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 Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:09 pm
The shocked silence rippled for a moment and then the noise rose once more, hundreds upon hundreds of voices all discussing and arguing and agreeing and every other form of communication. Dozens of languages mixed into a giant wave of Babel. Hands met in warm clasps or pounded backs.
Captain Serafima Rabik stood off to one side, having already abandoned her chair and paced a half dozen feet. Her own hands clenched at her sides, knuckles gone white. Her mouth was a thin, tight line and her dark eyes stared off into the nothingness that surrounded the conference area. The normal aura of aloofness had iced over and even those she considered her respected co-workers (not friends, Serafima Rabik had long since become unaccustomed to the concept of friends) shied away and focused their attentions on other, more receptive comrades.
Finally, slowly, Serafima drew a long breath and forced her fists to loosen. Lifting her hands, she looked down at her palms as if seeing them for the first time. <"Goddammit to hell,"> she murmured, smokey voice without inflection. <"So much for cause, loyalty, duty... Bastards.">
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:18 pm
"Captain Rabik?" came a quiet voice, but one so focused it was impossible to miss beneath the din. Standing to her side stood a familiar face, one of those co-workers: Admiral Atri Durris, Director of the Assassin Core.
Only he was no longer an admiral, just as she was no longer a captain, and it was doubtful the Assassin core still existed as an organizational branch.
Durris was dressed in his plain dark green uniform, cap on his head and dress cape on his arm. He was one of the ones whose uniform had not changed during the transition. Looking at it almost made it seem as if the past hour had been a lie, that none of the Conference had actually happened, everything was as it had been before.
Except the uniform was one of the only things that had not changed. The past it represented was no more.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:24 pm
The past was clearly more distant for some than others and, without a moment of hesitation, Serafima's instincts took over and she pivoted, military-precise, on her heel to face him before cutting a sharp, shallow bow. "Admiral," she intoned. "A pleasure to see you again."
The knee-jerk response flew directly in the face of the icy look in her eyes. She locked her hands behind her and surveyed the man in front of her; it kept her from fidgeting with her now-useless uniform. She, too, remained unchanged - perfect and pristine and rigid.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:27 pm
Atri's voice was level, his demeanor calm and even pleasant. He moved closer to diminish the noise fo the crowd, which was steadily dropping as people headed back to Central for further instructions.
"I know this is a bit soon," he said, "but have you any plans for what you might be doing next?" Dark brown eyes peered at her curiously.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:34 pm
A muscle along Serafima's jawline twitched for an instant until she regained control. As if a switch had clicked into place, she slid into the long-ago-perfected facade of cool professionalism with not an inch of emotion showing. "I have not yet decided," she replied. "The situation has been too sudden and recent to have reviewed my options, of course. After all, it is no secret that I have been and planned on being career military."
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:37 pm
This statement did nothing to change Durris's plans. Serafima could have said she was planning on going into nude gardening and Durris would still have asked her the same question. "With the creation of the Neighborhood, there's a large area requiring security. Adomital and I are reforming the Perimeter Defense. Would you be interested?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:48 pm
If she had been expecting something entirely different, Serafima showed no sign. Instead, she merely regarded Durris mildly for a moment before tilting her head to the side slightly. Her hands unclasped and she moved them to dangle loosely at her side for an instant before one of them lifted again to tuck a loose piece of her hair back into the tight, neat bun fussily. There was no apparant motivation for the movement other than a desire to appear calm and thoughtful.
Whether she was either was entirely up for debate besides being entirely unnoticed by most others.
Dark eyes meeting Durris', she watched for another heartbeat. Then she shook her head ever so slightly in an unreadable movement. "I would have to think about such an offer," she replied quietly. "Thank you for it, though. It is always nice to know that one still has... useful skills."
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:57 pm
"I would appreciate it if you did," said Durris sincerely, "as would Adomital. The work requires strong focus." He said nothing more on the matter, for to speak more would be to risk exposing elements of the defense plans.
Serafima had not been with the Fleet long enough to know its full history, nor of the great honor involved in Perimeter Defense. She had only the sternly imploring gaze of Admiral Durris to go by, but if those eyes promised anything, it was that her "skills" would be used to the utmost, perhaps pushed to their limits and beyond.
Atri turned his head away and gazed out over the ice field. He was quiet, as if thinking, and Serafima did not see fit to interrupt. A moment later he returned his look to her. "Tell myself or Adomital when you've reached a decision. I'd also ask that you not inform anyone of the invitation. If you do join us, your work would need to be protected."
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:08 pm
"Understood." Straightening her posture even more, Serafima inclined her head in agreement. There was still something deadly just behind her gaze and the tight line of her mouth continued to speak of restraint but she clearly heard his proposal. Whether she accepted or not, the idea would be considered at length. After she could bring herself to even contemplate interacting with ex-Fleet personnel again. At the moment, though, the apathy and sense of betrayal rested too hot in her stomach.
Nonetheless, she rewarded Durris' offer with a faint quirk of her lips and she bowed again. "Thank you. I will be certain to contact you with my decision, one way or the other." She paused. "I can locate you via some sort of Neighborhood directory?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:13 pm
"The Comm system will remain in operation," said Durris. "Normal communications channels will be sufficient. You'll have to be within three or fours Gates, though, or else the signal may not go through." Gates was the more common word for dimensional portals, meaning Serafima would have to be within three or four dimensions of the Neighborhood.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:16 pm
"I see." She glanced just over his shoulder, half-frowning in thought. "And how close is Gaia to be from this Neighborhood?" she asked. "I plan to remain on that planet for the time being, you see."
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:20 pm
Atri was surprised, but the only sign of his reaction was a twitch of his mustache. "One dimension," he said. "You won't be occupying your residential slot?" He was beginning to get a hint of something going on.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:23 pm
"Not at the moment, no" came her polite but cool answer. "Though I cannot expect to remain in the quarters I now occupy, I suppose. They were provided by the Fleet."
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:26 pm
Atri gave a slight shrug, his gentle nature and worry beginning to show in the crinkles around his eyes. "Certainly you can. We still possess all of the Fleet's dimensional resources." It was a slight misstatement, as technically, the Fleet had never owned any resources and had in fact been borrowing them from the Household.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:28 pm
That gave her pause and the mask shifted just enough for an eyebrow to raise in questioning disbelief. Galatea would like that, she found herself thinking before she stiffened her posture yet again and nodded. "I see," she murmured. "That would indeed make things easier during my stay on Gaia."
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