2.21.2

An Opening

“What do you think, Kitten?” The chief nudged Astrid.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you’re the Channeler. Don’t you read the ‘static noise’ or whatever it is you do? Do you think he’s sincere?”

Astrid turned her face, mildly annoyed. Reading people’s energy behind their white noise came easy when they had strong, clear feelings. But it certainly wasn’t something she practiced. It left a large margin for error.

But now both her companions looked to her, expectant, and she sighed.

She folded her arms and listened not to the words of the fight that shouted before them, but the feeling of it.

The erratic buzz of static energy sharpened with her subjects’ heightened emotions. But everything felt consistent with Ramsey’s inflections when they first shared details of Ava’s activities. At least, she observed no difference in his surprise then, and his incredulity now.

“It feels genuine. She’s pissed.” Astrid inclined her head to the girl, who bucked against every touch her brother offered.

“Obviously,” Tenya bantered.

“No, I mean like…hurt. Betrayed.” Astrid clarified through the waves of emotion. “She really thought he was going to understand.”

“And he doesn’t?” Anders sought confirmation.

Astrid pinched her nose and closed her eyes against the discomfort of witnessing such a dispute. Family arguments of this intimacy, this vehement, were well outside her purview.

But with her vision closed off to the volatile nature of what transpired, it left more focus on the feelings hurled just on the other side of the glass.

“No. He’s loud. His energy,” she muttered. “But it’s all fear. He’s scared for her. Worried. He’s worried. It’s making it worse. She doesn’t want to hear it.”

“Typical,” Tenya snorted. “I’m starting to relate already.”

Anders took a final glance at the display, equal parts encouraged, and saddened, by what he saw inside.

“We should get back to the ship. We need to take this to the captain. He’ll make the final decision, either way.”

~~~

“Hmm.” Captain London looked over a data tablet in the War Room, with his team in attendance. “Not bad. Serviceable, even. Quite serviceable.”

“Captain?” Dell, having not met Ramsey Owens, held the most reservation for what his addition could mean.

“This might be what we need to round us out.” The captain finally closed the file and set the tablet down before him. “The lieutenant-commander is right. A lot of these Channeler siblings are easy marks for the Opposition. We can show them there’s another way. Just like with Astrid. Make a good example among all that risk.

“That’s not to say we shouldn’t cautious. At least for a few months. I want Romo and Hale staying close to him until we’re more confident. But yes, I think we should give him a chance. His former superiors think well of him, and that is an opinion uncolored by our mission, or the involvement of his family within it.”

Tenya looked about the small room, with their numbers still down at five, before she agreed. “We knew we’d have to bring someone else in eventually. It gets tight around here if one of us is taken out of commission for a while.”

“It could give us an in at the academy,” Anders suggested. “If our next stop is there, a brother seeking his sister is a great cover story.”

“Indeed.” Captain London clasped his hands behind his back. “Nonetheless, I’m going to requisition us a shuttle. This ship will be too recognizable, especially with this foe. I say we land in the colony but take a shuttle out to Maxwell Academy itself.”

“So, the play is to use Owens to open the door?” Romo asked.

London nodded. “We have a unique opportunity. A fresh face with a legitimate reason for turning up at the school unexpected. It gives us eyes, at least enough to confirm what we suspect. Just like the prison, we need to go in to assess.

“But Anderson, you’re too conspicuous. And too closely correlated with my command. I want Thompson and Davis to escort.”

“Sir?” Astrid rebuffed. “If those are my kids in there, I should be able to feel them. I’ll be able to confirm them a lot easier.”

“I’m not sending our Channeler specialist into an S.O. base without a little recon first. We don’t know how many are in there, or if any know you. No. If we find the other Channelers, you’ll get your chance to see for yourself soon after. This is going to have to be an exercise in restraint for you. For the safety of you and those kids.”

“Still, Captain, to have this Owens take lead, we hardly know anything about him,” Romo tried.

“If he’s a wolf, I’d rather know sooner, than after he’s had time to poke around our systems and learn more about us. Secondly, we don’t have to trust him yet. Not if we trust ourselves. I know we’re a little skeptical after what happened with Rue. But Rue showed us that we can never know anyone well enough to be certain. We still can’t close off our ranks forever. Are you doubting your own intel skills, Romo?”

“No, sir.” Romo frowned.

“Regardless, if you, or Specialist Hale seek any other reason to not take advantage of this opportunity, I suggest you find it quick. We still don’t know if we triggered anything by taking down that ship. Who knows how much time the captives may have. If they’re at Maxwell, waiting to secure them because we’re ‘worried’ is not an option. And if they aren’t there, then we have even less time to find them, then, don’t we?”

With everything on the table, the crew could do little more than nod.

“I’ll see to the transfer,” the captain concluded. “Romo, I want everything intel has collected on the incident at Sanctuary Argos, and Maxwell Academy to present to Owens when he arrives. Anderson, get your team together and discuss strategies if this thing goes sideways. Let’s avoid walking into another trap.

“Thompson, you’re on Owens. You’ll be one of the first to go groundside with him, and among the first to meet him. We need to build that trust, either way.

“Davis, I want you to update Eames on our situation.”

“Sir?”

“Bring Eames into the brief. Astrid may know what it takes to care for that many Channelers, but he’ll have ideas about what it takes to control them. Besides, we may need him if we find those kids.”

Astrid’s mood darkened with the insinuation, but she kept herself steadfast while the captain turned to her next.

“Hale. As per the Board’s request, there is one more act of duty before Owens can serve with you.”

The Channeler nodded in understanding. “He has to know.”

“See to it.”

“There is one more matter,” Astrid called suddenly, before the team dispersed. “As long as we’re on the subject of trust.”

The team passed a furtive glance, but regathered when London didn’t intercede.

“My attempts to drain the ship that chased the Alfirk affected our systems,” she disclosed. “I inadvertently pulled from our own engines. I could have made us vulnerable, maybe worse. Tilly assured me that the contingencies in place compensated, and that everything will be fine. But I thought you all should know. You deserve to know.”

Then the specialist looked to her captain. She didn’t want to see the hint of pride in his smile. Disturbingly, she found herself annoyed that he would approve of her reveal when he put the onus of its discretion on her.

“I don’t intend to hide anything, Captain.”

For reasons unknown to even her, under his gaze, the promise of transparency felt less like altruism. And more like a threat.

~~~

The Aldebaran parked for a few hours. Long enough for paperwork to be filed and maintenance to run over most of the ship.

Anders spent most his time in the War Room, working strategies with Tenya.

Dell returned the tech lab, where he and Eames bonded over theoretical technology to enhance, balance, or otherwise affect a Channeler’s abilities.

Astrid frequently checked in with Romo, as it seemed the majority of responsibility in vetting their new teammate fell on them.

“You have any reservations?” Romo asked of her while they waited at the air lock for their new arrival.

“Less than I expected,” she admitted. “The others are right. We need more hands. It’ll help us get into Maxwell. And we can’t expand our list of allies by closing everyone out. If the Service is going to divide over integration, we need as many on our side as we can get.”

“Point.” Romo hissed through his teeth at that consideration. “Speaking of, what was that between you and the captain before? Seemed like there was some subtext there.”

“I don’t know,” Astrid admitted with mild annoyance. “I’m not trying to be difficult. When he first brought me on, he suspected the Static Opposition of targeting Channelers. He even knew about Argos. And he kept it secret. He hid my recruitment from the Service, or at least, he tried. Tilly said he knew about the engines, but he didn’t tell you guys. I had to.

“I guess I’m starting to wonder what else he might know that he’s not telling.”