30 M1 - Term: 1, Round: 1 (1/2)
Attendance at Fortescue Military Academy M1 Y:2142
House Thoth, Squad Leader, Squad Zero
M1 Rank: ?/1275, Tier 3 M-Rank: Null
Term: 1, Round: 1
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”I Just got some…,” Daedo paused, ”news.” He sent the message to his squad.
”What!” Vannier stood after a few seconds of reading. Half his squaddies all circled him offering words of sympathy and encouragement.
Barran was angry, ”this is bullshit. We need to find this scum and… yeah, ruin them.”
”Should we involve Master Nader?” Mace asked.
Daedo shook his head, ”she would know by now. If she wants to get involved, she will.”
Vannier peered at Master Nader's door, ”so are you going to help?” She called out.
A message came through to all the squad members.
Master Nader: go see your Father, take two with you. The rest secure the exos at your facility, I will accompany you.
After reading the message, Vannier asked, ”so who do you want to come with you?”
Daedo thought about it momentarily. It was not an easy decision to make on the fly. And he really didn't care who came. But it would be good to have someone with him. He shrugged.
”Okay,” Vannier said, ”then…”
”Wait,” Daedo interrupted her, she was about to delegate two squaddies, ”Vannier and Axelzero with me. Mace lead the workshop team.”
Daedo picked the two who would provide him with the most support and left the smartest squad member to handle the workshop with the two best brawlers, Barran and Picard. Not that he expected anything to occur now. But he hadn't expected anything to occur before. Gaumont didn't come into his calculations, the cadet hadn't even agreed to come to the workshop yet, and Daedo wasn't privy to his discussions with Vannier. As far as Daedo was concerned until Gaumont came on board with the squad he did not exist.
Cisse came and picked up the three cadets to take them to the hospital. It would have been easier to book and ride a hovervan, but she insisted. To be exact, she didn't insist, she just informed Daedo she was on her way.
”Get in,” she called from the sleek hovercar. Two large butterfly doors opened on either side. There was room inside for four, despite its small size, with the seats facing each other. This was a driverless car, there was no driver seat nor manual controls.
The trio piled in and as soon as the doors closed harnesses secured them in place.
”The news from the hospital is he is fine, I want you to stop worrying now,” Cisse said.
”When did you get this?” Daedo asked. Cisse had no legs and usually travelled in special hovervan vehicles with lifting equipment. Her chair, she used to get around, was nestled in a place where a seat would normally be.
”Oh, I have had it awhile. I don't like to show it off in front of Ikaros,” she finished and then added belatedly, ”I have my reasons.” It probably had to do with earnings from her settlement or career. She seemed to indicate it had to do with Ikaros' feelings. Except that her mere presence without legs was probably a much greater reminder than a mere vehicle.
The hovercar zoomed off to the hospital, selecting the fastest route whilst merging and avoiding other vehicles. With Vannier and Axelzero trailing them, Cisse lead Daedo to his Father's ward.
She held up the info on wrist screen, he is already out of intensive care and in a holding ward.
”Why are they holding him if he is ok?” Daedo asked.
”Probably waiting on test results, or a precaution if he has a head injury. I'm not sure. We will find out,” Cisse answered.
As Daedo entered the ward, his squadmates waited outside, not wanting to intrude on the family.
”Father,” Daedo said approaching his bed tentatively.
”Oh, Etana, I am sorry,” Ikaros said meekly. He was propped up by his gurney. Sensors were attached to his head, which was shaven, and his chest.
”Why are you sorry?” Daedo asked.
”Because I caused you worry, look; Cisse is here all concerned and I can see your friends outside. All because I got in the way,” Ikaros said.
”It is not something to be sorry about Father,” Daedo replied.
”If this ever happens again, just let them have whatever they want. It is just stuff. It is replaceable. You are not,” Cisse said.
”This will never happen again, I will take care of that,” Daedo insisted. ”There will be blast doors, sentry guns and traps. It will be safe, I promise.”
”This isn't a game Daedo,” Cisse said. She looked into his eyes as he turned at the statement. The look he gave her sent a shiver up her spine. The intensity of his gaze made her wonder if he was really twelve.
”I know it's not a game,” he replied vehemently. Even with supposed games, he took them so seriously they weren't. He turned back to his Father, ”you don't have to come back if you don't want to.”
His father coughed and spluttered, a little blood showed on his lip. His injuries were not as mild as he made out. Daedo could see the blue, discoloured skin at the back of his head. It was bruised significantly, no wonder they wanted to monitor him and keep him close. Usually, the hospital would apply regen or replacement, put the sensors on you and send you home. But when they wanted to be able to react extremely quickly to changes in status they kept you close.
”Nothing would keep me away,” he said earnestly.
”There was something I was going to ask you this weekend, but now I am not so sure,” Daedo said quietly.
”What? What were you going to ask? Just ask it, son,” Ikaros said emotionally.
”Daedalus, our company, can easily afford to employ you. I was going to ask if you wanted to be at the workshop full time?” Daedo asked.
Ikaros laughed, and it hurt. He was forced to stop. He gathered himself, and a tear came to his eye, ”nothing would make me happier. You wouldn't even have to pay me.”
”I can give you shares then,” Daedo said.
His Father waved his hand and then shook his head once, very slowly. ”No. Daedalus is your thing. Yours and your new friends. I will resign from Fortescue now,” he said emphatically. And after some thought. ”Wait…, you have good health insurance I hope.” More pain.
”Ikaros, stop making jokes, you are in no condition to laugh,” Cisse lectured him. ”What about me? Are you going to offer me a job?” Cisse asked.
Daedo had wanted to, but he was surprised she would ask just like that.
”Do you want to work for Daedalus?” Daedo asked.
”Aren't I already?” Cisse answered. ”I am already making you reactors from scratch, which is not easy mind you.” She smiled to lessen the impact of her point.
She moved around in her seat while Daedo as quiet for a short period.
”Does Fortescue have all sorts of secrecy agreements around your work?” Daedo asked.
”I am out of contract,” Cisse replied, ”and even if I weren't my work is part of the international cooperative effort. We are sharing information within that group now.”
”I have some ideas around the Zero Point radiation and gravitation equations,” Daedo said.
”Both?” she asked.
”Yes, they are interrelated I believe,” Daedo said, ”I don't think it is possible to solve one without the other.”
”Hmm, the data certainly supports that view. We still know so little about gravity, we understand how it acts, we just don't fully understand its nature.” Cisse said. ”How are you going to crack the gravitation equation if we don't fully understand its nature?”
”I expect I will have to cheat,” Daedo answered seriously. He didn't know how he was going to crack the equation, he just had ideas at the moment and wanted to test them by analysing the observed data and see if it worked at all.
”Will you two stop talking Physics,” Ikaros croaked. ”My head hurts enough as it is.” Although a smile was threatening to escape his lips. Daedo nodded and popped out of the ward for a moment.
”I am going to stay here tonight, if they let me, I can work on my coding anywhere,” he said in explanation to Vannier and Axelzero.
”I will stay as well,” Axelzero said. ”Nader wanted you to have an escort for a reason,” she added to head off any protest.
Vannier looked at Daedo and then Axelzero, and then she nodded. ”Ok. Axelzero can stay here, I will go to the workshop and give you a report on what has happened and what is happening there. I will come back and relieve Axelzero after a nap, at 0300.”
Axelzero was going to protest, but she stopped herself mid-utterance. She did not like the idea of staying up all night, and if she fell asleep, she would be hardly a good lookout for Daedo.
The three nodded, and Vannier left. Axelzero followed Daedo back into his Father's ward.
”Axelzero,” Ikaros greeted her, ”thank you for visiting.”
She smiled and nodded, ”I am sorry I didn't bring any flowers,” she said.
”Oh,” Ikaros said, ”no please don't that would be a waste of pretty plants.” He dropped his gurney down to half its height.