Sanctuary Falling (51 page)

 
“You can’t leave now!” Angela’s face showed sheer panic for half an instant, “I’m calling back all of our strong kinetics we need them to shore up our defenses. A leader needs priorities.”

Annette put her shoulders back and prepared to argue, “Entire planets need rescued. I’m not gonna let them down.”

“Send someone else from your team,” Angela suggested.

Annette wondered why Angela was arguing so hard against Annette going, “No, I need to be there, doesn’t a leader need to look out for those that follow?”

Angela raised an eyebrow and looked directly into Annette’s eyes. Annette met the look and set her shoulders. After half a century and less than a minute Angela glanced down at the floor. When she looked up there was definite satisfaction in her eyes. She didn’t say anything more she just gave Annette a twitch of a nod and turned back towards her room.

Annette stared wide-eyed at Angela’s back for a moment before the elder woman disappeared into her paint room again. With a chill, Annette realized that Angela was no longer fit for command. Annette considered Sanctuary’s population, only the prime factors had been officially informed of Sanctuary’s peril, though the deadline was very nearly upon them.

Annette started off down the hallway towards the communications room, “Prima, has Angela really called back the higher level telekinetics?” Annette asked.

“No, miss. Angela has only called back those factors directly in harm’s way of the crunch bombs,” Prima responded.

“Has she begun evacuation plans?” Annette asked.

“Not to my knowledge, nor has she scheduled an announcement of our present difficulties. In truth Central Computer is quite concerned,” Prima’s tone was one of electronic panic.

Annette stopped dead in the hall, if the chief wasn’t acting like the
 
chief then who was in charge? “Prima I want you to call a meeting. I want all the factors, everyone, call them in from the field. I also want every priest, minister, and rabbi. Call in all the school administrators and all school councilors. Make sure all the department heads come too,” Annette paused to scratch her mind for anyone else that needed to be there.

“Does that include Angela?” Prima asked.

Annette considered it, “Yes. Send all messages immediately.”

“The one of the only rooms capable of holding a crowd that size is the main practice cavern,” Prima said.

“I’m fine with that, book it for tomorrow morning at ten!” Annette stepped into the communications room.

Immediately several operators took notice one, Ruth, came over to Annette, pop-pad in hand,
 
“Miss Peterson is there something I can do for you?”

“Yes, I’m going to make an announcement tomorrow and I want it taped for playback on all media channels two hours later. What do I need to do to get it?” Annette asked.

“You’ve just done it, tell me when and
 
where we need to be with our cameras,” Ruth replied.

“Main factor training cavern, tomorrow, ten in the morning,” Annette replied.

Ruth tapped at her pop-pad, “No problem, anything else?”

Annette stared blankly past the woman for a moment, trying to bring her thoughts into focus, “No, not right now. Ask me again tomorrow afternoon.”

“Could you give me some idea of what the announcement will be, so we can prepare appropriate graphics?” Ruth asked in a tone which indicated the question was more motivated by curiosity than preparedness.

Annette frowned, “I think you’d sleep better tonight if you didn’t know. Really that’s all I need, don’t worry about beautifying the message. Nothing is going to make it pretty.”

Ruth smiled confusedly and went back to her console. Annette noticed a box of doughnuts sitting on a table near the coffee pot. Her stomach growled so she used her telekinesis to grab a chocolate one on her way out.

“Messages sent,” Prima piped up as they left the communication room.

“Thanks Prima!” Annette mumbled around a mouthful of doughnut. Now she needed to get back to her team to let them know the bad news, tomorrow the deadline goes public. Annette trotted through the hallways at a brisk pace, and no one took any note of her. She remembered thinking no one saw her when she was a child, but this wasn’t like that. No, people passed her without making note of it because she belonged there, whatever she was doing. It was a good feeling, and a good feeling was what she needed.

Annette made it to the design room, and found it full. People scurrying around one another monitoring monitors and checking projected data against the reality of construction. Most of Refuge was finished, there were still a few minor cosmetic details, but those could be dealt with after moving in, besides time was running out. No, Annette had drawn a line in the sand, time was up.

“People!,” The whole room turned to face Annette, her mouth went a little dry, but as silence fell she moved on, “We are en-bubbling today! Make it happen!”

A mousey haired plain looking woman, blinked loudly at Annette, “But we aren’t ready there are still details, finishing touches, it isn’t finished!”

Annette smirked, “Nothing is ever finished, time just runs out! And it is gone people, make bubble now!”

“Chief Jr. are you trying to say Sanctuary’s death day, a.k.a. our deadline has been moved up?” Mike peeped from somewhere in the corner. Frightened murmurs hissed out of the rest of the room.

“No, I’m saying we are moving in! It’s ready enough now, and we really don’t want to cut it close in the evacuation end of the project. I want our designated white-hat guides moved in by the end of the week. They need to familiarize themselves with it so that on moving day everyone is on the same page. I’m taking the chief on her tour tonight so leave the lights on.”

Carl stepped forward, “I’ve already let the white hats know about the new time table, Annette. Do I need to modify the information packets too?”

Annette shrugged, “Don’t see why, just mention that some of the paint may still be wet and that they shouldn’t bait the construction bots.”

Carl smiled warmly at her, and Annette smiled back. Finished with him everyone else in the room clamored for her personal approval of their projects. Frustrated and overtaxed, Annette turned on her heels and headed back out the door. Behind her pandemonium broke out as everyone rushed to put her orders into action.

Annette followed her feet and her nose back to Angela’s paint room. She knocked again. Again she heard Angela’s muffled challenge, “Who is it?”

“Me, again!” Annette replied.

Angela teleported back out of her room, this time not quite in as pristine a condition, a little bit of blue paint splatter stood out on her sleeve. Angela apparently caught Annette’s glance because the paint disappeared, “Come to scold me again?”
          

“No, I’ve come to make a courtesy call and inform you of items of interest on your schedule. One, this evening I invite you to join me on a walkthrough of Refuge, not the whole thing by any means, but enough for you to get the idea.
 
I’ve also called a major meeting tomorrow morning at ten. I’m announcing the situation to everyone on a time delay, and putting evacuation equipment at their disposal.
 
I’m also sending out rescue teams where there is enough of a safety margin to try.”

Angela looked blankly at Annette and nodded, “Okay, so I should meet you in the design room around what, eight?”

“Yeah, that would be good, wear comfortable shoes,” Annette replied.

“Okay,” Angela chirped then disappeared back into her room.

Annette decided to take a page from Angela’s book and disappear for a while. Her bed was calling to her. She figured she should stock up on sleep now, while she had something resembling time on her hands. The next few days, and weeks could, would be
 
hectic.

Annette was almost to her quarters when she suddenly realized that there was one more place to go, one more errand to run to prepare for tomorrow. It was the one she dreaded most, she had to go make sure Sinclair had prepared the evacuation packages for everyone. She’d let him design them, and prepare them on his own, so she could avoid the issue, or rather so she could avoid him.
 
Annette had no problem whatsoever with the idea of evacuation kits, she just wished she didn’t have to go through him to get them.

Annette continued on to her quarters, she wasn’t going to face Sinclair in a third-year-blue jumpsuit. She changed quickly into her tie died t-shirt and embellished jeans. She automatically transferred Prima’s remote to the shirt.
 
On her way out of the room she glanced at her still unworn prime jacket. Though wearing it would give her more confidence to deal with him, it wouldn’t be a good gesture to wear it to see a man who still doubted her right to be in training, let alone her right to be a prime.
 
He would already be on edge with her without deliberately rubbing him the wrong way.

For Annette, the walk down to Sinclair’s office held dread in abundance. It took an act of will to keep her legs from shaking. Just outside of the door to Sinclair’s office Annette paused long enough to pull her thoughts together. Then she raised her hand to knock, instead the door opened and Sinclair nearly trampled her on his way out.

“Peterson,” Sinclair grunted as his expression turned sour, “I’m busy now, perhaps you can come back later. “

Annette felt pressure to obey, but pulled herself together, “No, now, I need to know if the evacuation kits are ready.”

Sinclair glared at her, as though his eyes could melt her, “Yes, I have thirty thousand units ready for distribution before the deadline.”

“Are they ready to distribute tomorrow afternoon? Because I’m making the announcement tomorrow morning,” Annette challenged.

Sinclair paused and consulted his pop-pad, “I can arrange that, but why are you making the announcement? I thought the chief. . .”

“Angela is otherwise indisposed. To be frank, I’m worried about her,” Annette replied quickly.

“Please do be frank, what do you mean? I’ve seen her at the morning briefings. She seems to be fine,” Sinclair responded.

Annette paused, “She is good at seeming fine when she has to. I’m talking about the rest of the day. Have you tried talking to her at any other point in the day?”

Sinclair paused, “Perhaps you are right? Still do you think it’s appropriate to be taking over her responsibilities? How do you think she’ll react.”

“I already know how she’ll react. She’ll nod and say okay and go back into her manic painting. When I say I’m worried about her, I mean there is definitely something to worry about. I’m no longer some dumb kid, better to be ignored than admitted to training. I am an adult and I know what I’m talking about when I open my mouth.
 
I’ve been her assistant for three years and a prime for nearly as long. I know what I’m doing and I’m tired of your callous disregard of that fact, “ Annette growled, finally tired of his attitude.

Sinclair backed back into his room, blinking at the force of her eruption, “Okay, I believe you, and I’ll have those kits ready tomorrow morning for distribution. Anything else?” His voice and face were a mask of contrition.

Annette swallowed her anger and paused to think, that pause was interrupted by Prima’s voice, “Miss, there is a very upset secondary factor requesting to speak with you.”

“Put it through to my pad,” Annette said reaching for her pocket before realizing she’d forgotten to transfer it to her outfit when she changed, “Put it through your speaker.”

“I want to talk to a person you dumb program! I mean now!” The remote pin’s speaker blurted.

“You’ve got one, now what can I do for you?” Annette quickly stated.

“Where’s your visual?” The voice growled back.

Annette sighed, “Mr. Chavez may I borrow your pad?” Sinclair quickly responded handing her his pop-pad. “Prima put him through! Better? Now to whom am I speaking.”