Amateur Megalomania

Captain Procer waited for Keamanan to close the door before she turned to Votum. She held up the note about the bombing, “This is just the start.”

Votum shrugged, “Sure. Resnig will continue until he gets what he wants.”

“And what’s that?” She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her temples. “Maybe we can reach some sort of accommodation.”

“He isn’t going to accept a partial solution.”

Procer shook her head, “No, I’m talking about his personal goals. I don’t think he’s a true believer. Maybe he can be bought off.” She sighed as her hands moved from her temples to her eyes. “We can’t keep fighting like this.”

Votum stood up and crossed the office to the small refrigeration unit. He opened it and removed a pitcher of water. He selected two glasses from a small shelf and turned back to the desk. “May I be candid?”

Procer peeked out through her fingers and smiled, “When aren’t you?”

He smiled back. “I just wanted to be sure you were in the mood to hear it.” When she didn’t answer, he continued. “You trust Keamanan, but do you know what HE wants?” He poured a glass of water and placed it in front of Procer.

“I don’t understand,” she said.

He poured his own glass of water before answering her. “He’s smart, but he’s also cursed with his own ideas about duty. He has a tendency of creating policy in your name, and then asking for your forgiveness afterwards. Fortunately for him,” he took a sip of water, “he’s managed to make good decisions and you haven’t had to smack him yet. I wonder if he has developed an inflated opinion of his position here.”

She smiled. “You think he may decide I need to be led?”

“I think he has an unsavory collection of contacts down below, and perhaps is too sympathetic to their cause. He spent a lot of time down there. His relationship with Moirum is enough to question his loyalty.”

“You really don’t like him, do you?” she asked.

“I confess to some distaste for his company.”

She sighed as she picked up her glass and stood. She turned toward the massive window, and unbuttoned the top button of her jacket, pulling the collar away from her neck. She stared out at the planet hovering beyond the glass. The light from the sun flashed off the oceans, making it hard to stare directly at it. “How long have we known this day was coming?” she whispered.

“Ma’am?”

She shook her head, “We’ve had a lot of time to prepare for this, and I still feel like it’s happening too fast. Look at it. History is bound to repeat. Every single time this has happened, we tear ourselves to pieces. I don’t know how to stop it from happening again.”

A long silence came over her, as she stared out at the planet. Votum finally stood and walked to the window, standing next to Procer. “Why should this one be any different from all the rest?”

She looked sideways at him. “You don’t think this is it?”

“I observe the odds. What are the chances we happen to be alive to witness the end of the journey? How many generations have stood here wondering the same thing?” He took another drink of water. “We can always hope, but it’s much easier to plan for disappointment.”

“Do you want it to be the end?” she asked.

Votum frowned and hesitated. When he answered, he spoke slowly, groping for the words. “I’m not sure what I want.” He thrust his chin toward the planet. “I can’t imagine what that’s like. We all have images of some sort of paradise of open spaces and fresh air, but no one has ever experienced it outside of the ancient books. We’re answering to our ancestor’s yearning. What if it isn’t right for us anymore?”

“We can’t stay on the ship forever,” she said.

He clasped his hands behind his back and stared out at the planet. He asked her the same question. “Do you want it to be the end?”

She leaned forward and covered the image of the planet with her hand. It barely fit beneath her palm. When she pulled her hand away, a small film of condensation began to evaporate on the window. “I don’t have the luxury of wanting. My job is to keep this ship in one piece, and hand command off to my successor when the time comes.”

“Fair enough as the Captain. But what does Alantas Procer, the woman, want?”

She didn’t hesitate, “I want a worthy successor. Someone I can trust to do the right thing for the ship and the people onboard.”

She went on, “I understand your personal distaste for Keamanan, but you need to learn how to get beyond that. He’s the best tool we have to keep order on the ship. He has credibility with the Culpable that puts him in a unique position.” She placed a hand on Votum’s elbow. “You don’t cast aside a good tool without just cause. Those that serve me must have my confidence at all times. As soon as they don’t, I need to remove them.”

He stared at her for a moment, examining her brown eyes for deeper meaning. She smiled and squeezed his elbow before releasing it. As she turned away, her tone hardened back to her formal voice. “I want you to watch Keamanan. Keep an eye on his activities and report back to me. He expects you to anyway, so you might as well.”

He finished off the water in his glass. “You want me to investigate him?”

“No. Just keep watch. If you see or hear something that strikes you as odd, bring it to me. If there’s something there, I want to know about it.” She looked at Votum, “I trust my people, but not blindly. Check into it.”

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