new humans."

"Are we being asked to break off contact?" Jennifer asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

"Not at all. There is an old saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. It is just conjecture, but you're being told so you are careful what you say."

"If she is being recruited by Reginadde intelligence, could it be because we're here?"

"We don't know the depths of their knowledge. But remember, if she is, she will be working for the state. We aren't EarthGov intelligence, but a private company trying to keep the peace and stop instability when people commit crimes and think they are protected."

Adelle added, "Still be her friend. She might need it. If she is intelligence, she will probably be worried about you. Did her parents really take you Space Racing?"

Jennifer and Kelly shared a look and grinned. "Oh yes. That was fun."

"The Space Racer facility at the Rohastin Station is the premier track. It's like learning to drive at Silverstone or the Indianapolis Motor Speedway."

"Is it on Kelly's file that she is a Level 4 certified Space Racer?" Hope asked, trying to hide her cheeky grin. Kelly tried to swat her.

Alex and Adelle looked at her with astonishment. "How?"

Kelly blushed. "Hayfield sponsored me. The day after my eighteenth birthday, the school had me take the required lesson and test at the Rohastin Station."

Space Racers was the major cross-species sport right across the Rohastin Council members. Even Earth was building a facility in high Earth orbit to take part. While a driver is underage, the craft nulls out some of the g-forces. Level 4 certification meant she could do a primary course with full g-forces. She completed the course without crashing, and within the required time.

"If you were Level 5 certified, you would be able to race for a team in the entry category," Alex said, his mind racing. "Do you think you could manage that?"

Kelly shrugged. "With a lot of practice, I might. No human has achieved Level 5 certification. And it isn't just making the cut, which is extremely hard. Level 5 certification is more about being able to perform certain manoeuvres safely. You still need to post a fast enough time for a team to pick you up. Why?"

"And these manoeuvres you've never done?"

"I tried some a few times. I put on crash mitigation, not wanting to cause damage when I tried. The problem was that without feeling the full g-force, you couldn't visualise them. It's not like being in a car, where you can see what's going on. You are in a zero-gravity arena with gates to traverse. Think of it like a cross between Formula 1 and giant slalom in zero gravity. The only way you know if a manoeuvre is working is by feel."

"Do you need to put in so much time to maintain your level?" Adelle enquired.

"What do you mean?"

"We have a few investigators that are pilots. They have to log a certain amount of time in the air. Do you have to do the same for your Level 4 certification?"

"I don't think so. Though you would get rusty if you left it too long, just like anything else."

A tinkle was heard on all their phones. It signalled the front gate had just opened.

They all looked at their screens to see who it was. Stacy. It had been a week since she'd brought them here, and they all scrambled to the entrance lobby.

Tilly was with Stacy. The small girl had bright red rain boots on and looked far brighter than a three-year-old would be at that time of the evening. Stacy was carrying a large bag.

"What time was it in the UK?" Theo asked in Hytuna, then worried that would exclude Tilly.

"Early morning. It's raining and we had fun splashing in the puddles."

Tilly jumped up and down, then said in Hytuna, "Big puddles."

"Come on in," Alex said. "Do you want a drink?"

"Sure. We've brought a few things you ordered."

They went through to the kitchen and Stacy got the items from the bag and laid them out.

"A dartboard in base-8. Monopoly in base-8. It's the UK version, and someone redid the cards and money. The board is the same, with stickers over the prices. It is the best we could do. Finally, a few packs of playing cards. We like this idea and are researching games that different species play."

"You aren't here to also tell us off, are you?" Kelly asked nervously, as Hope made a drink for Tilly and Stacy.

"No. If that was going to happen, it would have been the day after. You all learnt there are safety precautions. The look on Adelle's face when you made your move was fantastic. And not a drop of blood spilt. When you're training, it is important you get the most out of it. You know what it feels like to hold, and Jennifer knows what it feels like against her neck. Have you seen the recording?"

"No," Kelly said, perplexed.

"Watch it. You can see a lot from it, from your technique to Jennifer's absolute trust in you. She totally relaxed her body and became a doll in your hands."

"If I can't have total faith in these three, who can I trust?" Jennifer responded.

"You remind me of your mum. You might not be her blood, but you can see her upbringing in you. Do you remember when she and your ma were kidnapped?"

Jennifer nodded, remembering those awful days. Those memories were forever ingrained in her mind.

"Brenda and Helen were undercover as pilots. Your mum was dragged into their plane and she saw them. She realised they were undercover and stared at the carpet. She didn't call out their names or ask for help. She trusted them to get word out and she would be rescued. She was confused why there was nobody to rescue her at the airport, but she never lost faith that she would be freed."

"Without that, you might not have shut down that group," Jennifer said.

"Correct. But we also trusted her that she would be able to cope for those days. When you and Kelly were kidnapped, Kelly gave a code word that she wasn't coping. The police changed their tactics to get you out quicker. They reacted based on what was needed."

Hope hugged Kelly when she shuddered.

Stacy continued, "You learnt to trust each other at Hayfield. That shows. You need to learn to enhance your perception, to read the situation around you. You knew that the areas other than your rooms were monitored. What you didn't think about were the protocols that might be in place. You will learn as your training progresses."

Tilly had been looking out of the back door. "Can I see the stars now?"

Stacy rolled her eyes. "I mentioned to her that there were lots of stars visible from your back garden. She kept looking since we landed, but the streetlights kept coming on as we got near."

"Did you see the stars last Christmas?" Jennifer asked Tilly. She had to use the English word Christmas. It was a purely human event, so there was no Hytuna word.

The girl nodded. "Lots of them."

"We have more," Jennifer said conspiratorially. She'd have to introduce Theo to the farm and the cottages before Christmas. "The best way to see them is to lie on the grass and look up. It might take a few ticks to see them."

The girl stuck out her hand for Jennifer to hold. Jennifer looked across at Stacy, who nodded. Carefully, they went out and lay down. Stacy had a quiet word with Alex and Adelle, but soon the others joined them. Stacy lay down on the other side of her daughter.

"The grass tickles my ears," the girl giggled in Hytuna. She then went quiet for a bit, before saying, "There are a lot more stars."

"There are the same number of stars," Stacy said. "It is darker here, so more are visible. Theo?"

Theo had a flashlight with him, so it was easier to see the way back to the house. He turned it on.

"It is brighter, so you see fewer stars," Stacy continued. Theo turned the light off, and after several seconds she said, "The stars don't hide. We just couldn't see them."

That was probably a lot for a three-year-old to take in, but Stacy wasn't hiding the truth just because it was hard to understand. Tilly didn't stay lying down long. She was only three and her attention span was short.

"You lot stay here. We can find our way out," Stacy said, getting up after her daughter.

"There aren't any puddles here," Tilly complained.

"Let's go find some puddles to splash in," Stacy laughed.

"Splash!" Tilly squealed and they went on their way.

* * *

The next day didn't turn out like any of the trainees had anticipated. They thought they would be continuing the same routine as they had in the previous days. It wasn't to be.

"Kelly, a discussion occurred overnight. We'd like you to go to the Rohastin Station and try out some of the Level 5 manoeuvres."

"You want me to see if I might be able to achieve it?" Kelly confirmed, stunned.

"Stacy's husband is a pilot. He, or rather Brenda, was one of the pilots who spotted Ashleigh when she'd been kidnapped. That skill opened a door. We like to know the limits of an investigator's skills. This is finding out yours. If you don't think you can reach Level 5, that is just as valuable as if you think you can."

"When do you want me to go?" Kelly asked, as she finished her breakfast.

"Today. The Rohastin Station isn't a regular destination and might be memorable if you get a request hopper directly from here. I'd like you to go to a busy UK hopperport, like Manchester or Birmingham, and get a request hopper from there."

Kelly nodded. Having a British passport made it easier to go there than through any other country. Not that it wasn't easy these days. Borders still existed, but the requirements for entering a country were a lot less. If you travelled a lot, you got your passport pre-authorised at World Government level and just flashed it when you arrived. As long as there were no markers against you, you were let in.

All four of them had preauthorised passports, having performed concerts all around the world.

Hope got up to go along too, but Alex indicated she should stay. This wasn't Hayfield, where their study partner would always be there. They might go on investigations alone, or with other investigators.

"Can I ask a personal question?" Hope asked her mentors, as Kelly grabbed her coat, Rohastin Station communication device and was on her way.

Alex and Adelle looked at each other, then shrugged. Adelle responded, "You can ask, but it depends how personal it is, and whether we will answer fully."

Hope took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "When you've gone on investigations, how often was it with someone other than your partner?"

"It has been a mixture," Adelle said, wondering how that was personal. "Some were on my own. Sometimes there were more than two of us. Sometimes I've presented as female, sometimes as male. I'm so glad I never got too large on top, as that might have been harder."

"Did you ever have to do an investigation where you were in a relationship with someone else?" Hope asked, clarifying her thoughts.

"Yes. We've both had to do that," Alex said. "And it is the hardest thing we do. It impacts the two people involved, and their partners. Sometimes it can be faked. My second time, there were hidden cameras." He paused, then said quietly, "We had to perform."

Adelle moved closer to her husband. "We knew that was a possibility. I worried about it while he was away. I worried he wouldn't love me anymore. He does love me." Then with awe in her voice, "He's always loved me."

Jennifer said, "There are other difficult things you sometimes have to do to keep your cover. Can I show something?"

Adelle nodded, and Jennifer did a web search. They crowded around her tablet. "This was the Birmingham Rally for Earth First from ten years ago. Try not to look at the front, but listen to the crowd."

Hope and Theo would have been eight when this happened and might never have seen it. She was sure Alex and Adelle would have. She watched her colleagues as her ma was dragged to the podium and humiliated. She watched their look of revulsion, not at her ma, but at what was being done to her. After the call "Kill it" was heard, the crowd broke up and ran.

"The person who shouted that is my uncle," Jennifer said. "Even though his wife is trans, and Ashleigh was his sister-in-law, he did it to get recruited into Earth Fist, which was the splinter group of Earth First. It also caused the crowd to disperse and Becky to be rescued. Two simple words that he hated saying, but said because he needed to."

"They were a hard group to get into," Alex said. "There were investigators from Italy, America, Canada and Japan trying to get in there. It is still the biggest group ever broken up. The largest number of rescues."

Adelle said, "And what you are being asked to do is different. You are going to be in plain sight on the Rohastin Station. You can't pretend to be someone else because of the station's computer system interface. It knows your brain patterns. This is what has always made it hard, as we can't use normal investigators. You aren't going to be asked to go undercover there. You can't. You will be you."

"And in some ways that is going to be easier, and in others harder. You are long-term embeds rather than tactical deployments. But no matter the type of deployment, you always have to remember who you really are. This is especially true for long-term deployment agents. You four have a grounded sense of identity, much more than the majority. Without that, you would have been tactical investigators like we are. You are also a cohesive team who can remind each other of who you really are."

Theo, Jennifer and Hope looked at each other. It sounded like a big deal and Kelly wasn't there to witness it.

The day passed. The dartboard was installed, and Hope created a score chart on the whiteboard. The promise they made to themselves, and Alex, was that they were going to score without translating. It was the only way they would get used to it.

They also didn't use a calculator. From somewhere, an old-fashioned pad of paper was found and they did everything longhand. Just like how they'd learnt basic maths when they were tiny.

"We start with 765," Theo said.

"That is a direct translation of decimal, but it seems wrong to do that," Jennifer said. "Perhaps start with 1001. It's only fourteen higher."

The game itself wasn't the priority, but the maths. So, instead of always going for the triple twenty-four, they jazzed it up. The first game was Hope and Jennifer. Theo wrote the numbers, and any multiples, on the board. Then each would calculate what they thought the score was, and what the new value should be.

Hope hit a triple twenty-four and, as they calculated it, it suddenly dawned on them that four was the half measure, like five is in decimal. Four, ten, fourteen.

"A pattern," Jennifer said excitedly. "Then three times two is six. Add the carry. Triple twenty-four is seventy-four."

As the morning progressed, the speed of the game increased as they got more comfortable with the maths. Subtraction was a pain, with many fingers being used, and no thumbs. If they ignored their thumbs, they had eight digits, which was perfect for rudimentary base-8.

It was during the afternoon training on weapons that Alex interrupted the training. This was unusual and the three trainees wondered if he had news on Kelly. "No," he said. "Rhonda had gone into labour."

"Weapons away," Adelle instructed. "We've got to be down there for this historic event."

"What's going on?" Hope asked.

"Rhonda is pregnant. In a few days she was due to go back to Canada, so she was on Earth to have her baby. There is a medical rule that people shouldn't be moved via interdimensional drive during labour. I've no idea where that came from, but it is why anyone in the last stages goes back to Earth."

Jennifer smiled, remembering Miss T going into labour during her parents' wedding, and the elite Rohastin Ambassador doctors saying she couldn't be hopped to the hospital. Miss T gave birth in one of the rooms upstairs. It was a momentous day.

A crowd had already formed outside the hardware shop. This would be the first birth on Scorpion. It would be the first human baby that wasn't born on Earth.

"Dr Dougal is already in there," someone told Adelle. "Since it is the first birth here, I heard Randy say a medical team from a hospital is being hopped across to assist."

Being one of the last to arrive, they were towards the back of the crowd. A couple of the town's police made their way from the hardware store near to where they were. They quickly sealed off the centre of the wide road. Alex and Adelle inched away so less of the town associated them with the other three.

"Don't enter. They are hopping directly from the hospital to here."

Jennifer tried to go back into the crowd, but it was too thick for her to make good progress. Hoppers going to bespoke locations were limited due to security concerns. Most went between hopperports. A few seconds later, her fears were justified as Eos jumped into the cordoned-off area. The medics were helped off by the ship's pilot, James, and engineer, Sam, people that Jennifer had grown up with before Hayfield.

The crowd surged. What a day they were having. The first labour on the planet, and now Eos appearing. The ship was probably more famous now than Aurora. It was the second ship that Star Bright had built and one that ferried the executives of Star Bright. As soon as Theo and Hope saw the ship, they tried to shield Jennifer, but for a fleeting moment Sam spotted her. In a moment, Sam's gaze had moved on as if not recognising her.

"Make way," the two police officers insisted, and being good citizens, a gap formed for the medics and a trolley to go into the store. The three trainees managed to blend more into the background.

Rhonda's husband, Greg, emerged a few minutes later, beside his wife on the trolley. She was in discomfort and being wheeled towards the small medical centre. At least there she would have a more comfortable birth than in the back of a hardware store.

The new café brought out sandwiches and drinks. They might as well; nobody was going in. The town were all awaiting news. Only those that hopped back to Earth for work were missing this event.

"Is that Eos?" Kelly said, joining them.

"Yes," Jennifer said, looking at her best friend. "James and Sam."

"Did they spot you?" Kelly whispered, her eyes wide.

"Sam might have. It's difficult to tell. I doubt they will tell anybody else. Theo and Hope tried to shield me."

It was over an hour later that Greg came out, carrying a crying baby. "I'd like to introduce you to New Toronto's youngest resident. This is Eve," he informed the crowd.

A cheer went up. It might not have been their original choice, but the name was inspired. She'd be forever known as the first girl born on the planet Scorpion.

The press were slow off the mark. New Toronto didn't have a reporter, and the locals kept things to themselves. So, it was only when someone questioned why Eos had picked up a medical team from Toronto, Canada, that they jumped on a hopper. Jennifer and her friends were back in the training house when the news crew arrived to get the reaction to the first non-Earth birth. Adelle and Alex were there soon after.

"That was historic," Theo said. He turned to the two mentors. "Thank you for letting us know so we could witness that."

"I think Sam might have spotted me," Jennifer confessed. "Theo and Hope tried to shield me, but still..."

Alex didn't have to think about that one for long. "Sam went to Hayfield, then The Manor, and knows not to gossip. I'll get someone to have a quiet word, but I doubt Sam would tell your parents. The training at school and then the military is too ingrained. Kelly, how did it go?"

Kelly's grin told them she'd had great fun. "There are fourteen mandatory manoeuvres. I tried three today and made progress. Ve'tran himself came across while I was having a break. He gave me some pointers, and I made better progress."

"The Ve'tran?" Hope enquired, sounding incredulous. "The number two Alphonian racer?"

Theo laughed, then said, "If he drives like his last race, he will soon be the number one Alphonian racer."

Hope, Jennifer and Theo all gave her hugs.

"You did so well," Hope said, proud of Kelly.

"Did you get to see Reggie?" Jennifer asked, happy for her friend, but anxious if there was news about her other friend.

"I went to see her parents. I thought it was polite since I was there," Kelly said, getting all serious. "They were happy to see me and invited me in for a drink. They didn't seem concerned about me being there. They told me that Reggie had a job and was away from the station for at least twenty days, but couldn't send messages from where she was. They promised to mention I'd visited when they spoke to her next."

"I hope she's okay," Jennifer sighed and Kelly nodded.