2.22.2

An Extended Family

That night at supper Astrid paused several times to take in the scene of her company.

Where finally, for the first time in too long, seven crewmen sat at the table she shared with Tenya and the others.

Ramsey, Eames, Romo, and Dell, all seemed well-matched, and easy colleagues. Each posited questions to the others, at such a quick speed that Astrid, Tenya, and Anders, could instead pass only side-eyed glances over their food.

“Well, that seems to be going well,” Tenya mentioned under her breath.

Astrid traded her dessert brownie for the chief’s spare fruit.

Across from them, Eames listened with interest while Dell and Ramsey bonded over origin. Apparently, both men were born in the Colonial Capital of Septimus.

“It’s nice to have a full staff again,” Anders commented from her other side. “I hope this works out. We need a win.”

“Several.” Astrid bit into a grape while she mulled. “We could be just a couple days from finding my people. Maya, Finn, Opal. The others. I’m willing to give anyone that can get us closer to that a chance.”

“I’ve got it, Kitten. Don’t worry,” Tenya affirmed while she delved into her chocolate goodness. “They won’t get the jump on me and Dell, even if big bro over there isn’t sincere.”

“I don’t know. I think he’s alright, Tenya,” Anders observed. Over the table, Ramsey shared with Dell a love of sports.

“Just being prepared,” the chief shrugged. “You have a plan for what happens when we find them?”

“Mostly just trying to keep Astrid from tearing a new hole in the school.”

Tenya snerked.

The Channeler caught Ramsey’s eye. The others still chatted, while Eames revealed his own birthplace to be a station near the Delta. But it seemed the new teammate watched the exchange across, charmed by their friendship.

“Astrid, would you be offended if I got you a gift?” Anders drew her attention before she got pulled in yet another conversation.

“Is that something I should take offense to?”

“I mean, it wouldn’t be a personal thing.” He dropped his voice to a hush. But now that the thought seemed to cross his mind, he looked a little caught. The Channeler enjoyed it a little too much. She raised a brow, as though to challenge his unspoken thoughts.

But he recomposed himself and continued.

“I was just thinking about what you were talking about at the outpost station. About having a family out there. Now, it might not be documented in paper, but with the prolific ancestry DNA databases available out there-”

“Ooh!” Tenya butt in from Astrid’s other side. “A DNA test! The databanks are mostly voluntary, but if you had any family in the Service, or law enforcement, you’d for sure get a hit! At least somebody twice removed or something!”

“You should do it, Astrid,” Ramsey suggested in kind. “Maybe that’s the solution. I can’t find Charlotte, but if she were out there right now, I’d like to think she’d try something like that to find me.”

But Astrid hesitated, uncertain.

“Or,” Romo countered, “she could find out she’s the progeny of a bloodline of serial killers and psychopaths.”

Beside him, Dell nudged Romo’s rib.

“What? I’m serious. Take it from me, blood only takes you so far. There’s just as many shitty families out there as great ones, usually more. Family is who you choose. That’s us.”

“I appreciate what you’re saying,” Astrid started, but Tenya took over for her.

“Just because she wants to know where she comes from doesn’t mean she’s leaving us!” The chief fussed defensively. “Knowing her origin doesn’t make her any less ours than knowing you used to run in a gang.”

Ramsey’s brows perked when he got his own front row seat to a family dispute.

“It does if it’s going to come up every time we have an argument.” Romo scowled furiously at Tenya. “Besides, that’s kind of the point. You think I ran in a gang to avoid a loving family? Astrid came from Endra, that’s her origin. Why does she have to know anything more than the fact she’s wanted here?”

A thump under the table quickly derailed Romo’s debate.

“Shit, ow! Why are you kicking me?!” He threw at Dell.

“Why are you so against Astrid having a choice?” Dell tossed back at him. Though the technician’s voice came soft and reasonable in comparison. “It’s not our call, Romo. Astrid’s gotta live with her decision either way. You can’t expect her to know the right choice if you outright deny her options.”

“You know, you probably don’t even have to get one of those kits, Anders,” Tenya theorized. “I bet Ishioka has everything we need to take a sample and map it out. Then Romo can check the records, can’t you?”

The intel agent looked very much like he wanted to throw something at the chief.

“Look, this is really sudden,” Astrid cut through the rising tension. “I didn’t even realize this was an option until a few seconds ago, so can we just… let it go, please? Let me think about it?”

She looked to each of them, pleading. Anders looked regretful he brought it up at all. The Channeler leaned her body ever so slightly into his, to show she intended no blame. But still, she willfully diverted her focus back to her meal, lost in the new burden an unknown hereditary legacy.

“Look, Bug” Romo tried one final time after a pained sigh. “If you want to do it, I’m not going to stop you. I just hope you know for sure how you feel before you decide. That’s the only way you’re going to be able to deal with the results if it turns out to be something you didn’t want to know.”

~~~

Later, Astrid found herself looking for Romo for something completely unrelated.

While going through her messages uploaded at the outpost, she logged all the regulars. A quick message to Ensign Ellis to let her know she missed her. A standard quick report to Warrant Officer Parrish. But one incoming message flummoxed her, and she knew just whom to investigate.

She located the intel agent in the tech lab, at Dell’s computer. Though the technician proved nowhere to be found.

“Dell’s down in the engine room with Tilly,” Romo responded to the unspoken question written all over her face.

“It’s okay, I was really looking for you,” she confessed.

The man looked apprehensive until she handed him her data tablet. One last unexpected message glared in amber light.

A.H.—

Thank you for the reinforcements. The Fiends send their regards. Guess it pays to have friends in low places.

You’ve proven yourself an ally. Thank you.

-- U

“What, may I ask, is this? Do you know?” Astrid probed.

“Well, I’m guessing the ‘A.H.’ stands for Astrid Hale and the ‘U’ for the Underground.”

“Thanks. Helpful. I got that.”

Finally, Romo snickered and handed the tablet back.

“Look, I may have sent a message to Caius when I realized we wouldn’t make it in time. On a chance, just in case his people were in the area. I didn’t want to tell you in case nothing happened. Didn’t want to let you down.”

“Oh.” Embarrassed, Astrid powered the tablet off. “Then why are they sending a thank you to me?”

“I may have let him believe the request came from you.” Romo explained. He relinquished a dramatic flinch as though he expected retribution. When none came, he shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “The Fiends didn’t seem too eager to help us before. Maybe because we're military. I thought, this way, you could earn favor with the Underground, and we get some insight into what, or who, Caius responds to. Win-win.”

“And Caius responds to Channelers? I thought he declined to help guard the Sanctuaries.”

“Uh… more accurate to say he responds well to rebels. And we’ll leave it at that.”

Romo twiddled his thumbs in his lap and looked mighty pleased with himself. But Astrid couldn’t deny his gamble paid off. And bought them some favor.

Finally, using her name actually helped them.

“Thank you,” Astrid finished awkwardly. “Now listen, about this DNA thing-”

“I’m not going to bug you about it anymore,” Romo interjected before she wandered too far into the subject. “The team is right, it’s not my call. I just got a little overprotective, I guess.”

“I’m not saying ‘yes’.” Astrid picked absently at the edge of the device in her hands. “I guess I just want to hear why you don’t think it’s a good idea. Before I make my decision.”

Romo somehow managed to look like pitied her, and admired her, simultaneously. Maybe he did.

“I just don’t think it’s going to add anything to your life but turmoil. And I know that sounds bad,” he explained. “Tenya has a great family. So does Anders. But they’re not Channelers, Astrid. They’re making assumptions.

“Yeah, sure, maybe you find someone out there who wants to find you too, like Ramsey. But what if what you find is a family tree full of Static Opposition?”

The Channeler swallowed and remembered the haunted look in Ava’s eyes. The tormented psyche of a woman’s whose family fell asunder by someone just like Astrid.

Her companion added, “It could come with resentment. Anger. Blame. I’m not saying you can’t handle those things. But if you could decide when you handle them, why wouldn’t you wait until you’re sure?”

“I see.” Astrid replied thoughtfully.

It stung to hear it put that way. That maybe she did fantasize a potential future that just wasn’t in the cards. Upon reflection, maybe a part of her remained that naïve girl who wanted to believe that everyone was kind, and cruelty could come around.

But that’s the thing about the average person’s compassion. Some ranked below average. Several someones.

She braced herself against Romo’s shoulder and left a thankful peck on his cheek.

“Thank you.”