(eng) P. Joseph Cherubino by The Genetic Imperative

Author:The Genetic Imperative [Imperative, The Genetic]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12: Homesphere, Arrest

Nina stood in the kitchen area with a cup of Earth wine in her hand and stared into the great square face of an ancient Warrior. She understood why the statues looked the way they did. The statues were accurate. This soldier was like mass itself. She was a presence displacing a volume of significance in the scene of her installation. This old Advocate was an immovable certainty. They stood there silently a long while, moving only to sip wine and rarely breaking eye contact.

“General Zebrak, if I am to be arrested, I’d like to see the gardens in this chamber before newcycle.” Nina said, stopping short of asking to be excused. It would be impertinent to ask the General to walk with her, so she left the statement open as an oblique invitation.

The General said, “I will walk with you then.”

The two soldiers fell in together as they walked through the apartment. The General allowed their pace to remain even, and they walked nearly touching shoulders. The formation told the other soldiers present in no uncertain terms that Nina deserved respect. The general fell back a pace and allowed Nina to leave the room first. Nina didn’t bother trying to find her sandals again in the crowded entry room. It would have broken the spell, and she doubted she’d find them any time soon. Nina enjoyed the direct contact with the stone beneath her feet.

Nina and the General walked side-by-side down the spiral walkway as the railing did its automatic work of casting yellow pools of light around their feet like upended halos. In spite of the tension she found, Nina wished to call this chamber home. She got the sense that the current drama she was passing through was simply one scene in this place that was a very peaceful stage. The place was designed to be peaceful.

“Was this your doing, General?” Nina said, indicating the chamber with scanning eyes.

“Not entirely. I can’t claim it. My part was allowing it to happen.”

“And the other new construction I’ve seen since my return?”

“A trend. Happening on its own. High command had never seen it before, so they didn’t understand what it meant.

Requests that don’t seem to directly impact the mission are not considered important, so they are simply approved in the name of simplicity.

It is assumed that the Warrior chooses all her actions for efficiency and the overall good. It’s part of our code of honor and pride. High command is realizing that the code has changed.”

“Do you believe this is no longer true—our honor and pride?”

“Never,” the General said firmly. Nina apparently touched a nerve. “We will always be Warriors, but we now understand a deeper truth.”

Nina waited. There was no follow. Her expectant silence implied a question.

The General chuckled, and it was like the purr of a large cat.

“How quickly you forget,” the General said, “I have already told you, but I see that you don’t fully understand. I don’t expect you to. You may understand soon.

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