Station Chronicles II - Heller and beyond by Simon Kattenhorn

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Station Chronicles: Heller and Beyond
by Simon Kattenhorn

Chapter Two

The doors to Portal Nine swished open at Julia's advance and she walked directly into the restaurant and bar without hesitation. According to her wrist chronometer, she was a few minutes late. She failed to suppress a smile at the thought of Blalock having to wait for her arrival. Blalock positively loathed having to wait on *anyone*. Others waited on Blalock. That was the way it worked as far as he was concerned.

It was still a little early for the dayshifters to have emptied the establishment completely, but late enough that the crowd had thinned considerably from the rowdy throng that would have been present a few hours earlier.

Julia worked her way past the bar, appreciating the absence of any of her co-workers from the station hospital, such as that annoying O'Donnell person. She worked her way through the small crowd into one of the bayside portal sections of the restaurant and beelined over to her usual booth. Blalock was sitting unfolding and refolding a napkin- his facial expression sedate as a construction drone that just had a shoulder dislocated.

Julia shimmied into the booth and stared blank-faced at the man who had been her primary Council contact since her involvement in the Eden Project began, three years previously.

"Dr. Heller. How nice of you to join me," was Blalock's acerbic greeting.

Julia gave a small shrug and cast a furtive glance at the surrounding tables of patrons to scan for possible listening ears.

"It's further to walk from my new unit," Julia replied stonefaced.

Blalock appeared slightly crestfallen.

"I would hardly call an outer hull residence a *unit*," he countered. "It wasn't exactly easy to arrange."

"Accommodations are accommodations," replied Julia. "It hardly matters how big they are. They all look the same when you're asleep."

Blalock decided not to further the pointless discussion on Dr. Heller's recondite opinion of residential echelons. The time had come to get down to brass tacks.

"The Council has been most impressed with your record on the Eden mission," Blalock initiated the matter at hand. "It's hardly surprising that your responsibilities have been increased. You should feel honored."

Julia sniffed at Blalock's contemptible and insincere toadying and gave him an icy look.

"I didn't *ask* for greater responsibility," she shot at him.

Blalock gave out a small laugh and took a mouthful of the drink he had been nursing.

"Julia Heller, I sometimes wonder how it is that you could possibly come from the same DNA sequences as your mother," he joked.

Julia was not amused. Mention of her mother was rarely a positive progression in conversation as far as she was concerned.

"Just cut to the chase, Blalock."

A server appeared and hovered for a second before Julia waved her away. Blalock returned his glass to the tabletop and leaned forward slightly.

"What do you know about the ISA?" he whispered.

Julia couldn't prevent a show surprise.

"The Interstellar Authority?" she responded with a hushed, but incredulous tone. "They actually exist?"

"They certainly do," Blalock assured her. "And as you can imagine, they are *quite* interested in the goings on within the Eden Project."

Julia's thoughts were shocked into sudden turmoil. The *ISA*! *Definitely* not to be confused with the station government's Department of Interstellar Development. She had always assumed the rumors about the ISA were nothing more than that- rumors. After all, it seemed unimaginable that such a callous, reviled organization could possibly truly exist within the Council. Now it seemed it was true after all. Julia felt panic set in as she considered the implications for the survival of the Eden Project.

The Interstellar Authority were said to be a stealth faction within the Council who indirectly controlled the expansion of the human race within and beyond the Sol System. It had long been rumored that a number of planets had been discovered beyond the solar system with habitability ratings of greater than sixty but that the information had never been made public. Julia had heard it been said that the reason was to ensure Council control over all new colonies, in order to prevent splinter groups of renegade humans flying off to escape the clutches of station government "administration", but Julia had always dismissed the probability. So far, all colonies beyond Earth's solar system were on hostile worlds with fairly low habitability ratings. The colonies were all enclosed, and differed little from the Martian, Lunar, and asteroid colonies. They didn't attract much of an interest from potential colonists.

Until the Adair Corporation's much lauded discovery of a planet in the G8 system with a habitability rating of eighty-three, hopes had greatly diminished that a habitable world would ever be found within humans' reach. Even the G8 system was further away than any human had been known to travel before. No private corporation had ever invested the amount of money as had the Adair Corporation in the search for a distant, habitable planet. Until then, all astronomical research had been under the control of the government. And it had seemed to be recurringly fruitless in the search for a new Earth.

But if it were true that the Interstellar Authority *did* exist, it could spell disaster for the Eden Project. It was quite obvious that the Adair woman had absolutely no intention of allowing the government, and specifically, the Council, to oversee the project that she had devoted the last eight years of her life to bringing to fruition. If the Interstellar Authority were trying to halt the project entirely, the prognosis was not particularly reassuring.

Blalock had been staring quietly at Julia as her internal thoughts had rollercoastered at the possible repercussions for the Eden Project. Despite her fears however, she had managed to recompose herself after only a few seconds.

"Why was I never told? Are they going to block the Eden Project?" Julia finally demanded of Blalock.

Blalock broke into his usual deprecating smile.

"Well, Citizen, that depends entirely on you."

Julia decided not to return directly to her quarters. Somehow, during the course of her wandering along the station corridors and pondering of the sudden, alarming turn in events, she had ended up at the large viewport overlooking the massive docking bay of Port Station One-Nine. Julia stared through the windows at the hive of activity surrounding the Eden Project's Colony ship. The nightshifters were hard at work, earning their larger-than-usual salaries that the Adair Corporation was paying to ensure the timely readiness of the two ships involved in the mission.

From her view angle, Julia could not make out the Eden Advance vessel. The vessel that would probably become her new chariot to the G8 System. The vessel was mostly obscured by the far superior Colony vessel that would transport the families of the more than two hundred Syndrome children going along in search of hope at a distant frontier. The Colony vessel was more or less ready for the mission. Most of the drones buzzing like flies around the external hull were merely performing routine inspections of primary and auxiliary mechanisms, ensuring that everything was in order and that there would be no mechanical problems that would delay the mission's departure. Timing had become crucial. At least, this was the instruction that all Eden Project employees had received, filtered down from the upper levels of the project's overseers. Julia was not exactly sure what it was that had provoked the increasing sense of urgency, although she supposed it was probably the government putting the screws on the Adair woman.

Julia turned her thoughts to Devon Adair. She realized suddenly, that she almost always thought of her as "the Adair woman". As if in contempt of the Adair Corporation's multi-millionaire heiress. And yet, Julia had never actually met the woman personally. In fact, from what she had heard, Devon Adair was a reasonable and admirable woman. Despite her advantaged familial upbringing, she had worked diligently to command respect in a tough business industry. And she had risked everything in her drive to make a success of the Eden Project mission. To save her son. Above all else, she had demonstrated a bottomless reserve of strength and gumption to stand against the designs of the Council.

Maybe it was this point, above all else, that Julia found unsettling. Devon Adair had stood up to the Council. Something Julia had never succeeded in doing. Nor had she ever given it much thought actually. She worked for the Council. It had more or less always been that way. She had been born into it.

Julia returned her gaze to the Colony vessel. She had spent so many long hours inside that craft. Obviously, the hospital ward was a major part of the vessel, and Julia had played a significant role in the setup of the necessary equipment to ensure the superior medical care that the Syndrome-afflicted children required. She had also been a part of the team responsible for installing and testing the new cryo-units that filled a gigantic bay at the rear of the ship. This project had become a tireless crusade in Julia Heller's life. Never before, had anything seemed quite as important as being a part of this mission to save the multitude of Syndrome children who were otherwise destined for an early death.

Julia turned away from the window. There was no way that she would take the chance of jeopardizing the success of the Eden Project. Too many lives were at stake. If the Council couldn't have someone influencing the Eden Project from within, it would see no recourse but to delay the Eden Project indefinitely by denying level six clearance. It was all about control. And the Council's insistence on having it. 'I guess it's decided then,' she thought to herself. 'I have no choice.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I love you, Julia." Conor O'Donnell stared long and hard into Julia's eyes and in them she saw reflected a thousand truths. Above all, she believed completely that he truly meant the words that had just fallen from his lips.

"How can you love me?" she asked him as she fought back the tears that threatened to well up. "You have no idea who I am. What I have done."

Conor cusped his right hand around the edge of Julia's face and gently stroked his fingers through the hair behind her ear. He planted the lightest of kisses on her forehead and brought his face back to a position where their eyes were only inches away from each other.

"I *do* know who you are, Julia. I can see her whenever I look into your eyes. I can see her whenever you lower the shield for that tiniest second when your soul shows through. I can see the woman who hides inside there. I *can* see you, Julia. And I love you. This woman who you truly are. You make me complete."

"No, it's not true!" Julia pulled away as the first tears began to show and she climbed up from the bed to walk across to the window. The simulated sun inside the station hull was starting to brighten and Julia noticed a single songbird sitting on the branch of the tree outside her unit. Julia wondered briefly how a bird had come to be free within the station's primary ring, and why it had chosen to visit her particular window. Then she sensed Conor approaching from behind her and felt his arms slide around her hips until the warmth of his body, pressed against her back, flowed into her like a drug.

"Don't shut me out, Julia. You can talk to me." His voice was soothing. Caressing.

"I can't tell you," she said sorrowfully. "You couldn't possibly love me if you knew what I have done."

"I cannot imagine anything you could possibly have done that would make me change the way I feel about you."

Julia closed her eyes and bit on her lower lip as the emotions of shame and self-loathing swept over her. The sound of tiny laughter brought her back and she opened her eyes quickly. The songbird was laughing at her. Laughing, like a broken doll with a pull-string. The songbird's laughter grew louder and Julia was horrified to see the songbird's head was the head of Dison Blalock. Laughing and laughing at her. Laughing and beeping at her. Beeping and beeping....

Julia's eyes opened wide and she sat up, disoriented. She was in her bedroom in her outer hull quarters. The black canvas of space filled the view through her viewport and an incessant beeping echoed within the confines of the sparsely furnished room. It was her ComCon.

Julia climbed out of bed sleepily and stumbled over to the console, feeling momentarily disturbed by the bizarreness of her dream. She pressed her thumb against the scanner and the screen came to life. Half expecting the screen to be filled by the horrible sight of a goading Disonbird, Julia was rather surprised to see who her caller actually was.

"Good morning, Dr. Heller. I hope I didn't wake you. I am..."

"Commander O'Neill. Yes, I know who you are." Julia found it difficult to contain her surprise. She had never personally interacted with Broderick O'Neill before. Why would the man in command of the Eden Project mission be contacting *her*? "What can I do for you, sir?" was all Julia could think to say.

"I'd like to meet with you today, if I may," O'Neill replied. "There are matters to discuss with regards to your assignment to the Advance vessel."

"Oh. Sure. I can stop by on my way over to..."

"Excellent! I'll expect you at oh-nine-hundred then."

With a brief smile, O'Neill concluded the conversation and cut the connection. Once again, Julia was left staring at her own, confused and sleep-ruffled, reflection.

Commander Broderick O'Neill's outer office was misleading. It contained everything one might expect in an outer office: a table, a few comfortable chairs, one or two hydroponic ferns, a secretary at his desk. But it had something more- a certain ambiance, projected by a carefully blended combination of colors, a precisely orchestrated arrangement of lighting. Julia looked around the spacious room as she sat in wait of her meeting with O'Neill, and recognized immediately the hidden agenda that was the atmosphere of this room. This was a room designed to calm, to soften, to lull into a sense of passiveness and tranquillity. This was a room designed specifically to give Broderick O'Neill the upper hand as soon as each visitor walked through the doorway leading into his office. It was a common Council trick and Julia couldn't help smiling to herself at the thought that someone who loathed the Council as much as O'Neill was purported to do, would use identical tactics to guarantee his elevated status during meetings.

O'Neill's office door opened and he walked out while still in conversation with his current appointment. The woman talking to O'Neill- tall, brunette, thirtyish- carried herself with an evident self-confidence. She radiated power; control. Julia recognized her instantly and was immediately intrigued at the sight of the famous Devon Adair in person. She felt admiration, respect, jealousy, and much to her annoyance, humbleness. All this merely from watching the woman utter a few casual words to O'Neill. Adair finished whatever it was she was saying and headed out of O'Neill's outer office, apparently oblivious to Julia's presence. Her focus was already on her next task at hand. Julia quieted her inner indignation and stood to greet O'Neill.

"Dr. Heller," he beat her to the formalities, "thank you for coming. Won't you please come in." He gestured to his office and followed Julia in, closing the door behind him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Commander," Julia said in way of greeting. "The Eden Project has been fortunate to have your expertise guiding it along." The comment sounded trite and Julia immediately cursed herself for uttering such banalities. It was not in her nature to be inane.

"Thank you, doctor. Won't you please sit down?"

"Thank you. Please call me Julia."

"Julia," O'Neill smiled in response. "Well it would seem we now have the pleasure of your company, Julia, on the Advance vessel." O'Neill's eyes seemed to grip her suddenly. "How do you feel about that?"

Julia fidgeted slightly and hoped it hadn't been too obvious. "I'm honored to join the Advance crew. There will be plenty to do to prepare for the colonists' arrival at New Pacifica. Dr. Vasquez and I will certainly have our hands busy."

"Indeed." O'Neill opened a box that was sitting on his desk and pulled out a thick, brown-leafed cigar. "Do you think you are up to the task of setting up the colony hospital?" He ran the cigar under his nostrils, savoring its musty smell for a few seconds before replacing it to the box and closing it again.

Julia felt slightly insulted at O'Neill's question. Of *course* she was "up to the task"! Hell, she had been one of Vasquez's team members in the setup of the Colony vessel hospital ward. A junior member, perhaps, but with an important role to play nonetheless.

"I'm sure if you check with Dr. Vasquez, you will be sufficiently reassured as to the level of my abilities, Commander."

"Oh, please don't take me the wrong way, Julia," O'Neill attempted to explain. "I have every faith in your abilities and medical expertise. What I was thinking of was more along the lines of starting from scratch planetside. You are station-born, are you not?"

"As is Dr. Vasquez," Julia reminded him. "*And* Devon Adair."

O'Neill let out a hearty laugh and sat back in his chair. "Touche!"

Julia stared at O'Neill for a few seconds and realized she couldn't decide whether or not she liked the man. There was something about him that commanded respect, and yet there were also certain aspects to his demeanor that she found grating. Time spent at New Pacifica would tell, she supposed.

"The quarters assigned to Dr. Jordan are yours now, of course," O'Neill resumed. "Feel free to move your belongings in and familiarize yourself with the ship whenever you wish."

"Thank you, Commander." Julia smiled inwardly at O'Neill's obliviousness to the fact that she already *was* familiarized with the Advance ship. All part of working for the Council. She had been discrete enough, it would seem. "Now if there is nothing else, I must be going. Today we run the final diagnostics on the new cryo-chambers."

"Ah! Of course. Please," he gestured towards the door. "I just wanted to introduce myself and welcome you to the Advance vessel team. We'll all be spending quite some time together over the next twenty-three years or so," he smiled, his eyes twinkling.

With a parting nod and smile, Julia exited the offices of O'Neill and headed down the corridor, wondering all the while what the previous fifteen minutes had actually been about.

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