Chapter Fifteen: Hurdles

Aki looks up as I am let into her office by the smug assistant. “Oh, you're on time for once!” Her eyes look very tired. I experience a brief moment of guilt; my empaths are essentially responsible for her exhaustion, in one fashion or another. Seamus and Elene have been hounding her for Keven's expulsion since the night of the seeding. I told them both to be patient, but even I am now wondering why no action has yet been taken.

My eyes scan for the blue light on her desk. It winks back at me ominously. “You asked for me, Admiral?”

“Officer Doyle, do you know why I called you here today?”

“I have an idea, yes.”

She gestures at the chair across from her. “This will take a while, Doyle.”

I lean into the plush seatback and allow my spine to relax.

“I thought I should let you know the Council has come to a conclusion regarding Keven Leoni.”

I force my fingers to unclench from the armrest and keep my voice pleasant. She may be able to feel my annoyance, but the recording will not. “I was not aware a conclusion was needed. The University's rules against seeding are rather clear.”

Aki sighs and leans forward. “Officer, must be aware that there are several complicating circumstances. For one, Ms. Indrani was under the influence of alcohol. Because of this, we cannot conclusively prove that Mr. Leoni seeded her intentionally.”

It was a short charade. “With all due respect Admiral, that is the most—“

“Off the record!” She leans back and stares at me tiredly.

“Desmond, she's a natural seeder.”

“What, you think she seduced Keven?”

“It...is a factor that must be taken into consideration.”

I rub at my temples. “You told them she's a seeder, didn't you.”

“I had to, Desmond! They've not put anything on record, luckily, because Rayland is breathing down our necks. If he caught word of Asha, there would be more trouble than the Council could ever give her! You should count it as a blessing that we have the alcohol to fall back on!”

“Everyone who sees this is going to know it is a bogus charge, Aki!”

“Desmond! What do you want me to do?” Her hand slams against the desk hard enough to make me jump.

I sigh. “There is no way this was Asha's doing.”

“Unfortunately, your word is no longer as persuasive as it once was, especially in her case. I did what I could. Don't fight this.” She reactivates the recording with a very final stab of her finger.

“As I was saying, Officer, Keven Leoni has been demoted to second-year status and will be training privately with a tutor who will make the final decision regarding his moral character. If he can be rehabilitated, he may continue as a student. If not, he will be expelled.”

I sigh again. “Understood.”

“I would also like to congratulate you on the work of Ms. Elene Stavros during the incident. Due to her aid the situation was resolved quickly and with relative peace, and the Council believes this is a direct result of your training. Please inform her.”

“Understood.” I feel my lip trying to curl. If they believe this will placate me, they are sorely mistaken.

“Any questions, Officer?”

I shake my head. If that blue light on her desk weren't blinking, I am sure I would have several.

“Very well. Now let's move on to an issue that was brought to my attention by Amita earlier this week.”

“I assume you are referring to the fight.”

“Why yes, I am. Officer, I was under the impression these outbursts would decrease with time.”

“Admiral, it has only been three weeks since that discussion. I told you then in a year it would have stopped entirely.”

“So in the meantime, it is perfectly fine for her to hurl desks at her fellow students?”

“Admiral, I know you have seen the recording. That is not an entirely accurate assessment.”

“Fine. Let's revisit the file. Off the record!” The blue light fades, and she leans forward, accessing the file on the monitor panel. Asha's classroom appears. Amita is the front, standing before a panel full of images of Old Earth. Asha and Nanda are sitting in the exact middle of the class, side by side. Behind them I see Jordan, the dark-haired boy who started the fight. Aki moves around the desk to stand beside me before ordering the video to play.

“Class, today we're starting the unit on Old Earth.” Amita directs their attention to her deftly.

“Great,” mutters Jordan. “What's there to learn about? Trees, dirt, and savages.”

Asha stiffens, but Nanda puts his hand on her arm.

“Thank you, Jordan, for illustrating just how greatly this unit will benefit you,” Amita says, smiling brightly. A few students giggle.

“Excuse me, instructor, but I fail to see how any of this matters to our training.”

“Some of you may become Recruiters, Jordan.”

“To be a recruiter, you have to be an empath. Doesn't help me any, does it?”

“There will be Natives working with you where you do end up, I guarantee it.” Amita's face has become stern. Her lack of composure is just as unusual as Jordan's pressing of the issue. He may be a bit of a brat, but he has no follow-through.

“So?”

“There are two of us right here,” Asha says quietly.

“And I couldn't care less about what sort of hut you were born in.”

At this, a visible ripple of anger moves through the class. Asha is at the epicenter, turned in her chair now, glaring back at Jordan. A new expression for her.

“If I have to learn about how you keep sand dunes from overtaking your cities, you should have to learn how my people survive.”

Jordan stands, his voice growing louder. “We're here to learn about the Consortium. Your rock is not a part of that.”

“My rockis where all this started!” Asha leaps to her feet. Nanda stands beside her, but she shoves his arm away when he moves to placate her. At this, he too becomes clearly irritated. I see Aki shake her head in disappointment in my peripheral vision.

“And now it doesn't matter,” Jordan continues, squaring his shoulders. “You have nothing of value. We don't care.”

“We are people!” Her hands clench and unclench rhythmically at her sides.

“That's debatable.”

And then Asha throws her desk. Every time I see it, I am amazed first by her speed and second by the fact that no one was struck. The sound she makes as she hurls it into the air is hair-raising. Jordan hits the floor reflexively, and as the desk clears the archway and splinters on the walkway outside, the class descends into pandemonium. Several start screaming at Jordan while Amita and Nanda pull Asha out of the room as quickly as possible. They are off-screen for a little over a minute before Nanda and Amita return alone. It takes the rest of the lesson for the effects of Asha's emotion to dissipate from the remaining students. Some of them, mostly the empaths, are shaking visibly for most of the class period.

Aki exhales sharply and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Desmond, we can't have this. She can't keep making scenes like this.”

“I know!”

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

“I'll think of something.”

“That's very reassuring.”

Another light on her desk flashes, and she looks down at me candidly. “Well, that's your cue to go. Rayland is on his way.”

“Aki, why is he so interested in us?”

“Well, the Parliament shot him down over the refugees, so now he is trying to prove that we are massing and training an army of empaths for the purpose of taking over the planet.”

I blink at her.

“Yes, that was my initial reaction, but nevertheless, he is making things...uncomfortable. I'd head off if I were you.”

“Yes, Admiral. Good luck.” She is visibly surprised by the last two words. Or, perhaps, by the genuine feeling behind them. It is essentially the same thing.

I let myself out. The assistant looks far less smug now, likely because she just realized who is next on the appointment list. I give her a jaunty grin and walk briskly out the door, flaunting my ability to flee. She seems less than pleased.

My wristband sounds as if on cue once I am back on the path outside the administration building. Reid is responding to the message I sent him earlier today, asking if I am available to meet. I tell him to come to my quarters in half an hour. I had planned on visiting Caroline, but his message has reminded me of a conversation she and I had months ago that may be the answer to Asha's problem. With any luck, it will improve Reid's position with the Fleet, as well. Maybe even mine, if such a thing is still possible. I turn back toward my side of campus and send Caroline a message requesting she postpone our meeting by an hour. She agrees without asking for an explanation, a sign that she is used to my constant rescheduling. I am not sure how I feel about that.

By the time Reid arrives I have tea waiting for us both on the low glass table in my living room. He walks in and looks around awkwardly.

“You asked for me, sir?”

“Yes, Reid. Thanks for coming.”

“I didn't really have a choice, now did I?” He gives me a level stare and sits down across from me on the other couch. It is clear he has not forgotten my outburst from our last encounter. This is unsurprising; he seems the type to hold a grudge. I'll need to make reparations if this conversation is to continue.

“Actually. I wanted to...I wanted to apologize.”

Reid raises an eyebrow at me. I've always found this expression infuriating on anyone, but I do my best to ignore it now. Still, a small part of me wonders if he knows about this peeve and is doing it on purpose.

“You handled the situation with Asha and Keven remarkably well.”

“Desmond, I kicked him in the face. Three times.”

I nod. “So you did.” I refrain from mentioning I would have likely done far worse to the boy. “You also kept calm when Elene needed you, and have by all accounts taken excellent care of Asha since. These are excellent signs, Reid. Indications of good character and intent. This is why I am apologizing for the way I treated you earlier this semester.”

He does not respond, but leans back against my couch, throwing his arms along the seatback.

“But that's not the full reason why I asked you to meet with me,” I continue.

“I should hope not,” he mutters.

Again, I refuse to be baited. “I think I have found a way to prove to the Fleet that you do not need to be a practicing empath. If I am correct, you will be able to continue on as you are now for your entire life, should you wish.”

“Go on,” he says cautiously.

“I think you will agree with me that Asha is still having problems controlling herself in public.”

Reid does not reply, but I notice him tense slightly.

“We need someone who can accompany her until she learns to maintain control. I was thinking it could be you.”

“No!” He leans forward reflexively, then instantly regains his composure. “Isn't that what Nanda is for, anyway?”

“Reid. Asha is a natural seeder.”

There is a short pause as he sorts through the implications of this statement. It doesn't take him long to fully grasp the situation—Caroline was right when she said he was almost intimidatingly intelligent. Finally, he gives me an angry stare. “I really wish you hadn't told me that.”

“Look, Reid. This should make you happy. You spend time with her three days a week in a public place. Make sure things stay under control. You're effectively immune to it as long as you remain closed off.”

“As long as I...? Desmond, no. You can't do this.”

“Reid, this is the best solution for you and Asha both. What is the problem?”

“Oh, there's no problem. There's nothing I would love more than to babysit a Type Three seeder.”

“Reid, don't be foolish. This is an excellent solution! You're her friend, and you are essentially being granted amnesty simply for being around her.”

He gives me a long stare, and then sighs. “I assume I don't have much of a choice.”

“I can't see why you would want one.”

“Clearly.” He does not elaborate.

I shake my head. “Sit down with her, pick three days, and make sure she spends two hours straight in a public venue on those days until further notice.”

“So what happens if it works?”

“What do you mean?”

His eyes drop to the table and fix on his untouched mug of tea. “What happens when she doesn't need me anymore?”

“Like I said. This legitimizes your desire to be a non-practicing

empath.”

“So what does that make Caroline?”

I realize with a sinking feeling that is an excellent question, but I don't want to let him know that aspect had not yet occurred to me. “She and I are discussing this issue today. I'll have a better answer for you tomorrow.”

“May I go?” He is still staring at his tea.

“Yes. Let me know what you and Asha decide on as a schedule.”

“Yeah, sure.” With that, Reid walks out the door. When it slams behind him, ripples course over the surface of the liquid within the abandoned cup. I pick it up and take it to the kitchen sink while making a mental note to never again take it lightly when Caroline refers to one of her students as “exceptionally moody.” I'm in the middle of wiping water rings off the coffee table when she walks in. As usual, she is early.

“Desmond, did I see Reid leaving a moment ago?”

“Yes, you did.” I toss the rag in the general direction of the kitchen and retake my position on the couch. She sits down next to me.

“What was he over for?”

“I wanted to talk to him about Asha.”

“I take it the meeting with Aki didn't go so well, then.”

“It could have been worse. I have you to thank for that, actually.”

Caroline raises an eyebrow at me. “What did I do?”

I am halfway through explaining it to her when she cuts me off angrily. “Desmond, you cannot possibly be as dense as you pretend to be!”

“What? Caroline, it was your idea!”

“No! No! I said they should spend more time together, not that you should ruin their relationship by making him dependent on her!” Caroline gets to her feet and begins to pace back and forth on the other side of the glass table. She had removed her shoes when she entered my quarters, so her bare feet make a far less imposing sound than I am used to. “Are you even human?”

“Caroline, what are you talking about?”

“Asha and Reid! Don't tell me you haven't noticed they like one another.”

I blink. “They do?”

“Desmond. Reid kicked Keven in the face three times before they managed to pull them apart. Three of his peers had trouble holding him back when he decided he wasn't done.”

“I would have done the same!”

“You are not Reid!” she snaps. “He has never cared what happens to other people.” She says these words with unusual vehemence. “He never gets involved. But he works so hard to protect her!”

“This is good, then! I'm giving them a good reason to be around one another!”

She shakes her head. “Did Reid seem upset when he spoke to you?”

I think back to the tea and the door. “Well, a little, but I thought that was because he dislikes me.”

She laughs at me. “Dense and egocentric! Even better.”

“Caroline. Sit down and talk to me. What is the problem here?”

She resumes her seat grudgingly, crossing her legs and tugging at her skirt hem. “Desmond, Reid is one of those rare people who has the unfortunate ability to understand the difference between being wanted and being needed. He needs Asha to want him. Now, thanks to you, he has to worry she needs him.”

I shake my head. “You're right. He asked me what would happen when she didn't need him anymore. I completely missed what he was getting at.” Suddenly I feel very stupid. I drag my hands through my hair and look over at her.

“Also, did it occur to you that I might be a little angry that you decided to reassign my student without asking me first? Last time I checked, I was his Teacher, not you. If he becomes fully non-practicing, where does that leave me?”

“Caroline, what did you want me to do? Aki needs results. Reid needs proof that he's useful to the Fleet as is. Asha needs someone to help her who isn't suceptible to her every emotional outburst! It works perfectly!”

“No, Desmond. It works perfectly for you.”

“Do you have any better options for a guardian?”

“Nanda.”

“He's not strong enough, Caroline. You saw the footage from the desk incident.”

“And you think Reid is?” She shakes her head at me sadly.

“I think he's the best option.”

“I really wish you would have talked this over with me before you acted.”

“It didn't even cross my mind.”

“No, it never does, does it?” She slumps into the couchback and stares over at me tiredly. “Did you know that Asha and I had tea together a few days ago?”

I shake my head and feel suddenly defensive. “She hasn't mentioned it, no.”

Caroline smiles. “Good girl. She met with me to talk about Reid, and then the conversation shifted to you.”

I feel the muscles in my back grow tense. “Oh?”

“She told me that you're very bad at figuring out how people feel on your own.”

“She's not the only person who has said that about me,” I venture cautiously.

Caroline moves closer to me and looks at me over the edge of her glasses. “And she told me that if I really want to get my point across to you, I have to spell it out.” With this she leans forward and presses her mouth against mine. My nerves are overwhelmed by the softness of her lips, and I feel my heartrate stumble. By the time her fingers have worked their way into my hair, I am kissing her back. She pulls back slightly and I try to speak, but she covers my mouth with her fingers. There is nothing I want more in this moment than to bury my hands in the dark red of her hair and pull her back to me, but I know better. Caroline is not a woman who appreciates being taken lightly.

“No. Now I have your attention, right? I've been trying to show you that I like you for months now. I think I finally got the point across. But more importantly? If you ever fuck up this badly again, I am going to stop speaking to you indefinitely.”

I sigh. “You have a way with words.”

She snaps her fingers in front of my nose and I fall silent again. “So here is what you're going to do to make this up to me. When you tell Aki about this disastrous plan, tell her my meetings with Reid have become debriefs on Asha. I am not about to let you interact with him more than is absolutely necessary. This way I still have a bond with him, and I can gauge how things are going with them both without relying on your insensitive observations. Also, you are taking me out to dinner.”

“Caroline, I am twice your age.”

“And I am half your density.” Her eyes flash with only the slightest bit of humor. “It evens out. Are we clear?”

“Maybe. I might need another kiss to drive the point home.”

Caroline shakes her head and pulls away from me completely. The air around me becomes slightly chilly. “Oh, no. You're not getting another one until I've calmed down and you've answered a lot of questions about just what you did on Old Earth to get in so much trouble.”

I groan. “Now?”

“No. I need to get you out of my sight so my blood pressure gets back under control. Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to attempt some damage control with my student.”

My heart rate is still irregular long after she walks out the door. Once she has settled down, we are going to have a lot to discuss. I don't know if I am going to be honest with her if she really does push the Old Earth issue. I don't know if I can.