Iron Rose Bleeding by Anne Azel

Author:Anne Azel [Azel, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, General, Lesbian, Fiction
ISBN: 9781933720630
Google: 38hEQAAACAAJ
Amazon: 1933720638
Publisher: P.D. Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2009-07-16T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

~ Lord Acton

From Courtney Hunter's Logs

When I woke the next morning, I found myself alone in Tap's quarters. I felt rather awkward being in the area set aside for Tap only. I did not know what rights I enjoyed, if any, and what restrictions my movements in these private rooms might incur. Rather than risk more conflict at this time, I chose to restrict myself to my room and the room adjoining it.

I knew Tap was a busy person and had probably been up for hours. Tap seemed to function on very little sleep. Embarrassed someone might find me there, I showered and dressed quickly, and headed out. I wasn't sure just how I was to explain my new accommodations. I grabbed a coffee and a bran muffin for breakfast in the green section cafeteria and headed into the library to prepare for my meeting.

At 8:30 Haichen walked in. "Tap has sent me to escort you to the meeting room," she said. "You are ready, Court?"

I smiled and slipped my notes into a file folder. "Sure I'm ready." I tried not to give any indication to Haichen I was nervous. I wondered if Haichen knew where I had slept last night and how she might interpret that information. This whole situation was getting way too complicated.

"It is a great honour — that you have been asked by Tap to sit in on the meeting," Haichen explained.

"Is it? I thought I was part of the team now, even if I'm only in the learning stages."

Haichen stopped and looked at me with eyes that revealed nothing of her emotions. "There will be some who will not approve. It would be wise to be careful." I nodded but said nothing, not sure whether Haichen was giving me a friendly warning or threatening me.

They sat around a large, highly polished wood table in the red zone library. No one reacted to Haichen escorting me in. Either they had known ahead of time that I would be joining them, or they were being very cautious. No one made eye contact with me. They sat quietly waiting, each apparently lost in their own thoughts. It made me feel uncomfortable. Then Tap walked in and we all stood. Only after she had taken her seat at the head of the table did everyone sit down and appear to relax a bit.

Tap looked around, her eyes finally settling on me where I sat near the end of the table. "A change of procedure today — Courtney Hunter will present the data and field any questions."

No one's expression changed, and yet I could sense their shock and intensified interest in me. I felt like an exotic fish in a bowl. Squaring my shoulders, I looked around the table confidently and started delivering my report. An hour later, I was just winding down.

"The general consensus of the talks was that economic stress could have any number of possible flashpoints.

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