As G-889 Turns by Inga

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As G-889 Turns
Episode #1 "Flashback"
(Inspired by the television program Earth2)

"Dad?" Morgan poked his head into the office, a faint but forced smile on his face. The man behind the desk did not look up from his keyboard. "I had a message that you wanted to see me," Morgan hesitantly reminded him. Horatio Martin merely pointed at the empty chair opposite him.

Morgan sat down and waited...and waited. "Don't fidget," his father scolded. Exasperated, Morgan let out a sigh. "And sit quietly. Your mother may coddle your passive-aggressive tendencies but the rest of the universe is merely annoyed by them. You're a grown man, for God's sake." Horatio Martin did not once look up from his work even while speaking.

Morgan sat quietly. He firmly clasped the arms of the chair to keep his hands still and held his feet flat on the floor to avoid shuffling them. It was going to be a long wait.

"Why don't I come back when you're not so busy." Morgan half rose out of his chair.

"Sit." It was not shouted, but for all the power behind the word, it might as well have been. "I am always busy, Morgan," he explained. "I have an important job with important responsibilities."

Morgan detected a slight emphasis on the word "I." Implying that I, on the other hand, have nothing better to do than sit and wait for you.

After a few more moments, the older man pushed his console aside and looked Morgan face-on for the first time. He didn't seem impressed. "I've gotten a job for you, Morgan."

This is not good. "Great, Dad. What kind of job?"

"An important job. One that could move you up in the ranks considerably. I had to pull a few strings to raise your clearance just to get you on it."

"Really?" Morgan perked up slightly. "Level four?"

"Level four."

"Wow."

"Morgan, level-four government liasons do not use words like 'wow.' Please attempt to be more articulate when you meet with the project leaders tomorrow. Do not embarrass me. I went to a lot of trouble to get you this assignment."

"I'm sorry." His father did not acknowledge the apology. "What sort of assignment is this, exactly?

"You will be working side by side with Devon Adair..."

"The nutcase who's bankrolling the deep space mission?"

"She is an extremely powerful woman."

"She's a fruitcake."

"Morgan!"

"Okay. Fine. I can deal with fruitcakes. I think that was the main lesson in law school."

"Morgan." Morgan closed his mouth and held up his hands to emphasize his silence. "Regardless of your personal impressions of Devon Adair, this assignment is quite prestigious. You will be the highest ranking government official to leave with Eden Project and as such..."

"Ww...wwi...with Eden Project?!! I'm supposed to leave WITH them?!!!"

"...you will be in charge of recording all progress...."

"FORGET IT!"

"Morgan."

"Dad, I am not leaving. Going out that far would mean 15, 20 years in cold sleep."

"22."

"I can't do that. What about Mom?"

"You'll be doing this for her."

"What are you talking about? I'll never see her again. I can't bear the idea of her dying alone."

"She will not die alone, Morgan. I'll be here for her. Your sisters will be here for her. And the money from this job will keep her very comfortable during her remaining years."

"No amount of money...."

"I don't think you realize what kind of money we're talking about, Morgan. You will not only receive pay at level four from the government, but you will simultaneously receive a commercial income from Adair, which is considerably more. That's two paychecks for the price of one and Adair's contract agrees to make full payment on departure. Can you imagine what that kind of money could mean to your mother? And just think how proud she'll be to know that her firstborn is finally doing something with his life."

"But," Morgan said, weakly, "by the time I come back everything will be different."

"You don't have to come back if you don't want to. I imagine that that person you married should feel right at home." Morgan was about to protest but he cut him off. "It doesn't matter. You'll have two years to decide whether you want to stay or not."

"But...." Morgan trailed off. He had no arguments left.

"It's settled then. You just sign these," he said, sliding an electronic pad and stylus toward him. "This signs all of your earnings over to your mother. She'll put something aside in investments for you just in case you decide to come back, of course. And this one is insurance. If, God forbid, anything were to happen to you, your mother would still be taken care of. One moment." He reached over and pushed a button. "Eric? Has Mr. Blalock arrived yet? Oh, good, send him in. ... Mr. Blalock, nice to see you again. I don't believe you've had the pleasure of meeting my son. I wonder if you wouldn't mind terribly witnessing his signature on a few forms. Tedious personal business, I'm afraid."

"Oh, no bother." Dyson Blalock witnessed in the necessary places.

"All the information you need about the mission has been downloaded to your own terminal," Horatio Martin told his son.

Realizing he'd been dismissed, Morgan got up and shuffled dejectedly out of the office.

"Can he handle this?" Blalock asked, after Morgan was gone.

"All you asked for was expendable and I'm afraid expendable is all you got."

CONTINUED IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT

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